Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Indian Minerals
Yearbook 2013
(Part- II : Metals & Alloys)
52nd Edition
NICKEL
(FINAL RELEASE)
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MINES
INDIAN BUREAU OF MINES
Indira Bhavan, Civil Lines,
NAGPUR 440 001
PHONE/FAX NO. (0712) 2565471
PBX : (0712) 2562649, 2560544, 2560648
E-MAIL : cme@ibm.gov.in
Website: www.ibm.gov.in
May, 2015
12-1
NICKEL
12 Nickel
Grade/State
Total
reserves
(A)
Remaining resources
Pre-feasibility
STD221
STD222
Measured
STD331
Indicated
STD332
Inferred
STD333
Total
(B)
Total
resources
(A+B)
21
21
31
53
63
189
189
By Grades
+ 0.9% Ni
0.5 to 0.9% Ni
(+)0.5% Ni, unclassified
Not-known
13
8
8
13
31
18
21
14
3
21
39
42
94
53
42
94
53
By States
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Nagaland
Odisha
21
21
31
51
7
++
5
51
9
++
5
175
9
++
5
175
12-2
NICKEL
INDUSTRY
12-3
NICKEL
CONSUMPTION
World over stainless steel is the major enduse sector of nickel having over 66% consumption
share. Other uses include, electroplating (8%),
other steel alloys, including casting (24%) and
other chemical applications, like nickel-cadmium
battery (3%). Domestic consumption of ferronickel during 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 was
2,000 tonnes, 2,235 tonnes and 2,235 tonnes,
respectively, all in alloy-steel industry.
SUBSTITUTES
Aluminium, coated steels, plain chromium
steels and plastics can replace stainless steel to
a limited extent in many construction and
transportation applications. Nickel-free speciality
steels are sometimes used in place of stainless
steel within the power-generating, petrochemical
and petroleum industries. Titanium alloys or
speciality plastics can substitute nickel metal or
nickel-based alloys in highly corrosive chemical
environments.
TRADE POLICY
As per Foreign Trade Policy, 2009-2014,
imports of nickel ores & concentrates (heading
no. 2604) and metal (heading no. 7503) are
allowed freely. However, some forms of metal
waste & scrap (ITC-HS Code No. 7503 0090) are
restricted.
USES
The most important use of nickel is in
production of stainless steel and other corrosionresistant alloys. Nickel/chrome plating is still the
most widely used decorative electroplated finish
on metals. Conventional plating is still much in
favour but other techniques such as electrolytic
coating or sintered slurry coating are used for
applications like turbine blades, helicopter rotors,
rolled steel strips and extrusion dies. Nickel is an
important ingredient in coins. Finely divided
nickel is used as a catalyst in hydrogenation.
Other commercial uses are in ceramics, special
chemical vessels, rechargeable nickel-cadmium
storage batteries, electronic circuits, in computer
hard discs, jewellery, green colouring of glass and
preparation of nickel compounds.
WORLD REVIEW
The world reserves of nickel are estimated at
74 million tonnes of metal content. Australia (24%),
New Caledonia (16%), Brazil (11%), Russia (8%),
Cuba (7%), Indonesia & South Africa (5% each)
and Canada & China (4% each) together
accounted for around 84% nickel reserves
(Table-2). The identified land-based reserves
analysing on an average of 1% nickel or more
contain at least 130 million tonnes nickel. About
60% of nickel reserves are in laterites and 40% in
sulphide deposits. In addition, extensive deepsea resources of nickel are in manganese crusts
and nodules, covering large areas of the ocean
floor, particularly in the Pacific Ocean.
12-4
NICKEL
FOREIGN TRADE
Reserves
74000
18000
8400
3300
3000
1100
5500
970
3900
1600
12000
1100
6100
3700
160
5100
Exports
Exports of nickel and alloys including waste
& scrap increased substantially to 21,615 tonnes
in 2012-13 from 5,340 tonnes in the previous year.
Out of the total alloys and scrap exported in
2012-13, nickel alloys were 21,338 tonnes, while
nickel waste & scrap were 277 tonnes. Exports
were mainly to Singapore, UAE, Netherlands,
USA, Latvia & Japan (Tables-4 to 7).
Imports
During 2012-13, imports of nickel ores &
concentrates decreased manifold to only 865 tonnes
in comparison to 41,729 tonnes in the previous year.
Imports were mainly from Australia & China. Imports
of nickel & alloys including scrap were 54,424 tonnes
in 2012-13 compared to 34,787 tonnes in the previous
year. Out of total alloys and scrap imported in
2012-13, nickel alloys were 53,755 tonnes, while
nickel waste & scrap was 669 tonnes as compared to
1,129 tonnes in the previous year. Imports in
2012-13 were mainly from Russia, Australia, Canada
and Norway (Tables - 8 to 12).
2010
2011
2012
World: Total
Australia
Brazil
Canada
China
Colombia
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Indonesia
1540
169
66
158
80
49
66
217
1823
215
74
220
90
38
66
13
226
1895
244
87
204
93
52
68
15
253
New Caledonia
131
129
132
Philippines
184
319
318
Russia
South Africa
Other countries
270
40
110
270
43
120
269
46
114
2012-13
Country
All Countries
China
Other countries
Qty
(t)
Value
(L '000)
Qty
(t)
Value
(L '000)
450
450
128258
128258
86
86
-
1478
1478
-
2012-13
Country
All Countries
Singapore
UAE
Netherlands
USA
Latvia
Japan
Mexico
Thailand
Turkey
France
Other countries
12-5
Qty
(t)
Value
(L '000)
Qty
(t)
5340
43
3640
62
270
147
101
45
71
64
25
872
5886670
53631
4119391
72410
381662
188447
86428
46037
82786
71234
49247
735397
21615
15386
4077
561
361
129
92
61
53
60
40
795
Value
(L '000)
22779895
16023740
4534156
556888
471895
159956
76371
75620
65827
61894
57531
696018
NICKEL
2011-12
2012-13
Qty
(t)
All Countries
5218
Singapore
43
UAE
3640
Netherlands
62
USA
254
Latvia
147
Mexico
45
Thailand
71
Turkey
64
France
25
Saudi Arabia
34
Other countries 833
Value
(L'000)
Qty
(t)
5842047
53631
4119369
72410
377444
188447
46037
82786
71234
49247
47763
733679
21338
15386
4077
553
270
129
61
53
60
40
49
660
22663186
16023740
4534156
556029
436641
159956
75620
65827
61894
57531
54561
637231
All Countries
USA
UK
Japan
Germany
Belgium
Italy
Netherlands
Iran
Korea, Rep. of
Kenya
Other countries
122
16
46
29
14
4
2
11
Value
(L'000)
Qty
(t)
Value
(L'000)
39121536
12512664
4352679
3863241
2033424
1683518
2s303601
1418750
1817296
1306467
1439778
6390118
54424
24768
9659
3155
3259
1989
1572
1847
1107
841
1130
5097
55264147
23499754
9889777
3428726
3271564
2063874
1948143
1796707
1220987
1188804
1124600
5381211
2012-13
Country
Qty
(t)
Value
(L'000)
Qty
(t)
Value
(L'000)
38729885
12512664
4352679
3863241
2033424
1683518
2303171
1418750
1806617
1228813
1439778
6087230
53755
24768
9659
3155
3259
1987
1569
1847
1105
750
1130
4526
2012-13
Country
Qty
(t)
Qty
(t)
Value
(L'000)
2012-13
Country
Country
Value
(L'000)
44623
4218
11771
16554
1457
1773
907
7943
Qty
(t)
Value
(L'000)
277
91
88
42
24
22
2
8
++
++
++
++
116709
35254
34384
22651
13842
7514
1964
859
112
100
18
11
54973981
23499754
9889777
3428726
3271564
2063169
1946056
1796707
1218340
1156813
1124600
5578475
2012-13
Country
Qty
(t)
2012-13
Country
Qty
(t)
Value
(L'000)
41729
2008548
865
808473
234
231344
716
698050
66
61364
100
106881
49
3542
1715840
All Countries
Australia
China
Germany
Qty
(t)
Value
(L'000)
All Countries
1129
UAE
296
Kuwait
Iran
USA
204
France
Malaysia
Germany
21
Italy
333
Sweden
Saudi Arabia
53
Other countries 222
12-6
Value
(L'000)
391651
128362
77654
5227
88123
24302
67983
Qty
(t)
669
115
81
90
91
75
60
33
42
14
16
52
Value
(L'000)
290166
63447
45980
37125
31992
29190
14043
13762
12784
7472
6900
27471
NICKEL
2012-13
All Items
Qty
(t)
Value
(L'000)
Qty
(t)
Value
(L ' 0 0 0 )
34787
39121536
54424
55264147
33658
38729885
53755
54973981
505
783656
1017
1371834
1750
2892051
1592
2725828
12
15959
++
215
747
1062367
4156
5251126
453
612543
350
483675
2957
3479620
950
894671
5440
17096
27225
29871575
45679
44223586
++
1506
6673
4444
1129
391651
669
290166
All Items
Nickel & alloys
Bars, rods, plates, sheets foils of nickel
Bars, rods, plates, sheets foils of nickel alloys
Nickel electroplated anode
FUTURE OUTLOOK
Over 60% of world nickel demand is for the
production of stainless steel. Nickel accounts for
10 to 20% input cost in stainless steel production
depending on the nickel content. The future
outlook for nickel depends mainly on the
production of stainless steel which is one of the
main drivers for nickel produced. The production
12-7