SIC 1031 Lead and Zinc Ores

Contenidos

• NAICS CODE(S).
• INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT.
• ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE.
• BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT.
• CURRENT CONDITIONS.
• Lead.
• Zinc.
• INDUSTRY LEADERS.
• AMERICA AND THE WORLD.
• FURTHER READING.

SIC 1031

This category covers establishments primarily engaged in mining, milling, or other wise preparing lead ores, zinc ores, or lead-zinc ores.

NAICS CODE(S)

212231

Lead Ore and Zinc Ore Mining

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, lead and zinc account for 2 and 3 percent of U.S. nonferrous metals production, respectively. In 2004 approximately 22 establishments were engaged in the production of lead and zinc ores. A lack of capacity in zinc refinery production in the late 1990s and early 2000s resulted in increased exports of zinc concentrates from 531,000 metric tons in 1999 to 830,000 metric tons in 2003, as well as decreased imports of zinc metal from 1.06 million metric tons in 1999 to 780,000 metric tons in 2003. This situation is projected to continue in the United States through 2005.

The special properties of lead, especially its resistance to corrosion, make it extremely useful for nuclear insulation and applications such as X-ray protection. Zinc is also used in the production of nonferrous alloys and is useful as a corrosion inhibitor, especially as a protective coating on steel.

Although global zinc consumption increased 3 percent between 2001 and 2002, U.S. zinc consumption in the U.S. declined. Nevertheless, U.S. consumption continued to account for 13 percent of world consumption. Only China consumed more zinc than that United States in 2002. A total of seven companies operating in five U.S. states produced zinc in 2003; the value of zinc production that year reached $664 million. Alaska, Missouri, and Tennessee accounted for 97 percent of U.S. zinc production, with the Red Dog Mine in Alaska accounting for 75 percent of that total.

Lead consumption declined roughly 2 percent between 2002 and 2003, while global demand increased 1 percent. Falling consumption in the United States was due in large part to diminished demand for lead by the battery industry. The value of mined lead in 2003 totaled $435 million. Lead mining is located primarily in Missouri, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Ninety-seven percent of U.S. lead product was extracted from nine mines in Alaska and Missouri in 2003; Alaska accounted for about one-half of total U.S. lead production.

ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE

The lead and zinc industry consolidated operations gradually after production peaked in 1970: where 88 establishments existed in 1977, the number fell to 36 firms in 1996, and only 22 remained in 2003. Manufacturers of lead and zinc intermediate products for industrial use are the principal purchasers of lead and zinc.

BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT

The mining of lead and zinc ores originated in Colorado in the early 1800s. The production of these base metals became closely intertwined because both were extracted from the same...