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Show Utah mineral production tops $1 billion in '77 For the second time in Utah's mining history, mineral miner-al production, in terms of dollar volume, exceeded the billion-dollar mark. It amounted amount-ed to $1,140,779,000 during 1977 reported Carlton Stowe, minerals specialist for the Utah Geological and Mineral Survey. Preliminary data of the U.S. Bureau of Mines will probably show that Utah mineral min-eral production will be upward up-ward of $1.2 billion when final tabulations are compiled. In 1976, preliminary reports placed mineral production value val-ue at $1,018,161,000 in Utah for the first time. Final figures fig-ures for 1976 reveal production produc-tion value was reached of $1,043, 981,000. Mr. Stowe says that while mineral production in 1977 was down in some categories, large increases were noted in others. While production in some cases decreased, dollar value of some commodities increased. For example, oil production dropped to a total 33,188,000 barrels from 1976 figure of 34.304,000 barrels. Value in 1977 was at the amount $324,911,000 over the 1976 total of $318,911,000. Oil production reached a high in Utah in 1975 when it was at 42 million barrels. A slight increase is noted in natural gas production along with an increase in its value. It was 57,604,000,000 cubic feet, valued at $30,242,000 last year while in 1976 natural gas production was altogether 57.416,000,000 cubic feet valued val-ued at $28,995,000. Record high natural gas production was in 1966 when it reached 69,366,000,000. Surprisingly enough, despite de-spite decreased market conditions, condi-tions, prices and other troubles, troub-les, copper production in Utah totaled more in 1977 than the previous year. Preliminary estimates place it at 193,700 short tons compared to last year's 185,458 short tons. In 1977 value is $258,396,000 compared to the 1976 total of $258,157,000. Gold, likewise," is up for the year. A total of 207,300 troy ounces compared with the 1976 total of 187,318 troy ounces was produced. Last year gold reached the value of $30,728,000, up from $23,475,000. Yet lead, silver and zinc, almost exclusively "by-products" of copper production in Utah, decreased in 1977 over 1976. Lead: 10,500 tons, valued valu-ed at $6,426,000 compared to 16,297 tons, $7,529,000. Stiver: Sti-ver: 2,988,000 troy oz., with a $13,743,000 value compared to 3,134,000 troy ounces totaling $13,633,000. Zinc: 18,300 tons, $12,590,000 compared to last year's figures of 22,481 tons, $16,636,000. Coal production reached another an-other all-time high total of 9,590,000 tons in 1977. The 1976 record year amounted to 7,967,000 tons. Coal produc tion in 1977 was .valued at $225,000,000, a considerable increase over the 1976 value figure of $182,712,000. Value increases were the following: Clays:, $819,000 compared to $531,000 in 1976.' Lime: $7,153,000 compared to $6,855,000. Pumice: $278,000 compared to $264,000. Salt: $11,449,000 compared to $10,090,000. Sand and Gravel: a value of $16,500,000 compared to a total $13,442,000. Stone: $8,967,000 compared to $7,009,000. Minerals placed in the "information "in-formation withheld" categories categor-ies by the U.S.B.M. include asphalt, beryllium concentrates concen-trates (bertrandite), cement, kaolin clay, fluorspar, natural gas liquids, iron ore, magnesium magnesi-um compounds, molybdenum, phosphate, potassium salts, industrial sand and gravel, sodium sulfate, tungsten concentrates, con-centrates, uranium and vanadium. van-adium. Total value of production produc-tion for these minerals was $192,017,000, up considerably from $153,978,000. |