Underground equipment worth rose 1% from 2002, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau’s Mining Machinery and Mineral Processing Equipment report.

 

Portable drilling rigs decreased 3% from the previous year to $391.8 million.

 

Drills and other mining machinery jumped 23.3% to $160.2 million. Shipments of portable crushing, pulverizing, screening, washing and combination plants decreased from $67.9 million in 2002 to $56.1 million in 2003.

 

The total value of shipments of selected types of mining machinery and related equipment in 2003 was $1.198 billion, 3.2% increase from the 2002.

 

Mining equipment demand increased in 2003 primarily in response to greater coal demand and to a stronger U.S. economy.

 

The full report can be found at www.census.gov/cir/www/333/ma333f.html