U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2014–5230

Barite—A Case Study of Import Reliance on an 

Essential Material for Oil and Gas Exploration 

and Development Drilling
Cover photographs (clockwise from top left). Barite mine in Mexico (courtesy of Desku Group, Inc.); trailer used to transport dried 

and finely ground barite to a drill site for use as an additive to drilling fluid (courtesy of Drillingbarite.com); offshore oil drilling platform 

and supply vessel which transports cargoes of drilling fluid and other materials in support of drilling activities (courtesy of Maritime 

Executive Magazine); oil and gas drilling rig located on the Blackfeet Reservation in Northwest Montana (courtesy of Tony Bynum of 

Tony Bynum Photography); ground drilling-grade barite (courtesy of Global Energy Laboratories).
Barite—A Case Study of Import Reliance on an 

Essential Material for Oil and Gas Exploration 

and Development Drilling

By Donald I. Bleiwas and M. Michael Miller

Scientific Investigations Report 2014–5230

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015

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Suggested citation:

Bleiwas, D.I., and Miller, M.M., 2015, Barite—A case study of import reliance on an essential material for oil and 

gas exploration and development drilling: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2014–5230, 6 p., 

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20145230.

ISSN 2328–0328 (online)
iii

Contents

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Drilling for Oil and Gas: The Primary Use for Barite ...............................................................................1

U.S. Barite Production ..................................................................................................................................3

Barite Imports.................................................................................................................................................4

Domestic Barite Reserves and Resources................................................................................................4

Summary..........................................................................................................................................................5

References Cited............................................................................................................................................5

Figures

1. Comparison of domestic barite production in metric tons with its percentage

share of total barite used for drilling in the United States in selected years .....................2

2. Metric tons of domestic and imported barite, by country, prices, and percent 

of U.S. barite consumption used for drilling in the United States in selected years.........2

Conversion Factors

Multiply By To obtain

Length

meter (m) 3.28 foot (ft) 

Mass

metric ton per year (t/yr) 0.9072 ton per year (ton/yr)

Barite—A Case Study of Import Reliance on an 

Essential Material for Oil and Gas Exploration 

and Development Drilling

By Donald I. Bleiwas and M. Michael Miller

Introduction

Global dependence on a limited number of countries 

for specific mineral commodities could lead to sudden

supply disruptions for the United States, and barite is one 

such commodity. Analyses of barite supply amounts and 

sources for the United States are demonstrative of mineral 

commodities on which the country is import reliant. Mineral 

commodity trade flows can be analyzed more easily than

import reliances for commodities in which U.S. domestic 

demand is primarily met by materials contained within 

manufactured products, as with the rare-earth elements in 

cellular phones and computers. Barite plays an essential role 

as a weighting material in drilling muds used in oil and gas 

drilling, primarily to prevent the explosive release of gas 

and oil during drilling. The Nation’s efforts to become more 

energy independent are based largely on the domestic oil 

and gas industry’s ability to explore and develop onshore 

and offshore fuel deposits. These activities include increased 

efforts by the United States to locate and recover oil and gas 

within unconventional deposits, such as those in the Bakken, 

Eagle Ford, and Marcellus Formations, using advanced 

drilling technologies. 

 Domestic barite production was about 670,000 metric 

tons (t) in 2012, equivalent to about 20 percent of the 

domestic drilling industry’s barite demand. Mine production 

for the United States in 2012 was about one-third of what 

was produced in 1980 (fig. 1). In 2012, barite imported from

China was approximately 2.2 million t and comprised about 

77 percent of total barite imports (fig. 2) and about 70 percent

of the barite used in domestic drilling. Barite from India

(14 percent), Morocco (6 percent) and Mexico (2 percent) 

comprised the bulk of the remaining total import balance 

(fig. 2); drilling applications consumed nearly all barite

imported from these three countries.

Drilling for Oil and Gas: The Primary 

Use for Barite 

Oil and gas service companies, such as Baker Hughes 

Inc., Halliburton Co., Newpark Resources, Inc., and

Schlumberger Ltd., are the leading producers and importers 

of barite in the United States, which makes the oil and 

gas drilling industry, by far, the greatest end-user of barite 

(Miller, 2012; 2014a). In 2012, the onshore and offshore oil

and gas service industries in the United States were expected 

to exceed 336 million feet of combined drill-hole length 

(Petzet, 2012). To a lesser extent, barite is used in drilling

activities for the development of fluid injection, geothermal,

and water wells; and for mineral exploration. Barite’s most

desirable characteristic is its high specific gravity, which

makes it the only mineral used in substantial tonnages to 

increase the density of water-based drilling muds. Drillers 

combine ground barite with bentonite, water, and other 

materials to manufacture “mud” at drill sites, and pump 

it down the drill hole, primarily to control high formation 

pressures and prevent explosive releases of oil and gas 

from the well. Other beneficial attributes of barite mud are

that (1) it is less expensive and performs better than other 

materials, such as celestite, witherite, and hematite; (2) it is

relatively inert, insoluble, and nontoxic; (3) it is relatively

soft, and does not wear down drilling equipment; and

(4) it is nonmagnetic and does not interfere with instrumentation used for logging drill holes (Alphatec Holdings, 

undated; Arrifan, 2003; Kammerzell, 2011; Miller, 2014a).

 Although barite is critical for drilling, it is a small 

percentage of any drilling project’s total cost, which includes

all stages from the initiation of a well’s drilling to its completion. For this reason, little barite is recycled for re-use beyond 

that “cleaned” in a centrifuge or another device at a drill site. 
2 Barite—A Case Study of Import Reliance on an Essential Material for Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Drilling

Figure 2. Metric tons of domestic and imported barite, by country, prices, and percent of U.S. barite 

consumption used for drilling in the United States in selected years. Prices are for drilling mud-grade 

crushed and ground barite per metric ton sold by processors adjusted to constant 2013 dollars using 

consumer price indices and rounded to the nearest dollar, as published in U.S. Geological Survey Minerals 

Yearbook; estimated prices may not represent the open market (Miller, 2014a; U.S. Bureau of Mines, 

1971–1993; U.S. Geological Survey 1995–2014).

Figure 1. Comparison of domestic barite production in metric tons with its percentage share of total barite 

used for drilling in the United States in selected years (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1971–1993; U.S. Geological Survey 

1994–2015).

U.S. barite production, in metric tons

U.S. barite production as a percentage share

of total barite used for domestic drilling

See scale at right

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

0

 500,000

 1,000,000

 1,500,000

 2,000,000

 2,500,000

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 

Year

1995 2000 2005 2010 2012 

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95 

100 

0

 500,000

 1,000,000

 1,500,000

 2,000,000

 2,500,000

 3,000,000

 3,500,000

 4,000,000

1970 1975 1980 1985 

See scale at right

1990 1995 

Year

2000 2005 2010 2012 

Australia

Canada

Chile

China 

EXPLANATION

Egypt

Greece

India

Indonesia 

Ireland

Italy

Mexico

Morocco 

Pakistan

Peru

South Africa

Switzerland 

Thailand

United States

Other 

Estimated percent of U.S. barite consumption (imported

and domestic) used for domestic drilling

U.S. consumption of barite from domestic producers and imports,

in metric tons

$180

$195

$156

$143

$145

$182

$99

$93

$97

$310
U.S. Barite Production 3

However, because of increased barite prices and disposal 

costs, there is increased interest in the development and 

implementation of low-cost technologies to treat used muds 

that will meet specifications. Recovered muds and residues

contain oil, metals, and other materials introduced during 

well preparation and drilling. “Used” mud, or mud no longer 

required or satisfactory for drilling, and residues recovered 

from drilling muds and cuttings, are commonly disposed of 

in lined pits, landfills, and placed underground by injection

wells (Dual Gradient Systems LLC, 2012; New York State

Water Resources Institute, 2012). The costs associated with

the transport and storage of waste mud has increased, especially for offshore operations. Drill platforms are permitted 

to discharge drill cuttings containing barite in most coastal 

waters if they meet strictly enforced regulations pertaining to 

their composition, specifically those related to mercury and

cadmium content (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

2014; Miller, 2014a; Veil, 1999).

The amount of barite used in a drill hole varies significantly from site to site. Factors that determine the amount of 

mud required include: the hole depth and diameter; the type

of rock and drilling conditions, such as fractures and hole 

pressure; and the amount of reusable mud. A hole drilled

offshore in the Gulf of Mexico to a depth of 7,500 meters (m) 

may use about 1,000 t of barite, roughly 40 t per 300 m, while 

onshore vertical drilling usually requires less, primarily owing 

to lower pressure, at roughly 11 t per 300 m (Darley and Gray, 

1988; Dual Gradient Systems LLC, 2012; Persistence Mining,

Inc., 2013). Horizontal drilling can consume substantially

less barite than vertical drilling due to lower pressures 

and less permeable or “tighter” oil and gas reservoir rocks 

(Robert S. Bailey, Supply Chain Manager, Schlumberger

Ltd., oral commun., May 2, 2014; James R. Vernon, Director,

Baker Hughes Inc., written commun., December 23, 2013).

In general, annual U.S. consumption of drilling muds

reflects trends in drilling activity. Periods of low barite

consumption and reduced drilling activity coincide with 

periods of low petroleum. Increased oil and gas prices, aggressive drilling programs for tapping new discoveries, and the 

application of new drilling and extraction technologies, such 

as horizontal drilling and advances in hydraulic fracturing

(fracking), contribute to increased barite demand. The number 

of active drilling rigs and the total number of feet drilled in 

a certain year can correlate positively to oil and gas prices 

and to U.S. barite consumption (fig. 2). Price increases over

the last several years reflect increased domestic and global

demand, limited competition in the marketplace, and limited 

supply capacity.

U.S. Barite Production 

Domestic mine production statistics for the years 1900 

through 2012 in the U.S. indicate that the country’s highest 

primary production of barite occurred in 1981 at 2.6 million t 

(Buckingham and others, 2014). In 1980, the second highest

domestic production was achieved at just over 2 million t

(fig. 1). The high barite consumption and record levels of

domestic drilling activity resulted from the phased decontrol 

of domestic oil prices coupled with a nearly 100 percent 

increase in oil prices (Morse, 1981). 

Since 1970, the United States has become increasingly 

dependent on foreign barite imports to satisfy the drilling 

industry’s demand for drilling mud. In the early 1970s,

domestically produced barite was an essential component for 

drilling mud production in the United States, meeting about 

75 percent of domestic barite demand. Since 1975, the share 

of U.S. primary barite production used in drilling has shown 

a decreasing trend, and domestic production has averaged 

about 500,000 t per year since 1985 (fig. 1). In 2012, about

666,000 t of barite was mined domestically, which is about 

7 percent of world production and nearly 20 percent of the 

of the U.S. demand for barite used in drilling. Imports met

the remaining 2.9 million t demand (fig. 2). In 2012, nearly

97 percent (3.3 million t) of the barite consumed in the United 

States was used for well drilling and accounted for about of 

estimated world barite consumption (Barytes Association, 

2014; Miller, 2014a). Most of the nearly 150,000 t of crude

and ground barite exported from the United States went to 

western Canada. Another 107,000 t were used as extenders, 

fillers, or weighting agents in products such as paint, plastic,

and rubber (Miller, 2014b). Approximately 80 to 85 percent 

of the world’s consumed barite is used in drilling muds 

(Barytes Association, 2014; Mineral Zone, 2014). Nearly all

of the barite ore produced in the United States is mined in 

Nevada and is ground to specifications set by the American

Petroleum Institute (API), at or near the mining operations,

and then transported to regional markets for use in drilling 

muds in California, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Utah, 

and Wyoming. Approximately 23 percent of domestic barite 

is exported, mostly to western Canada (Miller, 2012). Eight 

to ten years ago, transporting crude barite from Nevada to 

U.S. Gulf Coast grinding mills (which supply offshore and 

gulf coast drilling operations) was uneconomical, primarily 

due to high transportation costs and the availability of lower 

priced barite imports from China and other countries (Miller, 

2011). Figure 2 displays the aforementioned circumstances, 

showing that substantial quantities of barite were imported 

from China in the years following 1980. With increased prices 

for imported barite, there has been some renewed interest in 

transporting domestically produced barite to major domestic

markets outside of the western United States and Canada. 

There have already been some expansions of mining and 

processing operations in Nevada, where the largest domestic 

barite reserves and resources are located, but no major capital

investments have been made to specifically increase barite

shipments to the U.S. Gulf Coast (Harris, 2013; Miller, 2012).

There are ongoing domestic exploration efforts to find new

reserves and expand existing reserves and production at active 
4 Barite—A Case Study of Import Reliance on an Essential Material for Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Drilling

operations as a result of increasing barite demand and prices 

(Mouat, 2014; Rasche, 2013).

Domestic inventories (stocks) of crude and ground barite 

are not typically large when compared with U.S. consumption, 

although this can change with sudden decreases in drilling 

activity. Substantially reduced barite exports from China 

could significantly decrease drilling activities and cause a

major price increase; it could also lead to capital investments

in exploration and production increases for barite and its 

substitutes, such as celestite, in the United States and other 

countries. Uncertainty about the duration of any interruption 

would hinder these efforts. Although sufficient grinding

capacity exists in the United States, short-term barite supply 

shortages would likely occur until alternative crude barite 

sources could expand to meet demand, or until China renewed 

its exports. 

Barite Imports

In 1979, China emerged as a significant barite supplier

for the United States by supplying about 212,000 t of barite 

or about 16 percent of total U.S. imports. This amount 

represented about 38 percent of China’s estimated production 

(approximately 550,000 t). At that time, China generated 

about 7 percent of world barite production, and the United 

States generated about 27 percent (Morse, 1981). Barite 

imported to the United States from China more than doubled 

in 1980 to 476,000 t and comprised about 28 percent of the 

total import tonnage (fig. 2). The balance of U.S. imports

in 1980 was primarily met by Peru (18 percent), Morocco 

(11 percent), Chile (9 percent), India (8 percent), Mexico

(7 percent), and Thailand (7 percent), as shown in figure 2.

In 2012, China, which produced an estimated 4.2 million t of

barite, or 46 percent of world production, exported approximately 3.0 million t of barite, of which about 2.2 million t 

was shipped to the United States (Barytes Association, 

2014; Miller, 2014a; Veil, 1999). These imports represented

nearly 77 percent of total barite imports to the United States 

and accounted for nearly 70 percent of the 3.2 million t of 

barite used in domestic drilling—most of the remaining 

barite imported to the United States originated from India

(14 percent), Morocco (5 percent), and Mexico (2 percent) 

(figs. 1 and 2). Market shares from these countries increased

significantly starting in 2011 as U.S. consumers sought to

diversify their sourcing and reduce U.S. dependence on China 

and stabilize barite prices, which had increased substantially

over the previous decade. Of the countries acting as alternative 

barite sources, India showed the greatest increase in barite

exportation over the last few years (Miller, 2014a; Sojitz

Corp., 2012). Nearly all barite imported into the United States 

arrives as minimally processed crude barite. Upon its arrival 

at U.S. seaports, crude barite is unloaded and shipped off 

to be ground to drilling-grade specifications. In some cases,

barites of various grades and chemistries are blended to 

meet specifications required in drilling applications. The

tariff on U.S. imports of crude barite is $1.25 per t; no tariffs

are imposed on imports of ground barite. As a result, major

importers of crude barite receive foreign trade zone (FTZ)

status for many of their grinding mills in the United States. 

An FTZ status means that the ground barite produced by these

mills is reported as an import for consumption and not as 

crude barite received from foreign suppliers (Miller, 2014a).

Domestic Barite Reserves and 

Resources

Barite used in drilling muds in the United States must 

meet specifications defined by the American Petroleum

Institute (API) (American Petroleum Institute, 2011; M-I

SWACO, 2007). The primary specifications include specific

gravity and composition. Barite used in drilling must have 

a specific gravity of 4.2 or 4.1. In the 1930s, the API set a

specific gravity specification of 4.2 for barite used in drilling

to ensure expected performance. In 2010, the API added an

additional specification for 4.1 specific gravity barite, partially

in response to dwindling domestic reserves of higher specific

gravity barite (API, 2010). Barite must have a low metal

content, especially in elements considered toxic. For example, 

barite used in drilling applications may not exceed 3 parts per 

million (ppm) cadmium and 1 ppm mercury (Drilling Waste 

Management Information System, [undated]). The acceptance

of barite with a lower specific gravity was expected to result

in an expansion of estimated reserves for domestic barite 

operations in Nevada (Newcaster, 2006). Reserve estimates

are temporal, because they are affected by extraction rates, 

changes in barite prices, cost of delivery to the marketplace, 

and exploration efforts, ore quality, and other factors. One, 

or several factors in combination, can significantly impact

reserve estimates. Foreign and domestic exploration efforts 

to find new reserves and expand existing reserves—as well

as increased production at active operations—are ongoing 

in light of global and domestic increases in barite demand, 

rising prices, and reliance on China as the dominant supplier. 

In the United States, interest has renewed in exploration for

reserves in Arkansas, Nevada, and Washington states by 

U.S. companies; new mine development and expansion at

existing mines in Nevada is currently under consideration 

(Arkansas Geological Survey, 2014; Harris, 2013; Kent

Exploration Inc., 2013; Miller, 2014a).
References Cited 5

Summary

The United States currently relies on foreign importation of barite to meet much of its domestic need, which 

has increased from about 25 percent in the 1970s to over 

77 percent at present (2014). The largest, single use for barite 

in the United States is for use in drilling muds for the oil and 

gas industry, which makes the United States dependent on 

barite imports, mostly from China, to meet domestic requirements for drilling mud in the oil and gas industry.

U.S. reliance on imported barite has evolved as a result 

of low prices offered by foreign producers. Domestic barite 

production, which comes primarily from Nevada, is insufficient to meet national requirements. Drilling activities in

the Great Plains, Western United States, and western Canada 

consume nearly all of Nevada’s barite production. Alternative 

sources of barite exist, and substitutes such as celestite 

are available, but the international barite industry might 

have difficulty meeting global demand if major suppliers,

specifically China, discontinued exports for an extended

period of time, or if demand increased sharply.

The reliance on imported barite to supply the United 

States results from numerous factors, but is primarily 

influenced by economic conditions, which have increasingly

favored imports over domestic production in recent decades. 

Examining the potential risk factors associated with barite 

supply chains—as with the foreign supply of other mineral 

commodities—is central to determining their future economic 

and strategic importance to the United States and its interest 

in self-sufficiency.

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Volume I—Metals and minerals v. 1, 1995–2014, Minerals

yearbook series, available at http://minerals.usgs.gov/

minerals/pubs/myb.html.

Veil, J.A., Daly, Joseph, and Johnson, Nancy, 1999, EPA

speeds regs for offshore synthetic-based mud: Oil & Gas

Journal, vol. 97, issue 37, Oil & Gas Journal Web page,

accessed June 12, 2014, at http://www.ogj.com/articles/

print/volume-97/issue-37/in-this-issue/drilling/epa-speedsregs-for-offshore-synthetic-based-mud.html.
Manuscript approved December 11, 2014

Prepared by the USGS Science Publishing Network

Raleigh Publishing Service Center

 Edited by Stokely J. Klasovsky

 Illustrations and layout by Caryl J. Wipperfurth

For more information concerning this report, contact:

Director, National Minerals Information Center

U.S. Geological Survey

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

988 National Center

Reston, VA 20192

Email: nmicrecordsmgt@usgs.gov

or visit our Web site at: 

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/
Bleiwas and Miller—Barite—A Case Study of Import Reliance on an Essential Material for Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Drilling—Scientific Investigations Report 2014–5230

ISSN 2328–0328 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20145230