Page 73

ARIZONA—1990  73THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF ARIZONA 
This chapter has been prepared under a Memorandum of Understanding between
the Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Arizona Department
of Mines and Mineral Resources for collecting information on all nonfuel
minerals. 
By Michael N. Greeley' and Leroy E. Kissinger2 
 Arizona mines led the United States in 
the production of nonfuel minerals in 
1990. The total value of output, nearly 
$3. 1 billion, increased about 1 % over 
that of the previous year. 
 The State led the Nation in copper production and was also among the top
producers of gem stones, lime, molybdenum, rhenium, sand and gravel, silver,
and sulfuric acid. Nearly onequarter of the value of all metals produced
in the United States in 1990 was attributed to the mines of Arizona. In terms
of value, therefore, the State 
I was the country's leading producer of ~ metals. 
 Metal output valued at $2. 82 billion I 
I represented more than 92 % of all nonfuel 
- mineral production in the State. - 
~ Industrial mineral production for the year was $243 million or about 8
% of the total ~ mineral value in Arizona. 
~ TRENDS AND 
- DEVELOPMEMS 
 The mineral industry of Arizona exhibited a mixed character in 1990. A 
slight increase in the total value of nonfuel mineral production was primarily
due to increased output of the two metals: 
copper and gold. Unit prices of essentially all the metals produced in the
State declined substantially. 
 The value of industrial mineral production during the year fell markedly
to almost 16% less than that of 1989. Although some gains in output were
registered, chiefly in gypsum and lime, most commodities produced for the
construction industry such as aggregates, common clays, and sand and gravel
TABLE 1 
NONFUEL MINERAL PRODUCTION 
IN ARIZONA1 
Mineral 
1988 
1989 
1990 
. 
Quantity 
Value 
(thousands) 
. 
Quantity 
Value 
(thousands) 
. 
Quantity 
Value 
(thousands) 
Clays metrictons 
168,392 
842,728 
7,257 
NA 
4,549 
674 
907 
32,399 
119 
152 
' 7,400 
W 
$1,590 
2,238,875 
1,208 
3,300 
64,106 
29,637 
7 
123,854 
3,045 
31,974 
"33,000 
~1 
188,211 r898,466 
W 
NA 
' 2,768 
W 
 — "33,900 
W 
171 
6,649 
W 
$2,506 
' 2,593,734 
W 
2,821 
' 34,047 
W 
 — ' 133,900 
W 
30,186 
28,552 
W 
140,162 
978,767 
W 
NA 
5,000 
W 
W 
27,915 
W 
173 
5,300 
W 
$2,318 
2,657,649 
W 
2,098 
62,191 
W 
W 
92,166 
W 
26,836 
13,500 
W 
Copp& do. 
Diatomite do. 
Gemstones 
Gold2 kilograms 
Lime thousand short tons 
Pumice metric tons 
Sand and gravel: 
Construction thousand short tons 
Industrial do. 
Silvers metric tons 
Stone: 
Crushed thousand short tons 
Dimension short tons 
Combined value of cement, gypsum (crude), iron oxide 
pigments (crude,1989-90), lead (1988-89), molybdenum, 
perlite, pyrites, salt, tin (1988-89), and values indicated by 
symbolW 
xx 
xx 
235,596 
2,766,193 
XX 
XX 
p220,594 3,046,340 
XX 
XX 
208,690 
3,065,448 
Total 
~Estimated. ' Revised. NA Not available. W WitbI~ld to avoid disclosing conipany
proprietaiy data; value included with ~ wino' figure. XX Not applicable.
' Production as n~asured by nth~ abipinents, sales, or marketable production
(including consumption by producers). 
~Recovcrable content of oi~. etc.