Illinois Minerals Industry

Minerals Industry Report for Illinois View/Print/Download the complete report in PDF format In 2007, Illinois’ nonfuel raw mineral production was valued at $1.22 billion, based upon annual U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data. This was a $30 million, or 2.4%, decrease from the State’s total nonfuel mineral value in 2006, which then had increased by $40 million, up 3.3% from that of 2005. The State remained 20th in rank among the 50 States in the total nonfuel raw mineral production value and accounted for 1.7% of the U.S. total.  Industrial minerals continued to account for all of Illinois’ nonfuel mineral production in 2007; metals were last produced in 1996, when small quantities of copper, lead, silver, and zinc were produced from mines in the State. In 2007, crushed stone, by value, remained Illinois’ leading nonfuel mineral commodity, accounting for more than 48% of the State’s total nonfuel mineral production value, followed, in descending order of value, by portland cement, with more than 25%; construction sand and gravel, more than 14%; industrial sand and gravel, 7%; and lime, tripoli, and fuller’s earth clay with most of the remaining 5%. All other nonfuel minerals each accounted for less than one-half of 1% of the State’s total value (table 1).  In 2007, decreases in the values of industrial sand and gravel, down by $15.2 million, crushed stone, down by $5 million, lime, down by about $1.5 million, and tripoli, down by $1 million, led to the State’s decrease in total nonfuel mineral production value for the year. The only mineral commodity to show an increase for the year was portland cement, up by $1 million. The decreases in value were mostly the result of decreases in the production of each mineral commodity, while the unit values of most had small to moderate increases (table 1).  In 2007, Illinois continued to be first in the quantities of industrial sand and gravel produced and first among four States that produced tripoli, seventh in fuller’s earth clays, and ninth in the production of portland cement. Despite a 5% decrease in the production of crushed stone, the State rose to sixth from seventh in that mineral commodity, while a significant decrease in peat production resulted in a decrease to fifth from fourth in that mineral commodity. Illinois continued to be a signifi cant producer of construction sand and gravel and lime. Raw steel was produced in Illinois, but it was processed from ores and scrap metal obtained from other domestic and foreign sources. The State remained one of the Nation’s leading raw steel-producing States, with an estimated output of nearly 3.9 million metric tons (Mt), down about 3.5% from the 4 Mt that were produced in 2006, as reported by the American Iron and Steel Institute (American Iron and Steel Institute, 2008, p. 74).