The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector for the month of August 2017 stood at 92.7, 9.4% higher as compared to the level in the month of August 2016. The cumulative growth for the period April-August 2017-18 over the corresponding period of previous year has been 3.3%. The total estimated value of mineral production (excluding atomic & minor minerals) in the country during August 2017 was Rs 18,015 crore. The contribution of Coal was the highest at Rs 6,158 crore (34%). Next in the order of importance were: Petroleum (crude) Rs 5,489 crore, Natural gas (utilized) Rs 2,225 crore, Iron ore Rs 1,921 crore, Lignite Rs 615 crore and Limestone Rs 562 crore. These six minerals together contributed about 94% of the total value of mineral production in August 2017.
Production level of important minerals in August 2017 were -- Coal 457 lakh tonnes (LT), Lignite 33 LT, Natural gas (utilized) 2690 million cu. m., Petroleum (crude) 30 LT, Bauxite 1990 thousand tonnes (TT), Chromite 160 TT, Copper conc. 10 TT, Gold 113 kg., Iron ore 137 LT, Lead conc. 27 TT, Manganese ore 167 TT, Zinc conc. 115 TT, Apatite & Phosphorite 109 TT, Limestone 253 LT, Magnesite 12 TT and Diamond 2,906 carat.
Further, the production of important minerals showing positive growth during August 2017 over August 2016 include -- Apatite & Phosphorite (120.1%), Diamond (47.9%), Lead conc. (41.4%), Bauxite (25.0%), Iron ore (20.6%), Zinc conc. (19.4%), Lignite (17.4%), Coal (15.7%), Limestone (10.4%), Manganese ore (9.6%) and Natural gas (utilized) (4.5%). The production of other important minerals showing negative growth are -- Magnesite (-) 52.0%, Gold (-) 28.5%, Copper conc. (-) 15.3%, Chromite (-) 5.8% and Petroleum (crude) (-) 1.6%.