Abstract
US demand to surpass $2 billion by 2011
US demand for mining chemicals is projected to surpass $2 billion in 2011,
aided by improved fundamentals in the US mining industry and a growing
emphasis on the use of chemicals to improve operating efficiency at mines and
mineral processing facilities. High commodity prices and strong global demand
have greatly improved the outlook for the US mining industry. High natural gas
and petroleum prices are renewing interest in coal as an energy source. In
metals and building-related materials, high prices and strong global demand
are improving prospects for US producers as imports are diverted to fast
growing Asian consumers. Higher prices and improved profitability are
providing investment impetus, with US companies considering capacity
expansions, even at sites that in the past were not considered economically
feasible.
Explosives to remain the leading mining chemical
Explosives, which accounted for more than half of total mining chemical demand
in 2006, will continue to be the single largest product category, based mainly
on their extensive use in coal and aggregate production. Demand for explosives
will benefit from efforts to improve blast efficiency and decrease overall
processing costs. Growth in mountaintop mining will boost explosives
requirements in Eastern markets, although this will be offset to some extent
by faster growth in Western mining regions, which generally are less
explosives intensive. Demand for other chemicals will benefit from declining
US ore quality, which increases the importance of processing technology. Lower
grade ores usually require greater levels of beneficiation, a process that
generally involves chemicals to some degree. Environmental and technical
issues will encourage a shift in product mix to higher value chemicals in some
cases. Nevertheless, volume demand will be restrained by continued efforts to
reduce overall chemical consumption, especially through chemical reuse and
recycling.
Study coverage
It presents historical demand data for the years 1996, 2001 and 2006 plus
forecasts for 2011 and 2016 by mining chemical type, function, application and
market. The study also considers market environment factors and global trends,
evaluates company market share and profiles 32 US mining chemical industry
competitors.
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