The Mineral Production
from mining and quarrying sector registered a positive growth
of 5 per cent in December 2002 as compared to the preceding
month. December witnessed higher production of coal, lignite,
natural gas (utilised), petroleum (crude), bauxite, chromite,
copper conc; dolomite, limestone and magnesite. The production
during the month showed 4.5 per cent increase as compared to
that of the corresponding month of previous year.
The total value
of mineral production (excluding atomic and minor minerals)
in the country during December 2002 was Rs. 5017 crore as compared
to Rs. 4774 crore in November 2002. The contribution of coal
was the highest at Rs. 2019 crore (40%). Next in the order of
importance were: petroleum (crude) Rs. 1567 crore, natural gas
(utilized) Rs. 761 crore, iron ore Rs. 193 crore, limestone
Rs. 128 crore and lignite Rs. 123 crore. These six minerals
together contributed 96 per cent of the total value of mineral
production in December 2002.
Production
level of important minerals in December 2002 were: coal 313
lakh tonnes, lignite 21 lakh tonnes, natural gas (utilized)
2618 million cu.m., petroleum (crude) 28 lakh tonnes, bauxite
845 thousand tonnes, chromite 299 thousand tonnes, copper conc.
14 thousand tonnes, gold 265 kg., iron ore 79 lakh tonnes, lead
conc. 4 thousand tonnes, manganese ore 136 thousand tonnes,
zinc conc. 33 thousand tonnes, apatite and phosphorite 76 thousand
tonnes, dolomite 262 thousand tonnes, limestone 123 lakh tonnes
and mangesite 22 thousand tonnes.
During December
2002 the output of mangnesite increased by 27 per cent, bauxite
18 per cent, chromite 14 per cent, copper conc. and lignite
12 per cent each, coal 8 per cent, natural gas (utilized) 5
per cent, petroleum (crude) 3 per cent, dolomite and limestone
2 per cent each as compared to the preceding month. However,
the output of lead conc. decreased by 11 per cent, apatite &
phosporite 10 per cent, zinc conc. 3 per cent and gold, iron
ore, manganese ore 1 per cent each.
