Support Activities for Nonmetallic Minerals (except Fuels) Mining
Description
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing support activities, on a contract or fee basis, for the mining and quarrying of nonmetallic minerals (except fuel) and for the extraction of nonmetallic minerals (except geophysical surveying and mapping, site preparation, construction, and transportation activities). Exploration for these minerals is included in this industry. Exploration services include traditional prospecting methods, such as taking core samples and making geological observations at prospective sites.
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. |
| 213 | Support Activities for Mining 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Support Activities for Mining subsector group establishments primarily 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 and for the extraction of oil and gas. Establishments performing exploration for minerals, on a contract or fee basis, are included in this subsector. Exploration services include traditional prospecting methods, such as taking core samples and making geological observations at prospective sites. The activities performed on a contract or fee basis by establishments in the Support Activities for Mining subsector are also often performed in-house by mining operators. These activities include taking core samples, making geological observations at prospective sites, excavating slush pits and cellars, and such oil and gas operations as spudding in, drilling in, redrilling, directional drilling, and well surveying; running, cutting, and pulling casings, tubes, and rods; cementing and shooting wells; perforating well casings; acidizing and chemically treating wells; cleaning out, bailing, and swabbing wells; and operating oil and gas field gathering lines. Establishments primarily engaged in providing site preparation and related construction activities on a contract or fee basis are classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments primarily engaged in providing transportation activities in support of mining, quarrying, or oil and gas extraction are classified in Sector 48-49, Transportation and Warehousing, based on the primary activity. |
| 2131 | Support Activities for Mining 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Support Activities for Mining subsector group establishments primarily 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 and for the extraction of oil and gas. Establishments performing exploration for minerals, on a contract or fee basis, are included in this subsector. Exploration services include traditional prospecting methods, such as taking core samples and making geological observations at prospective sites. The activities performed on a contract or fee basis by establishments in the Support Activities for Mining subsector are also often performed in-house by mining operators. These activities include taking core samples, making geological observations at prospective sites, excavating slush pits and cellars, and such oil and gas operations as spudding in, drilling in, redrilling, directional drilling, and well surveying; running, cutting, and pulling casings, tubes, and rods; cementing and shooting wells; perforating well casings; acidizing and chemically treating wells; cleaning out, bailing, and swabbing wells; and operating oil and gas field gathering lines. Establishments primarily engaged in providing site preparation and related construction activities on a contract or fee basis are classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments primarily engaged in providing transportation activities in support of mining, quarrying, or oil and gas extraction are classified in Sector 48-49, Transportation and Warehousing, based on the primary activity. |
| 21311 | Support Activities for Mining 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises 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 and for the extraction of oil and gas. Drilling, taking core samples, and making geological observations at prospective sites for minerals, on a contract or fee basis, are included in this industry. |
| 213115 | Support Activities for Nonmetallic Minerals (except Fuels) Mining 6-digit U.S. detail | This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing support activities, on a contract or fee basis, for the mining and quarrying of nonmetallic minerals (except fuel) and for the extraction of nonmetallic minerals (except geophysical surveying and mapping, site preparation, construction, and transportation activities). Exploration for these minerals is included in this industry. Exploration services include traditional prospecting methods, such as taking core samples and making geological observations at prospective sites. |
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Classification References
- 01Performing geophysical surveying and mapping services for nonmetallic minerals on a contract or fee basis--are classified in Industry 541360, Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services;
- 02Operating nonmetallic mineral mines or quarries on a contract or fee basis--are classified in Industry Group 2123, Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying, based on the type of mineral mined or quarried;
- 03Site preparation and related construction activities on a contract or fee basis--are classified in Industry 238910, Site Preparation Contractors; and
- 04Providing transportation activities on a contract or fee basis--are classified in Sector 48-49, Transportation and Warehousing, based on the primary activity.
Index Items
Blasting services, nonmetallic minerals mining (except fuels) on a contract basis
Boring test holes for nonmetallic minerals mining (except fuels) on a contract basis
Draining or pumping of nonmetallic mineral mines (except fuels) on a contract basis
Drilling services for nonmetallic mineral (except fuels) mining on a contract basis
Exploration services for nonmetallic minerals (except geophysical surveying and mapping) on a contract basis
Mine shaft sinking services for nonmetallic minerals (except fuels) on a contract basis
Mine tunneling services for nonmetallic minerals (except fuels) on a contract basis
Nonmetallic minerals mine development on a contract basis (except site preparation and related construction activities)
Nonmetallic minerals mining support services on a contract basis (e.g., blasting, shaft sinking, tunneling) (except geophysical surveying and mapping, site preparation, construction, and transportation activities)
Overburden removal for nonmetallic minerals mining (except fuels) on a contract basis
Prospect and test drilling services for nonmetallic mineral mining (except fuels) on a contract basis
Pumping or draining nonmetallic mineral mines (except fuel) on a contract basis
Removal of overburden for nonmetallic minerals mining (except fuels) on a contract basis
Stripping overburden services for nonmetallic minerals mining (except fuels) on a contract basis
Test drilling for nonmetallic minerals mining (except fuel) on a contract basis
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External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 213115.
National Mineral Data Center
A USGS government page providing comprehensive data and resources on nonmetallic mineral mining operations and analysis.
Minerals for America
The industry website of the Association of Nonmetallic Minerals, Inc. (ANMI) offering trade news, market research, and industry standards.
Mine Safety and Health Administration
A US government portal dedicated to safety regulations and educational resources for miners in the nonmetallic mining sector.
