The US Census Bureau’s Mining Machinery and Mineral Processing Equipment report for 2002 said underground mining equipment demand increased in 2002 in response to greater coal demand in late 2001 and early 2002.

The increase in the underground sector was not matched by other mining areas, where the mining machinery market decreased due primarily to the slower U.S. economy.

Value of mining machinery and related equipment totalled $1.1 billion in 2002. The 2002 total included $325.7 million in underground mining machinery equipment, a 5.3 percent increase from 2001.

Portable drilling rigs decreased 21 percent, from $402.5 million in 2001 to $317 million in 2002 and drills and other mining machinery, which totalled $117.7 million, was down 21.3 percent.

Shipments of crushing, pulverizing, and screening machinery decreased from $308.1 million in 2001 to $306.3 million in 2002.

The total value of shipments of selected types of mining machinery and related equipment in 2002 was $1.1 billion, representing a decrease of 14 percent from the 2001 figure of $1.2 billion.