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TABLE 11 | |||||||||||
SULFUR: ESTIMATED WORLD PRODUCTION IN ALL FORMS, BY COUNTRY AND SOURCE1, 2 | |||||||||||
(Thousand metric tons) | |||||||||||
Country and source3 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | ||||||
Australia, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 800 | 800 | 810 | 810 | 810 | ||||||
Petroleum | 60 | 60 | 90 | 90 | 90 | ||||||
Total | 860 | 860 | 900 | 900 | 900 | ||||||
Belgium: | |||||||||||
Byproduct, all forms, unspecified | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 | 175 | ||||||
Elemental | 225 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 225 | ||||||
Total | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | ||||||
Brazil, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 322 | 4 | 275 | 4 | 324 | 4 | 287 | r, 4 | 290 | ||
Petroleum | 170 | 4 | 223 | 4 | 218 | 4 | 240 | r, 4 | 240 | ||
Total | 492 | 4 | 497 | 4 | 542 | 4 | 527 | r, 4 | 530 | ||
Canada, byproduct:4 | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 609 | 638 | 699 | 649 | 570 | p | |||||
Natural gas, petroleum, oil sands | 5,914 | 5,545 | 5,666 | 5,265 | 5,210 | p | |||||
Total | 6,523 | 6,183 | 6,365 | 5,914 | 5,780 | p | |||||
Chile, byproduct, metallurgy | 1,723 | 4 | 1,681 | 4 | 1,700 | 1,700 | 1,700 | ||||
China: | |||||||||||
Byproduct, all sources, unspecified | 3,300 | 3,300 | 2,600 | 2,840 | 2,800 | ||||||
Elemental | 1,100 | 1,200 | 930 | 1,000 | 1,000 | ||||||
Pyrites | 5,300 | 5,400 | 4,580 | 5,000 | 5,000 | ||||||
Total | 9,700 | 9,900 | 8,110 | 8,840 | 8,800 | ||||||
Finland: | |||||||||||
Byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 280 | 280 | 280 | 280 | 280 | ||||||
Petroleum | 133 | 130 | 130 | 130 | 130 | ||||||
Pyrites | 338 | 330 | 330 | 330 | 330 | ||||||
Total | 751 | 740 | 740 | 740 | 740 | ||||||
France, byproduct, natural gas and petroleum | 650 | 650 | 400 | 400 | 400 | ||||||
Germany, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 2,394 | 4 | 2,373 | 4 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 2,400 | ||||
Natural gas and petroleum | 1,514 | 4 | 1,445 | 4 | 1,400 | 1,400 | 1,400 | ||||
Total | 3,908 | 4 | 3,818 | 4 | 3,800 | 3,800 | 3,800 | ||||
India:5 | |||||||||||
Byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy (from fertilizer plants) | 1,000 | 1,209 | 4 | 1,200 | 1,200 | 1,200 | |||||
Natural gas and petroleum | 1,600 | 1,600 | 1,600 | 1,500 | 1,500 | ||||||
Pyrites | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | ||||||
Total | 2,630 | 2,840 | 2,830 | 2,730 | 2,730 | ||||||
Iran, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy- | 75 | 90 | 95 | 95 | r | 95 | |||||
Natural gas and petroleum | 1,575 | 4 | 2,000 | 2,100 | 2,100 | r | 2,100 | ||||
Total | 1,650 | 4 | 2,090 | 2,200 | 2,200 | r | 2,200 | ||||
Italy, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | ||||||
Petroleum | 650 | 650 | 650 | 650 | 650 | ||||||
Total | 740 | 740 | 740 | 740 | 740 | ||||||
Japan, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 1,450 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,500 | ||||||
Petroleum | 1,755 | 4 | 1,747 | 4 | 1,779 | 4 | 1,751 | 4 | 1,750 | ||
Total | 3,205 | 4 | 3,247 | 4 | 3,279 | 4 | 3,251 | 4 | 3,250 | ||
Kazakhstan, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 300 | 300 | 300 | 320 | 320 | ||||||
Natural gas and petroleum | 2,400 | 2,151 | 4 | 2,443 | 4 | 2,455 | 4 | 2,500 | |||
Total | 2,700 | 2,451 | 4 | 2,743 | 4 | 2,775 | 4 | 2,820 | |||
Korea, Republic of, byproduct, natural gas and petroleum | 1,200 | 1,350 | 1,400 | 1,400 | 1,400 | ||||||
Kuwait, byproduct, petroleum | 825 | 900 | r | 850 | 800 | 850 | |||||
See footnotes at end of table. | |||||||||||
TABLE 11-Continued | |||||||||||
SULFUR: ESTIMATED WORLD PRODUCTION IN ALL FORMS, BY COUNTRY AND SOURCE1, 2 | |||||||||||
(Thousand metric tons) | |||||||||||
Country and source3 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | ||||||
Mexico, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 800 | 800 | 810 | 810 | 810 | ||||||
Natural gas and petroleum | 636 | 4 | 592 | 4 | 620 | 4 | 603 | 4 | 600 | ||
Total | 1,440 | 1,390 | 1,430 | 1,410 | 1,410 | ||||||
Netherlands, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 115 | 115 | 115 | 115 | 115 | ||||||
Petroleum | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | ||||||
Total | 515 | 515 | 515 | 515 | 515 | ||||||
Poland:6 | |||||||||||
Byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 | ||||||
Natural gas | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | ||||||
Petroleum (oil refineries and coking plants) | 235 | 4 | 260 | 4 | 259 | 260 | 260 | ||||
All sources, unspecified | 1 | 4 | (7) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Frasch | 657 | 4 | 677 | 4 | 526 | 4 | 605 | 4 | 600 | ||
Total4 | 1,166 | 1,212 | 1,060 | 1,140 | 1,135 | ||||||
Qatar, byproduct, natural gas | 850 | 820 | 820 | 850 | 850 | ||||||
Russia: | |||||||||||
Byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 200 | 300 | 300 | 200 | 200 | ||||||
Natural gas | 6,488 | 4 | 6,416 | 4 | 5,977 | 4 | 5,859 | 4 | 5,900 | ||
Petroleum | 600 | 700 | 700 | 500 | 500 | ||||||
Native | 69 | 4 | 69 | 4 | 123 | 4 | 120 | 120 | |||
Pyrites | 200 | 200 | 200 | 180 | 180 | ||||||
Total | 7,557 | 4 | 7,685 | 4 | 7,300 | 4 | 6,859 | 4 | 6,900 | ||
Saudi Arabia, byproduct, all sources | 4,579 | 4 | 4,092 | 4 | 3,900 | 4 | 4,400 | 4,900 | |||
United Arab Emirates, byproduct, natural gas and petroleum | 1,885 | 4 | 1,900 | 2,000 | 2,400 | 2,400 | |||||
United States, byproduct:4 | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 720 | 586 | 616 | 587 | 646 | ||||||
Natural gas | 1,140 | 1,040 | 1,020 | 1,000 | 982 | ||||||
Petroleum | 7,090 | 7,370 | 7,570 | 8,040 | 7,910 | ||||||
Total | 8,950 | 9,000 | 9,210 | 9,630 | 9,540 | ||||||
Uzbekistan, byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 170 | 170 | 175 | 170 | 170 | ||||||
Natural gas and petroleum | 350 | 370 | 380 | 370 | 370 | ||||||
Total | 520 | 540 | 555 | 540 | 540 | ||||||
Venezuela, byproduct, natural gas and petroleum | 800 | 800 | 800 | 700 | 700 | ||||||
Other: | |||||||||||
Byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 1,270 | 808 | 825 | 825 | 825 | ||||||
Natural gas, petroleum, oil sands, undifferentiated | 247 | 444 | 312 | r | 320 | r | 300 | ||||
Petroleum | 1,180 | 1,180 | 1,100 | 1,120 | r | 1,120 | |||||
All forms and sources, unspecified | 707 | r | 791 | r | 914 | r | 1,020 | r | 1,120 | ||
Native and elemental | 267 | 290 | 280 | r | 261 | r | 244 | ||||
Pyrites | 35 | 32 | 28 | 25 | 25 | ||||||
Total | 3,710 | r | 3,540 | r | 3,460 | r | 3,570 | r | 3,630 | ||
Grand total | 69,900 | r | 69,800 | r | 68,000 | r | 69,100 | 69,500 | |||
Of which: | |||||||||||
Byproduct: | |||||||||||
Metallurgy | 12,600 | r | 12,300 | r | 12,500 | r | 12,300 | r | 12,300 | ||
Natural gas | 8,500 | 8,300 | 7,840 | 7,730 | 7,760 | ||||||
Natural gas, petroleum, oil sands, undifferentiated | 18,800 | 18,800 | 19,100 | 18,900 | r | 18,900 | |||||
Petroleum | 13,100 | r | 13,600 | 13,800 | 14,000 | 13,900 | |||||
All forms and sources, unspecified | 8,760 | r | 8,360 | r | 7,590 | r | 8,430 | r | 8,990 | ||
Frasch | 657 | 677 | 526 | 605 | 600 | ||||||
Native and elemental | 1,660 | 1,780 | 1,560 | r | 1,610 | r | 1,590 | ||||
Pyrites | 5,900 | 5,990 | 5,170 | 5,570 | 5,570 | ||||||
See footnotes at end of table. | |||||||||||
TABLE 11-Continued | |||||||||||
SULFUR: ESTIMATED WORLD PRODUCTION IN ALL FORMS, BY COUNTRY AND SOURCE1, 2 | |||||||||||
(Thousand metric tons) | |||||||||||
eEstimated. pPreliminary. rRevised. -- Zero. | |||||||||||
1Grand totals, U.S. data, and estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown. | |||||||||||
2Includes data available through November 16, 2017. | |||||||||||
3The term -source- reflects the means of collecting sulfur and the type of raw material. Sources listed include the following:- | |||||||||||
Frasch recovery; native comprising all production of elemental sulfur by traditional mining methods (thereby excluding Frasch);- | |||||||||||
pyrites (whether or not the sulfur is recovered in the elemental form or as acid); byproduct recovery, either as elemental sulfur- | |||||||||||
or as sulfur compounds from coal gasification, metallurgical operations including associated coal processing, crude oil- | |||||||||||
and natural gas extraction, petroleum refining, oil sand cleaning, and processing of spent oxide from stack-gas scrubbers; | |||||||||||
and recovery from processing mined gypsum. Recovery of sulfur in the form of sulfuric acid from synthetic gypsum produced- | |||||||||||
as a product of phosphatic fertilizer production is excluded, because to include it would result in double counting. Production of | |||||||||||
Frasch sulfur, other native sulfur, pyrites-derived sulfur, mined gypsum derived sulfur, byproduct sulfur from extraction of- | |||||||||||
crude oil and natural gas, and recovery from oil sands are all credited to the country of origin of the extracted raw materials. | |||||||||||
In contrast, byproduct recovery from metallurgical operations, petroleum refineries, and spent oxides are credited to the nation- | |||||||||||
where the recovery takes place, which is not the original source country of the crude product from which the sulfur is extracted. | |||||||||||
4Reported figure. | |||||||||||
5Data for fiscal year ending March 31 of the year stated. | |||||||||||
6Government of Poland sources report total Frasch and native mined elemental sulfur output annually, undifferentiated;- | |||||||||||
this figure has been divided between Frasch and other native sulfur on the basis of information obtained- | |||||||||||
from supplementary sources. | |||||||||||
7Less than - unit. | |||||||||||
Source: United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program
See also: Mineral commodity prices