1. Non-metallic minerals
EUROPEAN STATISTICAL TRAINING PROGRAMME (ESTP)
Course on “Material Flow Accounts”, Vienna, 3-4 October 2013
Non-metallic minerals
Aldo Femia

2. Concepts and data sources / 1
SEEA’s distinction between Natural Resources and Products is a fundamental conceptual reference. (as probably for all EW-MFA items) There is no statistical survey specifically concerned with «mineral natural resources taken from the natural environment» as such. All sources are about products. Physical product flows are the more correct a proxy for EW-MF(A) the nearer they are to the natural resources taken from nature. We try and account for all products that are the first appearance of (transformed) natural resources into the products’ world (the economy), and try and avoid accounting for products that are subsequent appearances (derivates).

3. Concepts and data sources /2
Run-of-mine concept: in principle holds for all minerals For non-metallic ores the difference between run of mine and reported production is usually not relevant. In other words: we can assume that the transformation only consists in the «separation from nature» so that phisical P flow is equal to NR’s. Moisture content is usually not much variable. Measurement units Most sources report data on non-metallic minerals in mass unit. However, some statistics may provide data in cubic meters (m3)=> convert to tonnes. Table 16 in the CG provides conversion factors (selected materials)

4. Concepts and data sources /3
Most of the times, it is sensible to include products in DE or exclude them just on the basis of their names.
However, in the statistics there may be overlaps, between minerals called in different ways. Especially when data come form multiple sources, but often also within the same source.
For some products, then, the name/classification is not sufficient to tell whether they directly result from extraction or stem from transformation of some other material.
In practice, in the data, a problem may arise when a firm runs vertically integrated activities, i.e. if it extracts product x and also transforms it into product y. In this case it may report the production of both x and y. In the EU Prodcom, it must. Only if the transformed product is well identified as such, no problem arises. Otherwise, there is a double-counting risk.

5. Data sources / PRODCOM (CG: 3.2)
IN THE EU: Industrial production statistics (PRODCOM): comparable data at the national and the European level. PRODCOM reports both, monetary and physical data for volume sold, and total physical volume. The concept of DE in EW-MFA refers to the act of extraction of natural resources from the natural environment. Data on total physical volume are more fit for use in EW-MFA as they comprise also extracted mineral materials which are not sold but used for intermediate consumption within the extracting establishment, as well as internal transfers (from one unit to another one of the same firm).

6. Data sources / “conceptual gaps” of the PRODCOM
The CG mentions: a) Suppressing of values for confidentiality reasons – a problem for official statistics?; b) coverage for at least 90 % => small scale companies’ production under-represented; c) Responding units are firms. Extraction of minerals by firms whose main activity is out of scope of PRODCOM, like construction, agriculture, transport… is not regarded. PRODCOM typically under-reports so called bulk mineral materials (construction minerals, like sand and gravel or crushed stones and clay for manufacturing of brick). => estimation models. Useful additional information: whole range of activities involved in minerals extraction (e.g. from industrial associations of extractors or users, as the cement industry).

7. Data sources / OTHER NATIONAL
Other possible national sources: Statistics from ministries, geological surveys and from industrial associations, annual business reports of individual mining companies. Administrative data (e.g. Italy: Regions).
Minerals predominantly used for industrial purposes (more valuable) are usually covered rather well by sources different from the PRODCOM. Unfortunately these usually represent only a small fraction.
Consult, evaluate and possibly compare all available National sources!

8. Data sources / INTERNATIONAL
BGS, USGS (as for metals): estimates from comprehensive cross checking of various sources.
Correspondence table EW-MFA - PRODCOM classification - lists of materials in BGS and USGS: Annex 5. Warning: BGS and USGS do not clearly follow any established statistical product classification.
USGS: higher aggregation than PRODCOM, aggregation level differing across countries. Some difficulty with raw materials names. Correspondence table in Annex 5: most common level of aggregation of raw material categories.

9. Classification (Compilation Guide: 3.1)
Derived from CPA (2002).
Links to CPA and other classifications in Annexes to the questionnaire (Annex2, Annex 3, Annex 5).

10. After some adjustment, can be loaded into a DB
Questionnaire, Annexes 2 and 5
Annex 2: Correspondence table between the EW-MFA categories of metal ores, non-metallic minerals and fossil energy materials with codes of Eurostat's energy statistics/balances, PRODCOM and CPA.
After some adjustment, can be loaded into a DB
FOLLOWING SLIDES: Annex 5 (has link to BGS, USGS names)

11. Before going into details on minerals…
Are there mineralogists in the room? Native English speakers? What do rat poison and porcelain have in common? And Paper and toothpaste?

12. LIMESTONE AS DIMENSION STONE
A.3.1 Marble, granite, sandstone, porphyry, basalt, other ornam. or building stone (excl. slate)
INCLUDES
LIMESTONE AS DIMENSION STONE
PRODOM 2007!
PRODCOM 2012: Porphyry, basalt, quartzites and other monumental or building stone, crude, roughly trimmed or merely cut (excluding calcareous monumental or building stone of a gravity >= 2.5, granite and sandstone)
Look into the microdata in order to isolate Quarzites or use proportions from 2007 (…)

13. A.3.2 Chalk and dolomite Chalk should be unambiguos:
(“a soft, white, porous form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. It is also a sedimentary rock. Uses are widespread and comprise blackboard chalk, to mark boundaries, in sports, applied to the hands or to instruments to prevent slippage, and as tailor's chalk.” CG2013, p. 45)
Nevertheless, it provides a nice example of possible imperfections in the data. It has been translated in the Italian PRODCOM (as well as in the CN!) as “creta”, which is a kind of clay! => data on real chalk are probably included in those for gypsum (“pietra da gesso" which is used for plaster, decorations, etc., and belongs to A.3.6).

14. Data compilation / A.3.2 Chalk and dolomite (continued)
Dolomite as a mineral consists of calcium magnesium carbonate in crystals. Dolomite rock (also dolostone) is composed predominantly of the mineral dolomite.
Like limestone it is commonly used as crushed-rock aggregate, for cement production, and for other industrial and agricultural uses.
In case an estimate based on cement production (“model” to be shown) is done for data for limestone, the estimated value may include some dolomite => consult a national expert on cement production for clarification.

15. A.3.2 Chalk and dolomite (continued): cases that deserve attention
The name is not sufficient to identify the products as the first appearance of natural resources !
The same applies to Pre-coated aggregates ( ), assigned to Sand and Gravel

16. A.3.3 Slate
“fine-grained, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low grade regional metamorphism”.
Used for:
roofing slates (shingles), laboratory bench tops, billiard table tops. In tiles: interior and exterior flooring or wall cladding
(CG2013, p. 46)

17. A.3.4 Chemical and fertilizer minerals
“phosphate rock”. 90% used for fertilisers; detergents, animal feedstock, many other
iron disulfide. Used for sulphur dioxide, e.g. for the paper industry, and for sulphuric acid.
fundamental for the chemical industry.
3 main types: (1) from mining: A.3.4. (2) from desulphurisation of petroleum (3) unused by-product of petroleum extraction.
Only (1) should be reported under A.3.4. However also (2) is included in Prodcom data by product => look at firms, whether they are quarries
Among others, potassium minerals, essential in fertilisers, chemicals and explosives. If in K2O content, calculate run of mine (in Germany: 55%.)
high specific gravity
chief source of barium salts used for rat poison, glass and porcelain
Additive for smelting, solding… glass and enamels.
soluble source of both Mg and S for plant nutrition - epsom salts, pharmaceutical products, paper and sugar, dying material

18. A.3.5 Salt EXCLUDED (see minutes of
the meeting of the Task Force on Material Flows June 2013)
It is a case where the code is in principle sufficient to decide.
NACE 10.84, Manufacture of condiments and seasonings , includes “processing of salt into food-grade salt, e.g. iodised salt”, whereas salt “extraction” belongs only to NACE 08

19. A.3.6 Limestone and gypsum
Gypsum: hydration product of anhydrite, very soft, composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate. Fertilizer, main constituent in many forms of plaster. Alabaster not here (A.3.1, ornamental stone)
Here, only limestone that is used for industrial purposes (flux and production of lime or cement). Limestone dimension stone: A.3.1.; Crushed limestone aggregate: A.3.8.
Compilation tool in the sheet “limestone v1” of the questionnaire. USE IT!
Limestone for cement =
Max (statistics on limestone for cement production; 1,19 x cement)
Don’t forget:
- Limestone for other industrial use
- Dolomite may replace limestone

20. A.3.7 Clays and kaolin
Key ingredient in “glossy”paper; ceramics, medicine, bricks, food additive and preservative, toothpaste, cosmetics.
Kaolin and other special clays are commonly well documented in statistics
Clay and loams for construction are often not or under-represented.
Converting the data on production of clay products into amounts of crude clay is a good idea fro gap-detecting and gap-filling.
The suggested estimate (tool “Clay v1”) is around ton crude clay per ton of clay product, which however is not sufficient because data on some clay products in tons may not be available. PRODCOM gives bricks in cubic meters and roofing tiles in number of pieces (see table 18).

21. A.3.8 Sand and gravel structural engineering (concrete)
«Special» sands, e.g. fire resistant, for glass and ceramics, chemical production, for use as filter… usually well documented – as all highly valuable materials
structural engineering (concrete)
civil engineering: (layers in road construction, in concrete elements and asphalt).
Statistics may not report these items adequately
EXCLUDED
Producing enterprises are classified as Manufacturing (NACE 23) or Construction (NACE 43).

22. A.3.8 Sand and gravel /gap filling
Compilation tool - sheet “sand and gravel v1” of the questionnaire.
0. Rule of thumb. If below 1 tonne per capita, not credible.
sand and gravel required for the production of concrete
1a) Estimate based on concrete production data
Sand and gravel input [t] = concrete production [t] x 0.67
but: on site concrete not reported
1b) Estimate based on the consumption of cement.
6.09 x cement apparent consumption
Production: same codes as for limestone estimation
Import–export: HS items (White Portland); (other Portland);
(Aluminous); (other).

23. A.3.8 Sand and gravel /gap filling
Compilation tool - sheet “sand and gravel v1” of the questionnaire.
2. for road layers (freezing protection and carrying layers)
Possibly find (e.g. through experts) national figures on sand and gravel required:
- per km new roads
- per km existing road (maintanance, enlargement)
Otherwise, use German values provided as reference for maximum limit (correct per
average width and other factors, e.g.
frost protection
3. SUM 1. and 2. and take highest
value between this estimate
(+ 10% + industrial sand – recycled inputs substituting virgin sand and gravel) and direct statistical sources.

24. Data compilation / A.3.9 Other n.e.c.
Quarzite,
do you remember?
«Other minerals»

25. A.3.9 Other n.e.c. / comprises
Natural Bitumen and asphalt, asphaltites and asphaltic rock: mainly for road surfaces. Petrochemical products excluded.
Precious and semi-precious stones: pumice stone, emery; natural corundum, garnet and other natural abrasives for various industrial purposes. Synthetic diamonds are excluded.
Graphite: stable form of pure carbon, mainly used in refractories.
Quartz and quartzite for e.g. optical industry or metallurgy.
Siliceous fossil meals like Kieselgur, Tripolite, Diatomite and other siliceous earths, used e.g. as absorption agent or for insulation.
Asbestos, a fibrous mineral, restricted for serious health reasons.
Steatite and talc magnesium silicates, for several industrial uses.
Feldspar essential component of glass and ceramic.

26. Data compilation / A.3.10
Excavated earthen materials (including soil), only if used (optional reporting) –
OPTIONAL reporting under Reg. 691, and only for the USED part.
NOT covered by the CPA classification employed by Eurostat's production statistic data base (PRODCOM).
No standardised estimation procedures available. Only the Italian Statistical Office’s experience is mentioned in the compilation guide.
Italian method:
Calculation of surface newly covered by buildings
Application of depth coefficients
Split into used/unused baste on waste data (weakest part)
Rough, incomplete… better than nothing.

27. Specific issue: crushed rock
“Broken natural stones for road-, railway-, waterway-, and building”, reported by some statistical sources
May be A.3.2 (chalk and dolomite), A.3.6 (limestone and gypsum), A.3.9 (other non-metallic minerals n.e.c.), or also sandstone, volcanic stones, basalt, granite, quartzite, gneiss...
1. Compare sum of limestone, gypsum, chalk, and dolomite, and bitumen and asphalt rock to «crushed rock»
2. If «crushed rock» is more, add the difference to A.3.6 and add footnote about its weight and how it has been estimated

28. Other estimation approaches
Statistics Austria and IFF - Sand and stone. Compare the monetary values of PRODCOM with the corresponding monetary values of the Structural Business Statistics (SBS, has comprehensive coverage). ISTAT - Grossing up ALL PRODCOM physical data By using monetary SUTs. Should allow improve also indirect estimations. Requires additional analysis of monetary data for the mineral extraction activities.