What does the mining industry do?
Besides mining coal and metallic and non-metallic minerals, mining companies often search for minerals elsewhere to develop new mines and quarries. The industry also includes initial mineral processing and preparation activities, because processing plants usually operate together with mines or quarries as part of the extraction process. Metallic minerals include ores, such as bauxite (from which aluminum is extracted), copper, gold, iron, lead, silver and zinc. Non-metallic minerals include stone, sand, gravel, clay and other minerals such as lime and soda ash, used as chemicals and fertilizers.
