The Economic Value of Industrial Minerals and Rocks for Developing Countries: A Discussion of Key Issues

Wilson, Tetevi Bahun and Amavilah, Voxi Heinrich (2007): The Economic Value of Industrial Minerals and Rocks for Developing Countries: A Discussion of Key Issues. Unpublished.

Abstract

This paper provides a few general comments on the nature and economic value of industrial minerals and rocks and the need for an increased exploitation and use of these materials in developing countries. These materials are of great economic value as main raw materials for the construction, glass, abrasive, paper, chemical, ceramics, metallurgical and agricultural industries. Developing countries dispose of many of these materials, and could derive greater economic benefits from them. Per capita consumption of industrial mineral products continues to grow in developed countries and part of this demand could be met by exports from developing countries. The paper describes some of the issues to be addressed and steps to be taken if developing countries are to gain from industrial minerals and rocks

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Institution: REEPS
• Language: English
• Keywords: Economic value industrial minerals and rocks; consumption industrial minerals and rocks; production industrial minerals and rocks; developing countries benefit minerals and roc
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O17 - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements: Legal, Social, Economic, and Political; O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O13 - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q3 - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation > Q38 - Government Policy; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q3 - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation > Q31 - Demand and Supply; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q3 - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation > Q32 - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development; O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O2 - Development Planning and Policy > O22 - Project Analysis; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q3 - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation > Q30 - General; O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O2 - Development Planning and Policy > O21 - Planning Models; Planning Policy

References

Amavilah, VHS (1990) What Merits for forward integration in minerals sectors of less-developed countries?” Seminar Presentation, Mineral Economics Program, Department of Mining and Geological Engineering, University of Arizona.

Amavilah, VHS (1995) Industrialization, Mineral Resources and Energy in Africa edited by Smail Khennas – Reviews Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 503-506.

De Long, J.B. and L.H. Summers (1991) Equipment investment and economic growth, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. CVI, Issue 2, pp.445-502.

Gentry, D. and T. O’Neil (1984) Mine Investment Analysis. American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, Petroleum Engineers, Inc. Chelsea, Michigan.

Harris, D.P., Ying Hong Miao, Guocheng Pan, and Tetevi Wilson (1992) Estimation of the potential supply of U.S. oil by life cycle and learning models, Natural Resources Research, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 239-252.

Harris, D.P., and Tetevi Wilson (1992) Econometric and learning curve estimation of U.S. potential oil supply, Natural Resources Research, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 323-347.

Harris, D.P. (1984) Mineral Resource Appraisal. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Karlsen, T.A. and B. Sturt (2000) Industrial minerals – towards a future growth, Norges Geologiske Undersokelse, 436, pp. 7-13.

Khennas, S. [Editor] (1992) Industrialization, Mineral Resources and Energy in Africa, Coderia Book Series, Dakar.

Klein, B.W. (1993) Metals and industrial minerals mining – Industry overview. Available at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3617/is_1993_Annula/ai_13990426/print.

National Mining Association (2003 Mining in the United States, Washington, D.C.

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) (2000) Metals and industrial minerals mining. U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook. U.S. Department of Commerce. Available at http://www.ntis.gov.

Panzar, J. and R.D. Willig (1981) Economies of scope, American Economic Review, Vol. 71, No. 2, Papers and Proceedings of the Ninety-Third Annual Meeting of American Economic Association, pp. 268-272.

Wilson, Tetevi B. and D.P. Harris (1992) Estimation of exploration potential of a metallogenic unit by parametric modeling of the distribution of mineral occurrences when exploration is incomplete: Case study of Walker Lake quadrangle of Nevada and California, Mathematical Geology, Vol. 24, No. 7, pp. 789-805.

Wilson, Bahun Tetevi (1990), An exploration-adjusted mineral occurrence model [Ph.D. Dissertation], University of Arizona