Navai state mining institute the mining faculty independent work

Many in Guinea hope that the new MetalCorp plant will enable Guineans to better profit from the country’s bauxite reserves.

 

Phosphate rock: 276 million tonnes

The BGS provides unified statistics for all rocks containing the mineral phosphorous, which is predominantly used as a plant fertiliser, as well as to provide sparks in flares and matchboxes. China was by far the largest producer of phosphates, contributing 144 million tonnes, over half of the world’s production, in 2016.

One of the more unusual sources of phosphate is Christmas Island, an Australian overseas territory in the Indian Ocean with a population of 1,800. Phosphate Resources, which has mined phosphate at a single mine on the island for over 100 years, produced 770,000 tonnes of phosphate rock in 2016. However, uncertainty remains over the territory’s future, as the Australian Government has rejected the company’s applications to expand the mine into new areas, arguing that mining operations threaten local red crab populations, which have collapsed from around 100 million to around 40 million in the last decade.

 

Gypsum: 267.1 million tonnes

Gypsum is a component of a range of construction materials, such as wallboard and cement, and global production of the mineral has increased steadily from 258.1 million tonnes in 2012. China is the world’s largest producer, accounting for 130 million tonnes in 2016, significantly more than Iran, which is ranked second in the world with 16 million tonnes. Smithers Apex reported last year that high demand for sustainable building materials, such as plasterboard made from synthetic gypsum, has driven growth. The analyst estimated that 252 million tonnes of gypsum would be produced in 2016 – a lofty prediction that was surpassed.

It is estimated that North America and Europe contain half of the world’s gypsum reserves, and production has grown in both regions. Eight European countries produced more than one million tonnes of the mineral in 2016, with Spain and Turkey leading the continent with 8.66 million and 8.6 million tonnes respectively. US production has been particularly impressive, increasing 17% from 12.8 million tonnes in 2012 to 15.5 million tonnes in 2016.