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The Mineral Industry of South Carolina

By National Minerals Information Center

Statistics and information on the nonfuel mineral commodities produced in South Carolina

Minerals Yearbook Vol. II - Domestic

South Carolina mineral commodity producing areas map from 2014 Minerals Yearbook

2017-2018 data for South Carolina are summarized in the table on this web page. The 2015 chapter data tables (XLS) and 2014 chapter containing text and data tables in PDF and XLS formats are available, with other years, through the links below.

Sources of information

South Carolina leads in vermiculite production and is a major producer of kaolin.  Other industrial minerals include construction & industrial sand/gravel, crushed stone, and portland cement; a gold mine also began production recently.

The following data table gives nonfuel mineral commodity production data for South Carolina extracted from Table 5 in the 2018 Minerals Yearbook Statistical Summary.

Nonfuel Mineral Commodity Production in South Carolina1,2,3
Mineral Commodity Units 2017 Quantity 2017 Value (thousands) 2018 Quantity 2018 Value (thousands)
Cement, masonry thousand metric tons (1000 t) 174 28,000e 186 33,200e
Cement, portland 1000 t 2,970 328,000e 2,770 347,000e
Clay, common and (or) shale 1000 t 191 1,130 179 1,110
Clay, kaolin 1000 t 338 29,900 365 32,300
Gemstones, naturale   NA 2 NA 2
Gold5 kilograms 3,670 149,000 4,100 168,000
Sand and gravel, construction 1000 t 8,380r 50,500r 9,090 52,600
Sand and gravel, industrial 1000 t 522 24,600 532 26,000
Stone, crushed 1000 t 28,700r 364,000r 27,500 366,000
Vermiculite   (4) (7) (4) (7)
Total (partial)   XX 975,000r XX 1,030,000

eEstimated. rRevised. NA Not available. XX Not applicable.

1Includes data from the commodity chapters published in the Minerals Yearbook as they were completed and released through June 2022.

2Production as measured by mine shipments, sales, or marketable production (including consumption by producers).

3Data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown. Mine output measured as sold or used by producers is primarily shown in the tables, because values can be assigned. Where sold or used data are not available, actual mine output is used as the production measurement and value is estimated average price of the mineral commodity for that year. Data are reported in gross weight unless otherwise specified.

4Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data.

5Recoverable content of ores and concentrates.

7Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data; value included in "Undistributed" in the U.S. total value.

Minerals Yearbook Volume II South Carolina chapters:

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