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The mineral production from mining and quarring sector in December 2004 increased by about 5.9 per cent as compared to that in the preceding month due to increased production of lignite, magnesite, bauxite, copper conc., gold, coal, lead conc., limestone, manganese ore, dolomite, natural gas (utilized) and petroleum (crude). It recorded a growth of 2.9 per cent as compared to that of the corresponding month of previous year. The mineral sector has shown a growth of 4.7 per cent during the first nine months of the current financial year as compared to that in the same period last year.
The total value of mineral production (excluding atomic & minor minerals) in the country during the month was Rs.6,007 crore. The contribution of coal was the highest at Rs. 2,580 crore (43 per cent). Next in the order of importance were : petroleum (crude) Rs.1,602 crore, natural gas (utilised) Rs.778 crore, iron ore Rs.468 crore, lignite Rs. 170 crore and limestone Rs.137 crore. These six minerals together contributed about 95 per cent of the total value of mineral production in Decemebr, 2004.
Production levels of important minerals in the month were : coal 366 lakh tonnes, lignite 25 lakh tonnes, natural gas (utilized) 2,684 million cu. m., petroleum (crude) 29 lakh tonnes, bauxite 1,015 thousand tonnes, chromite 311 thousand tonnes, copper conc. 10 thousand tonnes, gold 276 kg., iron ore 117 lakh tonnes, lead conc. 7 thousand tonnes, manganese ore 201 thousand tonnes, zinc conc. 56 thousand tonnes, apatite & phosphorite 119 thousand tonnes, dolomite 376 thousand tonnes, limestone 135 lakh tonnes and magnesite 38 thousand tonnes.
During the month, the output of lignite increased by 54.9 per cent, magnesite 21.8 per cent, bauxite 16.4 per cent, copper conc. 13.8 per cent, gold 13.6 per cent, coal 11.8 per cent, lead conc. 8.0 per cent, limestone 7.7 per cent, manganese ore 7.3 per cent, dolomite 4.9 per cent, natural gas (utilized) 3.6 per cent and petroleum (crude) 2.6 per cent. However, the output of chromite decreased by 9.6 per cent, iron ore 1.9 per cent, zinc conc. 1.8 per cent and apatite & phosphorite 0.9 per cent.
DS/SCH
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