World Mercury Market (s)

From the Supply Side

Annual Consumption• 55,000 to 120,000 flasks estimate

• My estimate is 60,000 flasks annually

• Brokers will try and influence the market:– Understate the market to reduce competition– Overstate the market to boast their importance

• China is the largest market with the least public information

• Black Markets exist:

– China, Vietnam and Western Provinces

– Brazil black market ended when imports were on longer restricted

Prime Virgin Mercury

• Spain

• Algeria• Kyrgyzstan

• China

Primary Mercury Production• Almaden, Spain

– 20% production of its 45,000 flask/yr. Capacity– Has sold Russian stockpile– Will sell secondary rather than mine virgin

• Algeria– Less reliable than Almaden– Will sell secondary

• Kyrgyzstan– Former Soviet Union Production– Sells most to CIS, Russia; Excess to China – Will sell secondary mercury

• My estimate of world virgin mercury production is 30,000 flasks annually

A What If?

• 8 years since DLA suspended mercury sales• World Produced 30,000 flasks per year• 240,000 flasks in the 8 year period• If DLA stockpile is 130,000 flasks then:• The Stockpile could have been sold easily in

the 8 year period of time• Virgin mercury production will cause air

pollution• Sell excess mercury to stop mercury pollution

By-Product Mercury Production

Largest Producers• U.S.• Canada• South America • Finland• Italy• Spain• Germany

Smokestack By-Product Mercury Production

• Boliden-Norzink Process

– 42 operations Around the World

Boliden-Norzink is Mercury Vapor

Recovery• Captures Mercury at the End of the

Gold, Zinc, and Copper Mining Operations

• Calomel recovered at Mine Site or sent off to Recycling Facility

By-Product Mercury Production Retort

Process at Mine Site• Gold and some Copper Mine Sites• Mercury is inside the ore and is an impurity

during the smelting process• Retorts remove the mercury from the primary

metals. Virgin mercury is the by-product• Not associated with Artisan gold mining

where mercury is added to aid in the gold recovery

Secondary Mercury Production

• 75% or more is from dismantling of Chlorine and Caustic Soda Plants

• Minor amounts from Lamp Recycling and Retort facilities

• US has 5-6 Retort recycling facilities

• Europe/World have about 5-6 Retort facilities.

World Market

• US only one segment of world market for past 50 years

• USBM/USGS data show US net importer most of the time

• Mercury in National Defense Stockpile imported• Metal Traders Buy/Sell to each other• Excess volume sells to one in need• Stockpiles of mercury cause production of

Virgin mercury as long as there is a demand for mercury