NAICS 212 - Mining (except Oil and Gas)

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.

• Includes mining and preparation of metallic and nonmetallic minerals except oil and gas.
• Encompasses ore extraction, quarrying, and mechanical beneficiation processes at mine sites.
• Applies to establishments operating mines and quarries or contracting such operations.
• Excludes support activities classified under NAICS 213, such as surveying and transportation.
• Size standards vary by type of mining activity and revenue thresholds established by SBA.
• Typical projects include coal mining, metal ore extraction, and mineral beneficiation operations.

• Extraction of metallic minerals such as gold, silver, copper, and iron ore.
• Mining of nonmetallic minerals including stone, sand, gravel, and coal.
• Beneficiation processes like crushing, screening, washing, and magnetic separation.
• Mine site development including drilling, blasting, and excavation.
• On-site ore preparation such as grinding, sizing, and flotation.
• Contract mining services operating mines on behalf of third parties.
• Environmental management and reclamation associated with mining operations.
• Logistical support for mineral handling and transport at mine sites.

• Mining companies specializing in metallic and nonmetallic minerals.
• Quarry operators extracting construction aggregates and dimension stone.
• Contract mining firms managing operations for other owners.
• Coal mining enterprises producing thermal and metallurgical coal.
• Beneficiation service providers performing ore processing at mine sites.
• Environmental and reclamation contractors specializing in mining site restoration.