Economic Census - Minerals

Definition: The Mining sector comprises establishments that extract naturally occurring mineral solids, such as coal and ores; liquid minerals, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The term mining is used in the broad sense to include quarrying, well operations, beneficiating (e.g., crushing, screening, washing, and flotation), and other preparation customarily performed at the mine site, or as a part of mining activity.

The Mining sector distinguishes two basic activities: mine operation and mining support activities. Mine operation includes establishments operating mines, quarries, or oil and gas wells on their own account or for others on a contract or fee basis. Mining support activities include establishments that perform exploration (except geophysical surveying) and/or other mining services on a contract or fee basis.

Comparability with SIC data: Changes to the mining sector were minor, but mining now excludes portions of industries that are now included in services sectors. Prominent among these industries are geophysical surveying and mapping services for metal mining, oil and gas extraction, and nonmetallic minerals mining.

Another change resulting from the conversion to NAICS is that data for mining auxiliary establishments are not included with the mining data; these establishments are now classified in a particular NAICS industry based on the function of the auxiliary establishment. See the discussion of "Auxiliaries" for additional explanation of the treatment of auxiliary establishments in the 1992 and 1997 Economic Censuses.

Geographic detail: The Economic Census publishes data for the mining sector only for the U.S. and states.

The Census of Mineral Industries is updated by:

Manufacturing, Mining, & Construction Statistics
Quarterly Financial Report for Manufacturing, Mining, and Trade Corporations
County Business Patterns: County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides subnational economic data by industry. The series is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. This series has been published annually since 1964 and at irregular intervals dating back to 1946. The comparability of data over time may be affected by definitional changes in establishments, activity status, and industrial classifications.

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