GYPSUM

Production The United States was the world’s leading producer and consumer of mined crude gypsum in 2023, with 47 companies mining gypsum in 15 states. U.S. production of crude gypsum was estimated to be 22 Mt (24.2 million st) in 2023, essentially unchanged from 2022. The average price of mined crude gypsum was $12.00/t ($10.90/st). Sales in 2023 of synthetic gypsum, most of which was generated as a flue-gas desulfurization product from coal-fired electric power plants, were estimated to be 15 Mt (16.5 million st) and priced at approximately $10.00/t ($9.10/st). Crude gypsum exports from the United States totaled 44.1 kt (48,600 st). Imports were 7.79 Mt (8.59 million st). World production of gypsum in 2023 was estimated to be 160 Mt (176 million st), 3 percent more than in 2022. The United States was the largest producer of natural gypsum in 2023 with an estimated 22 Mt (24 million st), followed by Iran with an estimated 16 Mt (18 million st), China and Oman, each with 12 Mt (13 million st), Spain with 11 Mt (12 million st), and Thailand and Turkey, each with 10 Mt (11 million st). Crude gypsum production was reported or estimated in 77 countries in 2023. Consumption Apparent consumption of crude gypsum was an estimated 45 Mt (50 million st) in 2023, 3 percent more than reported in 2022. An estimated 2.5 billion m2 (27 billion sq ft) of gypsum-derived wallboard products were produced domestically in 2023. Synthetic gypsum accounted for 33 percent of total domestic gypsum consumption. Demand for gypsum depends principally on the performance of the building construction industry, particularly in the United States, where about 60 percent of consumed gypsum is used for building plasters, the manufacture of portland cement, and wallboard products. Gypsum has no practical substitute in the manufacturing of portland cement. Approximately 700 kt (770,000 st) of gypsum scrap that was generated by wallboard manufacturing, wallboard installation and building demolition was recycled. That quantity included an estimated 600 kt (660,000 st) of preconsumer wallboard waste recycled by wallboard manufacturers, coupled with an estimated 100 kt (110,000 st) of post-consumer wallboard. Recycled gypsum was used primarily for agricultural purposes and as feedstock for the manufacture of new wallboard. Other markets for recycled gypsum include athletic field marking, cement production, as a stucco additive, grease absorption, sludge drying and water treatment. Trade As a low-value, high-tonnage bulk commodity normally mined in openpit operations from deposits widely distributed throughout the world, gypsum tends to be consumed within the many countries where it is produced rather than exported. Less than 20 percent of the world’s crude gypsum production was estimated to enter international trade. Only a few countries, such as Canada, Mexico, Spain and Thailand, were major crude gypsum exporters; of these, Canada and Mexico were significant exporters because of their large deposits in proximity to gypsum-consuming facilities in the United States. World resources World gypsum reserves are large in major producing countries, but data for many countries are not available. Domestic gypsum resources are adequate but unevenly distributed. Synthetic gypsum, most of which is byproduct from coal-fired power plants, coupled with substantial imports from Canada, augment U.S. domestic crude gypsum supplies for wallboard manufacturing in the United States, particularly in the Eastern and Southern coastal regions. Imports from Mexico supplement domestic supplies for wallboard manufacturing along portions of the U.S. West Coast. Large gypsum deposits occur in the Great Lakes region, the midcontinent region and several Western States. Foreign resources are large and widely distributed. Outlook The use of synthetic gypsum may continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace. As power companies convert coal-fired electrical generation plants to natural gas to take advantage of an abundant and inexpensive supply of shale gas, the production of synthetic gypsum could further decline because fewer coal-fired power plants would be operating. Nevertheless, the use of synthetic gypsum by U.S. wallboard manufacturers is likely to continue. Similarly, should the economy continue to expand, and if residential and commercial construction increases, gypsum consumption is also expected to increase in the near future. Reference U.S. Geological Survey, 2024, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024—Gypsum: U.S. Geological Survey, p. 86–87, https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/mcs2024

GYPSUM

Authored by:
R.D. Crangle Jr

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