Metalpedia
Metalpedia
  • Aluminum: resource distribution and production
  • Bauxite resources are abundant in the world, with total stores of about 40 ~ 50 billion tonnes. Within this figure, the explored reserves total about 35 billion tonnes. Bauxite resources are quite centralized, and are distributed mainly in Africa (especially West Africa, accounting for more than 40% of the world's reserves), Oceania (contributing about 21%) and Latin America (mainly in northeastern South America, accounting for about 22%), as well as the tropical and subtropical areas of Asia.
  • When it comes to national distribution, the bauxite reserves of both Guinea and Australia are about 8 billion tonnes (22.8% of the explored bauxite in the world), and the two countries tie for No.1 in the world. Brazil's explored bauxite stores total 4 billion tonnes, accounting for 11.4%, ranking it the second in the world. Jamaica's explored bauxite reserves total about 2 billion tonnes, accounting for 5.7%, ranking the country third. India, Brazil, Cameroon, Mali, Surinam and Guyana also have rich resources of bauxite.
  • Source: Bauxite mining-HYDRO
  • At present, world bauxite production is more than 87 million tonnes. Australia, Guinea and Jamaica are the countries whose annual output is more than 10 million tonnes. In 1981 Australia ranked first with bauxite production of 25.5 million tonnes, accounting for 30% of the worldwide total. Then bauxite production grew fastest in Guinea. In the mid-50s, no more than 500 thousand tonnes was produced there. By the late-70s, bauxite output had rapidly grown to more than 10 million tonnes. In 1978, its production was more than Jamaica, while in 1981 the figure reached 11.8 million tonnes, accounting for 13.4% of the worldwide total, and ranking the country second.
  • In the same year, 11.7 million tonnes of bauxite deposits in Jamaica, accounting for 13.3% of the world, ranked it third in the world. In addition, the former Soviet Union, India, Brazil, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela and Indonesia also have relatively more bauxite production than other countries.
  • The figures reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 2014 were as follows:
  • World aluminum production 2011 were as follows:
  • Industry consumption 2011 were as follows:
  • Source: Production and consumption-London Metal Exchange
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