Surface Coal Mining
Description
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) surface mining of bituminous coal, lignite, and anthracite coal; (2) developing bituminous coal, lignite, and anthracite coal surface mine sites; (3) surface mining and beneficiating (e.g., cleaning, washing, screening, and sizing) of bituminous coal, lignite, and anthracite coal; or (4) beneficiating (e.g., cleaning, washing, screening, and sizing), but not mining, bituminous coal, lignite, and anthracite coal.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction sector comprises establishments that extract naturally occurring mineral solids, such as coal and ores; liquid minerals, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such as natural gas. The term "mining" is used in the broad sense to include quarrying, well operations, beneficiating (e.g., crushing, screening, washing, and flotation), and other preparation customarily performed at the mine site, or as a part of mining activity. The Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction sector distinguishes two basic activities: mine operation and mining support activities. Mine operation includes establishments operating mines, quarries, or oil and gas wells on their own account or for others on a contract or fee basis. Mining support activities include establishments that perform exploration (except geophysical surveying and mapping) on a contract or fee basis and/or other mining services on a contract or fee basis (except mine site preparation, construction, and transportation activities). Establishments in the Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction sector are grouped and classified according to the natural resource mined or to be mined. Industries include establishments that develop and/or operate the mine site, extract the natural resources, beneficiate (i.e., prepare) the mineral mined, or provide mining support activities. Beneficiation is the process whereby the extracted material is reduced to particles that can be separated into mineral and waste, the former suitable for further processing or direct use. The operations that take place in beneficiation are primarily mechanical, such as grinding, washing, magnetic separation, and centrifugal separation. In contrast, manufacturing operations primarily use chemical and electrochemical processes, such as electrolysis and distillation. However, some treatments, such as heat treatments, take place in both the beneficiation and the manufacturing (i.e., smelting/refining) stages. The range of preparation activities varies by mineral and the purity of any given ore deposit. While some minerals, such as petroleum and natural gas, require little or no preparation, others are washed and screened, while yet others, such as gold and silver, can be transformed into bullion before leaving the mine site. Mining, beneficiating, and manufacturing activities often occur in a single location. Separate receipts will be collected for these activities whenever possible. When receipts cannot be broken out between mining and manufacturing, establishments that mine or quarry nonmetallic minerals, and then beneficiate the nonmetallic minerals into more finished manufactured products are classified based on the primary activity of the establishment. A mine that manufactures a small amount of finished products will be classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction. An establishment that mines whose primary output is a more finished manufactured product will be classified in Sector 31-33, Manufacturing. |
| 212 | Mining (except Oil and Gas) 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Mining (except Oil and Gas) subsector primarily engage in mining, mine site development, and beneficiating (i.e., preparing) metallic minerals and nonmetallic minerals, including coal. The term "mining" is used in the broad sense to include ore extraction, quarrying, and beneficiating (e.g., crushing, screening, washing, sizing, concentrating, and flotation), customarily done at the mine site. Beneficiation is the process whereby the extracted material is reduced to particles which can be separated into mineral and waste, the former suitable for further processing or direct use. The operations that take place in beneficiation are primarily mechanical, such as grinding, washing, magnetic separation, centrifugal separation, and so on. In contrast, manufacturing operations primarily use chemical and electrochemical processes, such as electrolysis, distillation, and so on. However, some treatments, such as heat treatments, take place in both stages: the beneficiation and the manufacturing (i.e., smelting/refining) stages. The range of preparation activities varies by mineral and the purity of any given ore deposit. While some minerals, such as petroleum and natural gas, require little or no preparation, others are washed and screened, while yet others, such as gold and silver, can be transformed into bullion before leaving the mine site. Establishments in the Mining (except Oil and Gas) subsector include those that have complete responsibility for operating mines and quarries (except oil and gas wells) and those that operate mines and quarries (except oil and gas wells) for others on a contract or fee basis. Establishments primarily engaged in providing support services, on a contract or fee basis (except geophysical surveying and mapping, mine site preparation, construction, and transportation activities), required for the mining and quarrying of minerals are classified in Subsector 213, Support Activities for Mining. |
| 2121 | Coal Mining 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Mining (except Oil and Gas) subsector primarily engage in mining, mine site development, and beneficiating (i.e., preparing) metallic minerals and nonmetallic minerals, including coal. The term "mining" is used in the broad sense to include ore extraction, quarrying, and beneficiating (e.g., crushing, screening, washing, sizing, concentrating, and flotation), customarily done at the mine site. Beneficiation is the process whereby the extracted material is reduced to particles which can be separated into mineral and waste, the former suitable for further processing or direct use. The operations that take place in beneficiation are primarily mechanical, such as grinding, washing, magnetic separation, centrifugal separation, and so on. In contrast, manufacturing operations primarily use chemical and electrochemical processes, such as electrolysis, distillation, and so on. However, some treatments, such as heat treatments, take place in both stages: the beneficiation and the manufacturing (i.e., smelting/refining) stages. The range of preparation activities varies by mineral and the purity of any given ore deposit. While some minerals, such as petroleum and natural gas, require little or no preparation, others are washed and screened, while yet others, such as gold and silver, can be transformed into bullion before leaving the mine site. Establishments in the Mining (except Oil and Gas) subsector include those that have complete responsibility for operating mines and quarries (except oil and gas wells) and those that operate mines and quarries (except oil and gas wells) for others on a contract or fee basis. Establishments primarily engaged in providing support services, on a contract or fee basis (except geophysical surveying and mapping, mine site preparation, construction, and transportation activities), required for the mining and quarrying of minerals are classified in Subsector 213, Support Activities for Mining. |
| 21211 | Coal Mining 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) mining bituminous coal, anthracite coal, and lignite by underground mining, auger mining, strip mining, culm bank mining, and other surface mining; (2) developing coal mine sites; and (3) beneficiating (i.e., preparing) coal (e.g., cleaning, washing, screening, and sizing). |
| 212114 | Surface Coal Mining 6-digit U.S. detail | This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) surface mining of bituminous coal, lignite, and anthracite coal; (2) developing bituminous coal, lignite, and anthracite coal surface mine sites; (3) surface mining and beneficiating (e.g., cleaning, washing, screening, and sizing) of bituminous coal, lignite, and anthracite coal; or (4) beneficiating (e.g., cleaning, washing, screening, and sizing), but not mining, bituminous coal, lignite, and anthracite coal. |
Need a supply chain stack that maps to this industry?
Use this NAICS classification as the starting point, then connect it to Item workflows across inventory, warehousing, order management, fulfillment, and transportation.
Classification References
- 01Underground mining and/or development of underground bituminous and anthracite coal mines--are classified in U.S. Industry 212115, Underground Coal Mining;
- 02Providing support activities (except geophysical surveying and mapping, site preparation, construction, and transportation) for the mining of coal on a contract or fee basis--are classified in U.S. Industry 213113, Support Activities for Coal Mining;
- 03Manufacturing coke oven products in coke oven establishments--are classified in U.S. Industry 324199, All Other Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing; and
- 04Manufacturing coal products in steel mills--are classified in Industry 331110, Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing.
Index Items
Bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite beneficiating (e.g., cleaning, crushing, screening, washing, sizing)
Bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite surface mine site development for own account
Bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite surface mining and/or beneficiating
Brown coal mining and/or beneficiating
Coal beneficiating plants (e.g., cleaning, crushing, screening, washing)
Coal stripping (except on a contract, fee, or other basis)
Coal, bituminous, lignite, or anthracite, surface mining and/or beneficiating
Coal, brown, mining and/or beneficiating
Culm bank recovery, bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite (except on a contract basis)
Hard coal (i.e., anthracite) surface mining and/or beneficiating
Lignite surface mining and/or beneficiating
Preparation plants, coal
Semianthracite surface mining and/or beneficiating
Semibituminous coal surface mining and/or beneficiating
Strip mining, bituminous coal, lignite, or anthracite, on own account
Subbituminous coal surface mining and/or beneficiating
Tipple operation, bituminous coal mining and/or beneficiating
How Item Can Help
Optimizes haul road logistics and fleet management for surface coal mines to reduce fuel consumption and improve delivery times to processing plants.
Manages raw material inventory and equipment parts within remote mine sites to prevent stockouts and streamline internal material movement.
Analyzes geological and operational data to predict equipment failure and optimize mine layout for increased throughput and safety.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 212114.
Coal Association
National trade association representing coal miners and mine owners across the United States.
United States Bureau of Mines
Government agency providing data and resources specifically on surface coal mining operations and regulations.
American Coal Mining Association
Industry directory and organization supporting the coal mining sector with professional development and advocacy.
