The mining industry of Yemen is at present dominated by fossil mineral of petroleum and liquefied natural gas (LNG), and to a limited extent by extraction of dimension stone, gypsum, and refined petroleum. Reserves of metals like cobalt, copper, gold, iron ore, nickel, niobium, platinum-group metals, silver, tantalum, and zinc are awaiting exploration. Industrial minerals with identified reserves include black sands with ilmenite, monazite, rutile, and zirconium, celestine, clays, dimension stone, dolomite, feldspar, fluorite, gypsum, limestone, magnesite, perlite, pure limestone, quartz, salt, sandstone, scoria, talc, and zeolites; some of these are under exploitation.
Crude oil and natural gas reserves amounted to 3.0 billion barrels and 479 billion cubic meters. The slow progress in the mineral sector is on account of the security situation caused by civil strife and political uncertainty in the country which has been a deterrent for private companies to operate.[1][2] As of 2010 the mineral industry's contribution to the country's GDP was 13.9%.[3]
- ^ Taib, mowafa (2013). "2013 Minerals Yearbook Yemen [Advance Release]:The Mineral Industry Of Yemen" (pdf). U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
- ^ Thomas, P. (16 November 2015). "Yemen: Mining, Minerals and Fuel Resources". azomining.com. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
- ^ "2010 Minerals Yearbook" (pdf). U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey. August 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2015.