MINERAL AND OIL RESOURCES 



Andrew A. Dzurik 

 Department of Urban and Regional Planning 

 Florida State University 

 Tallahassee, FL 32306 



INTRODUCTION 



Florida is the world's leading producer of phosphate and ships phosphate 

 products worldwide. It imports large amounts of refined and finished petro- 

 leum products, primarily from U.S. oil companies. In addition to phosphate, 

 major minerals produced in Florida are petroleum, limestone, titanium, zircon, 

 earth concentrates, and cement. 



This paper focuses on the mineral production of Southwest Florida in Mon- 

 roe, Collier, Lee, DeSoto, Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Pinellas, Hills- 

 borough, and Pasco Counties. A historical and geological perspective is pro- 

 vided, together with current and projected production of minerals. In addi- 

 tion to information on mineral production, related issues such as employment, 

 value of shipments, and potential impacts of mineral production are discussed. 

 This information should be useful for environmental planning and to public and 

 private agencies and individuals. Emphasis is placed on phosphate production 

 in the region and on the facilities potentially needed for Outer Continental 

 Shelf (OCS) oil production. Although there is modest onshore production, 

 there have been no offshore discoveries; however, potential discoveries war- 

 rant planning for possible onshore impacts. Consequently, much of this paper 

 provides generic information on OCS oil and gas development and their poten- 

 tial impacts. 



Nonfuel mineral production in Florida contributes materially to its gross 

 product and has increased rapidly since 1940. The value of production in- 

 creased from about $15 million in 1940 to almost $109 million in 1955, an in- 

 crease of 730%. Between 1960 and 1977 the value of production rose from about 

 $177 million to $1.7 billion, an increase of 815%. The rapid increase can be 

 attributed largely to the discovery and production of petroleum in the Jay 

 field in Northwest Florida. 



By 1978, Florida was the sixth largest nonfuel mineral producer in the 

 United States, and its value ranked ahead of that of the traditional mining 

 States of Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. In 1978, mineral production (excluding 

 fuels) was valued at over $1.0 billion. Phosphate rock was the leading 

 mineral commodity followed by petroleum, cement, and stone (crushed limestone, 

 dolomite, and shell-rock) (U. S. Department of the Interior 1978). 



Florida not only ranked first in the Nation in the production of phos- 

 phate rock, it also ranked first in titanium concentrates and zircon, second 

 in fullers earth and rare earth concentrates, and sixth in stone. In 1978, 

 phosphate rock contributed over half (over $600 million) of the State's total 

 nonfuel mineral value, followed by cement ($110 mill ion), and stone ($118 mil- 

 lion). The total value of crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas was 

 $709,053,000, about 39% of the value of all minerals. In terms of the State's 



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