2008 Minerals Yearbook France

U.S. Department of the Interior December 2010 U.S. Geological Survey Th e Mi n e r a l In d u s t r y o f Fr a n c e By Alberto Alexander Perez

For 2008, France’s gross domestic product (GDP) of and urban waste. The Government had created the Agency for $2,158 billion (based on purchasing power parity) was slightly Industrial Innovation [Agence de l’Innovation Industrielle] higher than the GDP of $2,152 billion for the previous year, (AII) in June 2005. In 2008, the AII was integrated into a newly and it remained the third largest GDP in the European Union created association called OSEO, which was established to (EU) after Germany and the United Kingdom. The output value fund and help businesses, particularly small and medium-sized of France’s entire industrial sector accounted for about 20.6% businesses, develop by helping to finance their innovation. In of the 2008 GDP. The country was a major processor of raw 2008, the AII provided partial funding of about $80 million1 for mineral materials and a manufacturer of industrial and consumer projects that involved the development of renewable energy. durable goods. France’s heavy industries, which, among other It also helped finance projects to further efficient uses of product categories, produced automotive and aviation products, energy and the development of more environmentally friendly chemicals, and machine tools for domestic consumption and technologies (OSEO, 2009, p. 22). export, relied mainly on imported metal ores and concentrates and on imported industrial minerals and mineral fuels Production (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2008, 2010). In 2008, France’s estimated nickel output decreased by 18% Minerals in the National Economy and returned to rates of production equivalent to those of 2006. Crude steel production decreased by 7% compared with the Owing to the size and structure of France’s economy, the production level in 2007. Production of zinc decreased by 8%, upstream input of minerals was key to continued maintenance and production of secondary lead decreased by 7% (table 1). and growth of the country’s heavy industries. In 2007 (the Cement production dropped slightly to 21.7 million metric latest year for which data were available), the value of crude tons (Mt) in 2008. Also notable were the small decreases in the material imports alone, which included ores and concentrates of production of crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas compared metals and industrial minerals, base metals, and mineral fuels, with the 2007 levels of production (table 1). increased slightly compared with that of 2006, and amounted to about 3% of the GDP (Eurostat, 2008, p. 65). Mineral Trade

Government Policies and Programs Most of France’s demand for fuel and nonfuel mineral raw materials was met by imports. The major commercial France held the rotating presidency of the EU in the second partners of France were all members of the EU and included part of 2008, a period that had long-term consequences for Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The leading non-EU Europe-wide regulations and governance. Under this presidency, commercial partner of France was the United States. The the French Government pursued the ratification of the Lisbon leading component of France’s mineral trade in 2008 was treaty, which is a set of rules and regulations that would serve its net imports of mineral fuels; France imported 23 Mt of in lieu of a formally declared Europe-wide constitution; this crude petroleum from the Commonwealth of Independent treaty had been threatened by the refusal of Ireland and the States (CIS), which was a decrease of 2% compared with Netherlands, through referendum voting, to ratify it. If ratified, the amount imported from the CIS in 2007. The country’s this treaty would have a direct effect on all policies of the imports of crude oil from Africa increased by 34.6%, in EU, from environmental regulations to commercial trading particular its imports from Nigeria, which increased by 97% and exploitation, and, as such, was considered by the French to 4.376 Mt; Algeria, which increased by 75.3% to 3.731 Mt; Government to be of great importance (Economist, The, 2008). and Libya, which increased by 36.4% to 7.083 Mt. The CIS The reduction of the Government of France’s involvement was the main supplier of crude oil to France in 2008 and in the country’s economy, which had begun in 2007, continued accounted for 27.9% of the total French crude oil imports. throughout 2008. The Government’s policies in this regard This seems to indicate a tendency by the French energy sector were aimed at raising the competitiveness of and investment to diversify petroleum imports, and, in particular, to increase in France’s economy. These policies were stimulated, in part, its imports from Africa over the CIS. From within the EU, by the country’s adoption of the Eurozone euro (€), which imports of crude oil were mainly from Norway and the United increased the competitive pressure on French companies Kingdom, which together accounted for 19.6% of France’s (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2007a, b). crude petroleum imports in 2008. In 2007 (the latest year for The Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development was which data were available), France’s imports of natural gas responsible for overseeing and regulating such environmental from the CIS had decreased by 14%, and those from Norway issues as agricultural runoff; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; forest damage from acid rain; and the 1Where necessary, values have been converted from Eurozone euros (€) to potential for water pollution from mining, mineral processing, U.S. dollars (US$) at annual average exchange rate of €0.680=US$1.00.

France—2008 13.1 had increased by 4% compared with the levels of the previous and red clays domestically and from deposits in such countries year. Algeria, the Netherlands, and Norway together accounted as China, Germany, Spain, the United States, and Vietnam for for 67.4% of France’s natural gas imports in 2007. Outside the domestic use and export (Imerys S.A., 2009, p. 9-16). EU, Russia accounted for more than 13% of France’s imports Cement.—France’s principal cement manufacturers were of natural gas (Euro-Roc, 2007; Gambini, 2007; U.S. Energy Lafarge S.A. and Société des Ciments Français (Ciments Information Administration, 2007; Institute National de la Français), which was a subsidiary of Italcementi S.p.A of Italy. Statistique et des Etudes Economiques, 2009). In addition to their cement-producing facilities in France, both companies had major capital assets abroad. The other important Structure of the Mineral Industry producers of cement in France were the Vicat Group, which had five plants with a total cement production capacity of 6 Mt/yr, Although France continued to maintain state monopolies and Ciments d’Origny, which had six plants and a total cement in a number of sectors of the economy, state ownership of the production capacity of 4.2 Mt/yr. In 2008, cement consumption mineral sector had substantially diminished since 2006, and the in France dropped by 2.8% compared with that of 2007 owing mineral industry was increasingly a target for privatization in to a 1.1% decrease in construction sector output. It is expected 2007 and 2008. The Government maintained partial ownership that this trend will continue and that the estimated decrease in of the country’s electricity generating and natural gas production consumption in 2009 will be about 13% (PR Newswire Europe and distribution facilities. Table 2 provides data on major Ltd., 2006; Cembureau, 2009). French-owned enterprises that produced metals, industrial minerals, and mineral fuels in 2008. Mineral Fuels and Other Sources of Energy

Commodity Review Of the total amount of primary energy consumed by France in 2008, 48.2% was electricity generated by Metals hydraulic, photovoltaic, thermal electric, nuclear, and wind power facilities. Nuclear energy accounted for an estimated Aluminum.—In 2008, France’s output of primary aluminum 80% of total electricity production, or an equivalent of remained at a similar level to that of 2007, and secondary 420 terawatthours (Twh). The principal sectors that consumed aluminum production in 2008 was estimated to have remained energy in France were the residential sector (which accounted at the same level as that of 2007 (table 1). France’s Aluminum for 43.3% of total energy consumption in the country), the Pechiney SA, which was owned by Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. (Rio transport sector (31.4%), the manufacturing industry, as Tinto), was the country’s sole producer of primary aluminum. defined by the Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Rio Tinto also operated facilities for the production of alumina Economiques (INSEE) (19%), the steel industry (3.6%), and and aluminum semimanufactures. In , Rio Tinto closed agriculture (2.7%) (Institut National de la Statistique et des the Lannemezan smelter, which had a capacity of 50,000 metric Études Economiques, 2009). tons (t) (Alcan Inc., 2005, 2009). Natural Gas and Petroleum.—In 2008, France’s domestic Iron and Steel.—France’s output of pig iron decreased by production of crude petroleum decreased by an estimated 2% 1.025 Mt, which was the lowest output in the past 5 years. compared with the output in 2007. Production of liquefied Crude steel production dropped by 1.352 Mt, which was also the petroleum gas decreased by an estimated 3%, which continued lowest output in the past 5 years and far from the highest levels the trend of a substantial production decline since 2005 of production set in 2004 (table 1). Crude steel consumption that stemmed from facility downtime for scheduled 5-year decreased by 7.8% in 2008, and the change averaged a decrease maintenance at the Lacq gasfield and processing facility. of slightly more than 1.3 million metric tons per year (Mt/yr). Domestic petroleum production decreased by about 7.7% in The consumption of finished steel averaged 15.3 Mt/yr in 2008 2007 (the latest year for which data were available) compared (World Steel Association, 2009, p. 9-17). with that of 2006 (Institut National de la Statistique et des Lead and Zinc.—In 2008, France’s production of secondary Études Economiques, 2009). lead declined by 7% compared with that of 2007 whereas Nuclear Energy.—In 2008, nuclear energy, which was primary lead production for 2008 seems to have completely produced by 59 active nuclear powerplants, accounted for 80% stopped with the decommissioning of Metaleurop’s plant of total electric power, which was a slight decrease from 2007. in Noyelles-Godault. Total zinc metal production in 2008 Group Areva, which was the French Government-owned nuclear amounted to 118,900 t, which was a decrease of 9.2% compared technology company, was building the first nuclear reactors with output in 2007 (table 1; Metaleurop, 2007; World Bureau in Western Europe in 20 years. Areva’s reactors, called third of Metal Statistics, 2007, p. 90, 137; International Lead and Zinc generation or EPRs (Evolutionary Power Reactor, or European Study Group, 2009). Pressurized Reactor, as it was known in Europe), had proven successful for the company as a tool in competing for new Industrial Minerals construction contracts of nuclear powerplants in France and abroad. In October 2008, Areva announced that it would build a France produced a broad variety of industrial minerals. In 2008, factory for nuclear parts in Virginia as part of a strategy to gain Imerys S.A., which was a major French producer of industrial market in what they hoped would be an American nuclear power minerals, mined and processed ball clays, carbonates, feldspar, sector (Matlack, 2010).

13.2 u.s. geologicAl survey minerals yearbook—2008 In 2008, construction of the International Thermonuclear Gambini, Gilberto, 2007, Statistics in focus—External trade: Brussels, Belgium, Experimental Reactor (ITER) complex began at Cadarache Eurostat, no. 114, 7 p. Imerys S.A., 2009, Annual report 2008: , France, Imerys S.A., 244 p. in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. The ITER project Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Economiques, 2009, is composed of seven participants: China, the EU, India, Consommation d’énergie primaire par type d’énergie et par secteur: Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States. Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Economiques. (Accessed The project uses the toroidal magnetic field (Tokamak)-based March 12, 2009, at http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.asp?reg_id=0&ref_ id=NATTEF11305.) reactor, which intends to drive nuclear power production from International Lead and Zinc Study Group, 2009, Lead and zinc statistics: nuclear fission-generated energy to fusion-generated energy Monthly Bulletin of the International Lead and Zinc Study Group, v. 49, (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, 2009). no. 1, January, 68 p. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, 2009, ITER history: International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, 1 p. (Accessed Outlook January 21, 2010, at http://www.iter.org/PROJ/Pages/ITERHistory.aspx.) Matlack, Carol, 2010, Areva’s high-end bet on nuclear power: France is expected to continue to rely on imported mineral Bloomberg Businessweek, March 4, 2 p. (Accessed July 29, 2010, at raw materials, including mineral fuels, to produce consumer http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_11/b4170046338890.htm.) Metaleurop, 2007, 2006 results—2007 outlook: Paris, France, Metaleurop, and producer durables and such intermediate products as ferrous May 30, 6 p. and nonferrous metals and semimanufactures, construction OSEO, 2009, Environnement accompagnement & financement de projets: materials, and chemicals. France has made considerable OSEO, 44 p. (Accessed December 16, 2009, at http://www.oseo.fr/ investments in renewable energy, but nuclear energy seems to be home_page/actualites/oseo_acteur_majeur_du_developpement_durable.) PR Newswire Europe Ltd., 2006, Lafarge invests to keep pace with market the focus of its near-term energy generation strategy. growth and strengthen its position in cement: London, United Kingdom, PR Newswire Europe Ltd. press release, December 15, 2 p. References Cited U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2008, France, in The world factbook: Washington DC, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. (Accessed Alcan Inc., 2005, Alcan to begin progressive closure process of Lannemezan November 13, 2009, at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/download/ aluminium smelter: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Alcan Inc. press release, download-2008/.) October 13, 2 p. U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2010, France, in The world factbook: Alcan Inc., 2009, Annual report 2008: Paris, France, Alcan Inc. (Accessed Washington DC, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. (Accessed December 11, 2009, at http://www.riotinto.com/annualreport2008/ January 15, 2010, at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/ performance/aluminium/primary_metal_operations/index.html.) the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html.) Cembureau, 2009, Activity report 2008: Brussels, Belgium, Cembureau, 48 p. U.S. Department of Commerce, 2007a, France—Economic trends and outlook: Economist, The, 2008, The French connection: London, United Washington DC, U.S. Department of Commerce, 3 p. Kingdom, The Economist, July 3. (Accessed November 26, 2009, at U.S. Department of Commerce, 2007b, France—Investment climate statement: http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_ Washington DC, U.S. Department of Commerce, 12 p. TTGSDNGN.) U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2007, France: Washington, DC, Euro-Roc, 2007, EU technology platform on sustainable mineral resources— U.S. Energy Information Administration country analysis brief, April, 10 p. Priority project area 2—Community relations: Brussels, Belgium, Euro-Roc, World Bureau of Metal Statistics, 2007, World metal statistics: Ware, United August 22, 4 p. Kingdom, World Bureau of Metal Statistics, October, 150 p. Eurostat, 2008, External and intra-European Union trade—Data 2002-2007: World Steel Association, 2009, World steel in figures 2009: Brussels, Belgium, Brussels, Belgium, European Community, 122 p. (Accessed World Steel Association, 28 p. December 14, 2009, at http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/ KS-CV-08-001/EN/KS-CV-08-001-EN.PDF.)

France—2008 13.3 TABLE 1 FRANCE: PRODUCTION OF MINERAL COMMODITIES1

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Commodity2 2004 2005 2006 2007e 2008e METALS Aluminum: Bauxite, gross weight3 thousand metric tons 160 168 e 168 160 160 Alumina, metallurgical, gross weighte, 3 do. 300 200 200 500 500 Metal: Primary do. 451 442 442 428 430 Secondary do. 236 222 222 222 222 Antimony, metal, including reguluse 500 500 500 500 500 Cadmium metal 100 100 100 50 50 Cobalt, metal: Powdere 500 500 500 500 500 Chloride 199 280 256 305 310 Gold, mine output, Au content kilograms 1,312 1,500 e 1,500 1,500 1,500 Iron and steel: Metal: Pig iron thousand metric tons 13,198 12,705 13,013 12,425 4 11,400 Ferroalloys, electric furnace:e Ferromanganese do. 106 105 105 105 105 Ferrosilicon do. 87 100 100 100 100 Silicomanganese do. 64 65 60 60 60 Silicon metal do. 75 75 85 85 85 Other do. 65 65 60 60 60 Total do. 397 410 r 410 410 410 Steel: Crude do. 20,770 19,481 19,857 19,252 4 17,900 Hot-rolled do. 17,376 16,566 17,437 14,830 4 14,000 Lead, refined: Primary -- -- 4,039 -- r -- Secondary 105,600 104,979 100,195 88,000 82,000 Total 105,600 104,979 104,234 88,000 r 82,000 Nickel, refinery products, Ni content5 12,103 12,536 13,700 16,400 13,400 Silver:e Mine output, Ag content kilograms 682 700 700 700 -- Metal, Ag content of final smelter products do. 400 400 400 400 -- Tin, secondarye 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 Zinc metal, including slab and secondary 267,528 210,000 120,000 129,000 r 118,900 4 INDUSTRIAL MINERALS Abrasives, undifferentiatede 300 300 272 272 270 e Barite, BaSO3 equivalent 75,000 75,000 30,000 -- -- Cement, hydraulic thousand metric tons 20,960 21,277 21,000 e 22,300 21,700 Clays: Kaolin and kaolinitic clay (marketable) do. 316 293 300 e 307 300 Refractory clay, unspecifiede do. 15 15 15 15 15 Diamond, synthetic, industriale thousand carats 3,600 3,600 3,600 3,600 3,600 Diatomitee thousand metric tons 75 75 75 75 75 Feldspar, crude do. 628 651 650 e 650 650 Fluorspar, marketable do. 90 53 40 e -- -- Gypsum and anhydrite, crudee do. 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 Kyanite, andalusite, related materialse do. 65 65 65 65 65 Lime, quick and hydrated, dead-burned dolomitee do. 3,600 3,400 3,500 4,000 4,000 Micae 19,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 Nitrogen, N content of ammonia thousand metric tons 1,120 1,206 616 e 800 800 Pigments, mineral, natural, iron oxidee 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Phosphates, Thomas slage thousand metric tons 50 50 50 50 50 Pumice and other natural abrasives do. 400 400 272 276 270 See footnotes at end of table.

13.4 u.s. geologicAl survey minerals yearbook—2008 TABLE 1—Continued FRANCE: PRODUCTION OF MINERAL COMMODITIES1

(Metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Commodity2 2004 2005 2006 2007e 2008e INDUSTRIAL MINERALS—Continued Salt, all sources thousand metric tons 6,910 6,730 9,371 6,140 6,240 Sodium compounds:e Soda ash do. 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Sodium sulfate do. 120 120 120 120 120 Stone, sand and gravel:e Chalk do. 700 673 4 554 4 583 580 Dolomite, crude do. 1,000 974 4 991 4 984 980 Granite, crude do. 300 255 4 245 4 373 370 Limestone, agricultural and industrial do. 12,000 11,590 4 11,018 4 11,699 4 11,700 Marble and travertine, crude do. 200 121 4 130 4 148 150 Sandstone do. 35 33 4 32 4 95 95 Slate, crude 5,000 5,390 5,703 4 8,716 4 8,700 Sand and gravel: Industrial sands 5,242 4 5,200 5,200 5,200 5,200 Other sand, gravel, and aggregates 163,404 4 165,000 165,000 165,000 165,000 Sulfur, all sources 965 616 650 e 650 650 Talc, crude thousand metric tons 402 416 420 e 420 420 MINERAL FUELS AND RELATED MATERIALS Asphaltic materiale 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000 Carbon blacke 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 Coal, including briquets: Anthracite and bituminous thousand metric tons 160 ------Briquetse do. 100 100 100 100 100 Coke, metallurgicale do. 4,616 4 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 Gas, natural, marketed million cubic meters 1,330 1,100 e 1,217 r 963 r, 4 960 Petroleum: Crude thousand 42-gallon barrels 8,550 7,775 7,604 7,242 r, 4 7,100 Refinery products:e Liquefied petroleum gas do. 32,000 32,000 30,000 27,715 4 27,000 Gasoline, all kinds do. 140,000 140,000 140,000 132,264 4 132,000 Kerosene and jet fuel do. 42,000 42,000 45,000 45,000 45,000 Distillate fuel oil do. 250,000 250,000 250,000 250,000 250,000 Residual fuel oil do. 72,594 4 72,600 70,000 70,000 70,000 Other products do. 129,000 4 129,000 130,000 130,000 130,000 Refinery fuel do. 35,000 35,000 35,000 35,000 35,000 Total do. 700,594 4 701,000 700,000 690,000 689,000 eEstimated; estimated data rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown. rRevised. do. Ditto. -- Zero. 1Table includes data available through January 31, 2010. 2In addition to the commodities listed, France produces germanium from domestic ores, but actual output is not regularly reported. 3Reprocessed bauxite not for metallurgical use. 4Reported figure. 5Excludes secondary production from nickel/cadmium batteries.

France—2008 13.5 TABLE 2 FRANCE: STRUCTURE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN 2008

(Thousand metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Major operating companies Annual Commodity and major equity owners Location of main facilities capacity Alumina, metallurgical Alcan Inc. Plant at Gardanne 700 Aluminum do. Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Province 120 Do. do. Pyrenees, Atlantiques Province 115 Do. do. Lannemezan, Hautes-Pyrenees Province 63 Do. do. Auzat, Arieege Province (closed) 50 Do. do. Dunkerque, Calais du 250 Andalusite Denain-Anzin Minéraux Réfractaire Céramique Glomel Mine, Brittany 75 Antimony, metal Produits Chimiques de Lucette Plant at Le Genest, Mayeene Province 15 Barite Barytine de Mine and plant at Chaillac, Province 150 Do. Société Industrielle du Centre Mine at Rossigno, Indre Province 100 Cadmium metric tons Compagnie Royale Asturienne des Mines Plant at D'Auby-les-Douai, Nord Province 200 Cement Four companies, the largest of which are: 80 plants, including: 26,700 Do. LaFarge S.A. 13 plants; largest at St. Pierre-la-Cour (1,160) 9,500 Do. Société des Ciment Français 9 plants; largest at Gargenville (1,100) 7,500 Clay, kaolin Groupe Mineral Harwanne (GMH) Kaolin d'Arvor Mine, Quessoy 300 Coal Charbonnages de France (CdF), including: Do. Centre-Midi Bassin Open pit mines (closed) 1,000 Do. Lorraine Bassin Underground mines (closed) 2,500 Cobalt, metal metric tons Société Métallurgique le Nickel (SLN) Plant at Sandouville, near Le Havre 600 Copper, metal Compagnie Générale d'Électrolyse du Palais Electrolytic plant at Palais-sur- 45 Do. Société Française d'Affinage du Cuivre Smelter at Poissy, 11 Diatomite Ceca S.A. Mines and plants at Riom-les-Montagnne 100 and St. Bauzille Feldspar Denain-Anzin Mineraux S.A. (Imerys Group) Mine and plant at St. Chely d'Apcher 55 Ferroalloys Société du Ferromanganese de Paris, Outreau do. 420 Do. FerroPem (Ferroatlantica) Plants at Bellegarde, Laudun, and Marignac 400 Gypsum S.A. de Matériel de Construction Mine at Taverny 1,500 Lead, metal Metaleurop Nord (Metaleurop S.A.) Plant at Noyelles Godault (closed) 165 Iron and steel, steel AcelorMittal Group Dunkerque 6,700 Do. do. Fos-sur-Mer 4,200 Do. do. Florange 3,200 Do. Usinor Group Gadrange, Neuves Maisons 8,400 Magnesium, metal FerroPem Plant at Marignac (closed) 15 Mica Denain-Anzin Minéraux S.A. (Imerys Group) Mine at Ploemeur, Brittany 160 Natural gas million Société Nationale Elf Aquitaine (SNEA) Gasfield and plant at Lacq 20,000 cubic meters Nickel, metal Société Métallurgia le Nickel (SLN) Plant at Sandouville 16 Nitrogen, N content of ammonia Grande Paroisse S.A. Plant at Grandpuits 390 Petroleum: Crude 42-gallon barrels Société National Elf Aquitaine (SNEA) Paris Basin oilfields 1,000 per day Refined do. Total S.A. Refineries at Gonfreville and La Mede 446,000 Do. Shell-Française Refinery at Petite Couron 285,000 Do. do. Refinery at Berre 270,000 Do. Société Nationale Elf Aquitaine (SNEA) Refinery at Feyzin 120,000 Do. do. Refinery at Donges 200,000 Do. do. Refinery at Grandpuits 96,000 Do. Ineos Group Ltd. Refineries at Lavera 175,000 Do. Esso S.A. Refineries at Fos-sur-Mer 237,000 Do. do. Refineries at Gravenchon 62,000 Do. Cie. Rhenane de Raffinage (CRR) Refinery at Reichstett 80,000

Potash, K2O Mines de Potasse d'Alsace S.A. (MDPA) Amelie and Marie-Louise Mines in 2,500 Alsace (closed) Salt Compagnie des Salins du Midi et des Mines and plants at Algues Mortes, Dax, 2,500 Salines de l'Est (Salins Group) Salin de Girad, and Varangeville See footnotes at end of table.

13.6 u.s. geologicAl survey minerals yearbook—2008 TABLE 2—Continued FRANCE: STRUCTURE OF THE MINERAL INDUSTRY IN 2008

(Thousand metric tons unless otherwise specified)

Major operating companies Annual Commodity and major equity owners Location of main facilities capacity Sulfur Société Nationale Elf Aquitaine (SNEA) Byproduct from natural gas, Lacq plant 3,000 Talc Talc de Luzenac S.A. (Rio Tinto Corp., 100%) Trimouns Mine near Ariege, Pyrenees 350

Uranium, U3O8 metric tons Compagnie Général des Matières Nucléaires Mines at , Vendee, and Herault 1,800 (Areva S.A.) (closed) Zinc, metal Umicore Group Plants at Auby-les-Douai and Calais 220 Do. Metaleurop Nord (Metaleurop S.A.) Plant at Noyelles Godault (closed) 110 Do., do. Ditto.

France—2008 13.7