The U.S. Census Bureau last week released a report that details huge surges in mining machinery shipments for 2005. According to the report, MiningMachinery and Mineral Processing Equipment: 2005, US mining equipment manufacturers shipped $2 billion worth of goods in 2005, marking a 39.7% jump over the $1.4 billion shipped in 2004.

The report shows shipments of underground mining machinery and equipment in 2005 totaled $597.4 million, a 57% increase over the 2004 figure. Shipments of portable drill rigs jumped 46%, totalling $665.3 million in 2005, while shipments of stationar y, crushing, pulverizing and screening machinery were valued at $400.1 million, an increase of 17.1%. In other sectors, shipments of drills and other mining machiner y stood at $223.4 million, 28.7% higher than in 2004, while portable crushing, screening, washing and combination plants jumped 43.1%, for a total of $113.2 million.

A complete copy of the report is available at : www.census.gov/cir/www/333/ma333f.html. _