Panorama of mining activities in France during 1996

Viewed by the French ores and metals industry, 1996 was a grey year. In Metropolitan France, the production of energy raw materials (hydrocarbons, coal, uranium) and metals (Fe, AU, Ag) continued to decrease and, unless new outlets are found, this trend is likely to continue to reach a near zero level by the year 2005. As against this, mine production (mainly Ni, Au) in France's Overseas Departments and Territories is on the increase. The industrial minerals sector showed divergent trends: a decrease for potassium, sulphur and fluorite due to dwindling reserves; stability for certain products such as salt, silica, etc. on the local (French/European) market; an increase for products such as barite, talc and andalusite, among others. Overall, the return from industrial minerals in France is on the decline, representing on increasingly smaller percentage of the mineral raw materials (MRM) sector. (authors)