Ohio Minerals Bring Over $1 Billion For 2020

Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

(Columbus) – A newly released report from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) shows the state’s mineral resources produced $1.4 billion worth of geologic commodities in 2020. The total value of all nonfuel industrial minerals exceeded $1 billion for a seventh straight year.

The 2020 Report on Ohio Mineral Industries: An Annual Summary of the State’s Economic Geology, compiled by the ODNR Division of Geological Survey, provides information regarding the production, value, and employment totals of Ohio’s various mineral industries. Some highlights include:

•     Mineral industries produced resources worth $119 per Ohioan.
•     Production of salt increased by 15.8 percent.
•     Production of sandstone and conglomerate increased by 11.1 percent.
•     Production of clay and shale increased by 15.2 and 1.5 percent, respectively.
•     Production decreased for coal, limestone and dolomite, and sand and gravel.

“It’s remarkable that despite the economic impact of the pandemic, production increased across several categories of industrial minerals,” said D. Mark Jones, Division Chief and State Geologist. “The pace of demand for these commodities doesn’t necessarily slacken when it might be expected, and the diversity of minerals available in Ohio gives the industry a certain resilience.”

A dedicated staff of inspectors, geologists, and support staff helps ODNR regulate the responsible extraction of Ohio’s natural resources, including oil and natural gas, limestone, sand and gravel, coal, salt, and more. Part of ODNR’s regulatory responsibility is to catalog annually Ohio’s extractive activities.

Published yearly, the Report on Ohio Mineral Industries offers basic information about individual mines and groups of mines, as well as detailed geologic information about coal and industrial minerals, along with extensive references. The report is a useful tool for researching mineral extraction activities throughout the state.

The report includes extensive appendices listing company information for each of the operators who reported industrial-mineral sales and/or production in 2020. An electronic version of the report and accompanying appendices are available for free download here.