Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in developing the mine site, mining, and/or beneficiating (i.e., preparing) ores valued chiefly for their gold and/or silver content. Establishments primarily engaged in the transformation of the gold and silver into bullion or dore bar in combination with mining activities are included in this industry.
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. |
| 2122 | Metal Ore Mining 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in developing mine sites or mining metallic minerals, and establishments primarily engaged in ore dressing and beneficiating (i.e., preparing) operations, such as crushing, grinding, washing, drying, sintering, concentrating, calcining, and leaching. Beneficiating may be performed at mills operated in conjunction with the mines served or at mills, such as custom mills, operated separately. |
| 21222 | Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 212220. |
| 212220 | Gold Ore and Silver Ore Mining 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in developing the mine site, mining, and/or beneficiating (i.e., preparing) ores valued chiefly for their gold and/or silver content. Establishments primarily engaged in the transformation of the gold and silver into bullion or dore bar in combination with mining activities are included in this industry. |
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Classification References
- 01Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing gold or silver bullion or dore bar without mining are classified in Industry 331410, Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining.
Index Items
Bullion, gold, produced at the mine
Bullion, silver, produced at the mine
Calaverite mining and/or beneficiating
Gold lode mining and/or beneficiating
Gold ore mine site development for own account
Gold ore mining and/or beneficiating plants
Gold ores, concentrates, bullion, and/or precipitates mining and/or beneficiating
Gold placer mining and/or beneficiating
Lode gold mining and/or beneficiating
Placer gold mining and/or beneficiating
Placer silver mining and/or beneficiating
Silver ore mine site development for own account
Silver ores mining and/or beneficiating
Sylvanite mining and/or beneficiating
Telluride (gold) mining and/or beneficiating
How Item Can Help
Gold and silver mining operations utilize Warehouse Management Systems to track extracted ore and refined bullion from extraction sites to secure storage, ensuring accurate inventory counts and chain-of-custody compliance for valuable assets.
Order Management Systems enable miners and smelters to streamline customer requests for precious metals by automating order processing, validating precious metal grades, and coordinating immediate shipment logistics while reducing manual errors.
Transportation Management Systems optimize the movement of heavy ore hauls and high-value silver or gold shipments by calculating fuel efficiency, predicting delivery times for remote sites, and managing route logistics to minimize operational costs.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 212220.
Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (IMM)
A global trade association that provides resources, news, and networking for the gold, silver, and other precious metals mining industry.
United States Geological Survey Mining Division
A US government agency that publishes official data, maps, and reports on mineral resources including gold and silver ore deposits.
Metals and Minerals Industry Group (MAG)
A non-profit organization that advocates for the metals industry, including mining operations, to support sustainable and responsible practices.
