Mineral Production In The Country Grows By 5.1% In December 2023

The mineral production index in the mining and quarrying sector for December 2023 (Base: 2011-12=100) stands at 139.4, marking a 5.1 per cent increase compared to December 2022. The cumulative growth from April to December 2023-24, compared to the same period last year, is recorded at 8.5 per cent. 

In December 2023, the production levels of key minerals were as follows: Coal 929 lakh, Lignite 40 lakh, Crude Petroleum 25 lakh, Iron Ore 255 lakh, Limestone 372 lakh tonnes each, Utilised Natural Gas 3078 million cu. m., Bauxite 2429 thousand, Chromite 235 thousand, Copper Concentrate 11 thousand, Lead Concentrate 35 thousand, Manganese Ore 319 thousand, Zinc Concentrate 148 thousand, Phosphorite 117 thousand, Magnesite 16,000 tonnes each and Gold 122 kg. 

Notable minerals with positive growth in December 2023 compared to December 2022 include: Magnesite (83.7 per cent), Lead Concentrate (16.5 per cent), Lignite (14.6 per cent), Copper Concentrate (13.7 per cent), Limestone (12.5 per cent), Coal (10.8 per cent), Zinc Concentrate (7.8 per cent), Bauxite (6.6 per cent), Natural Gas (Utilised) (6.6 per cent), Manganese Ore (4.0 per cent), and Iron Ore (1.3 per cent). On the other hand, minerals experiencing negative growth include Crude Petroleum (-1.0 per cent), Gold (-29.9 per cent), Chromite (-30.8 per cent), Phosphorite (-31.2 per cent), and Diamond (-74.4 per cent), as stated in a press release by the Ministry of Mines on Thursday.