By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector for the month of September, 2022 (Base: 2011-12=100) at 99.5, is 4.6% higher as compared to the level in the month of September, 2021. As per the provisional statistics of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), the cumulative growth for the period April-September, 2022-23 over the corresponding period of previous year is 4.2 per cent.
Production level of important minerals in September, 2022 were: Coal 580 lakh tonnes, Lignite 27 lakh tonnes, Natural gas (utilized) 2791 million cu. m., Petroleum (crude) 24 lakh tonnes, Bauxite 1667 thousand tonnes, Chromite 116 thousand tonnes, Copper conc. 10 thousand tonnes , Gold 92 kg, Iron ore 166 lakh tonnes, Lead conc. 22 thousand tonnes, Manganese ore 163 thousand tonnes, Zinc conc. 45 thousand tonnes, Limestone 305 lakh tonnes, Phosphorite 150 thousand tonnes, Magnesite 10 thousand tonnes, and Diamond 70 carat.
Important minerals showing positive growth during September, 2022 over September, 2021 include: Phosphorite (87.6%), Diamond (37.3%), Copper conc (18.5%), Coal (12.1%), Iron Ore (9.1%), Bauxite (5.5%) and Limestone (4.7%). Other important minerals showing negative growth include: Natural Gas (U) (-1.7%), Petroleum (crude) (-2.3%), Manganese ore (-4.7%), Magnesite (-15.3%), Chromite (-19.6%), Gold (-20.7%), Lignite (-22.0%), Lead conc (-30.1%), and Zinc conc (-66.1%).
