The natural resources and mining industry covers the extraction and initial processing of raw materials from the earth, including minerals, metals, fossil fuels, and other naturally occurring resources.

It broadly includes mining (of metals, coal, and minerals), quarrying (of stone, aggregates), and parts of forestry and other resource extraction activities. This sector finds and harvests the basic commodities that are later refined or used as inputs for other industries.

In many economic classifications, it overlaps with agriculture or oil & gas but is often treated as a distinct category focusing on minerals and non-renewable resource extraction.

Source: https://globaledge.msu.edu/industries/mining--minerals--metals/background

Quick Industry Match Guide

This guide helps match your company to the appropriate tier in the natural resources & mining supply chain based on its primary activities. Use it to determine if Natural Resources & Mining is the right industry selection for EventWatch monitoring.

Natural Resources & Mining Supply Chain Stages: Quick View Table

This elaborated table outlines the key stages of the natural resources & mining supply chain, from exploration to initial processing. Each stage includes expanded descriptions of activities, expanded company types (based on core functions like prospecting, extraction, processing, and support), and examples. It highlights interdependencies, such as how upstream exploration delays can cascade to downstream ore production shortfalls.

Natural Resources & Mining Sub-Sectors

These sub-sectors break down the industry into focused areas. Select the one(s) matching your company's core operations.

Company categories have been expanded with additional functional details (e.g., specific roles like exploration vs. processing) for clarity.

1. Metal Ore Mining

Extraction of metal-bearing ores such as iron ore, copper, gold, bauxite (aluminum), nickel, etc. Companies in this sub-sector operate mines (underground or open-pit) to dig out the ore, which is then processed (crushed, concentrated, smelted) to produce metal.

Examples include iron ore mining by Rio Tinto, copper mining by Freeport-McMoRan, or gold mining by companies like Newmont.

Select if your company:

• Extracts metal ores like iron, copper, gold, or bauxite
• Operates open-pit or underground mines for metal concentrates

2. Coal Mining

The extraction of coal (thermal coal for power generation, metallurgical coal for steelmaking) from surface or underground mines.

Coal remains a major energy resource in many countries. Companies such as Coal India or Peabody Energy focus on coal mining, which involves unique methods like strip mining or longwall mining.

Select if your company:

• Extracts thermal or metallurgical coal via surface or underground methods
• Processes coal for power or steel industry inputs

3. Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying

Extraction of industrial minerals and construction materials, for example, mining of phosphate rock (for fertilizers), potash, limestone, sand and gravel, gypsum, and stone quarrying for aggregates and cement.

These materials are essential for construction, agriculture, and chemical industries. Quarrying companies and aggregates producers (e.g., Vulcan Materials in the US for aggregates) fall in this category.

Select if your company:

• Mines nonmetallic minerals like phosphate, potash, or limestone
• Operates quarries for aggregates, sand, gravel, or gypsum

4. Mining Support Services

Companies providing drilling, blasting, exploration, and other services to enable mining operations.

This includes exploration geologists (finding new deposits), mining equipment manufacturers (supplying drills, crushers), and specialized contractors. While not producing resources themselves, they are part of the mining value chain.

Select if your company:

• Provides drilling, blasting, or exploration services
• Supplies or maintains mining equipment and contractors

5. Forestry and Logging

(If included under “natural resources”) – the harvesting of timber and wood products from forests. This could be considered part of natural resource extraction.

Companies in forestry manage forest lands and produce logs, which feed into lumber and paper industries. (Note: Some classifications put forestry in agriculture, but it is a natural resource extraction activity.)

Select if your company:

• Harvests timber or manages forest lands for logging
• Processes initial wood products like logs or chips

Indirect Connections to Natural Resources & Mining

Companies not directly in core extraction or processing may still connect indirectly through supply chains, services, or shared technologies. These links can expose your business to mining disruptions (e.g., commodity volatility or environmental regulations). Monitor via additional industry selections: 

Additional Industries to Select Alongside Natural Resources & Mining

Do NOT Select Natural Resources & Mining If Your Company

Why Select Natural Resources & Mining

Selecting Natural Resources & Mining ensures your organization receives EventWatch bulletins about:

• Ore discoveries, mine expansions, or production halts (e.g., strikes)
• Commodity price swings, export bans, or supply bottlenecks (e.g., copper shortages)
• Environmental incidents, permitting delays, or ESG regulatory changes
• Coal seam developments, quarrying disruptions, or forestry harvest quotas
• Support service issues, equipment breakdowns, or exploration failures
• Geological surveys, blasting accidents, or tailings management risks
• Resource shortages (iron, aggregates, timber) or geopolitical mine takeovers
  
  

These alerts help your company anticipate and respond to events that directly impact operations, supply chain continuity, and business strategy.