US Mining and Energy Extraction Sector

The 23,360 mining and energy extraction establishments in the US remove natural-occurring minerals, metals, crude petroleum and natural gas from the earth. Establishments also provide support activities such as surveying and mapping, site preparation, drilling and blasting, well casing and mine wall shoring, inspection, maintenance and cleaning, demolition and waste removal, and land reclamation.

Opposition to Development

Companies may face resistance from area residents and lawmakers regarding the proposal to start a new mining or extraction project.

Environmental Compliance

The mining and energy extraction sector is directly impacted by a wide range of environmental regulations that affect production site permitting, operation, and reclamation.

Oct 14, 2026 - High Gold Prices Encourage New Mining Projects

• High gold prices are encouraging US mining companies to pursue new projects, but environmental concerns and local opposition could create costly obstacles, The Wall Street Journal reports. Contango Silver & Gold plans to develop the Johnson Tract mine on private land within Alaska's Lake Clark National Park, where deposits include gold, copper, and zinc. With gold prices around $4,500 an ounce (in August), more mining projects are becoming economically attractive. Contango hopes to reduce environmental impacts by transporting ore to an off-site processing facility. However, opponents worry that mining operations and transportation could threaten wildlife, fishing, and tourism. A lawsuit challenging the project's Clean Water Act permit highlights the regulatory and legal risks facing mining companies. Although federal efforts to streamline permitting could help accelerate development, the project illustrates how environmental opposition, community concerns, and lengthy approval processes can complicate efforts to expand domestic mineral production.
• The escalating conflict in the Middle East and disruptions to global refining capacity are driving a diesel supply crunch that threatens to further raise transportation costs this fall, The Wall Street Journal reported in late July. Refinery outages in the Persian Gulf, attacks on Russian refineries, and lower Chinese refinery runs have pushed diesel prices higher even when crude oil prices eased, according to WSJ. Diesel is essential for powering heavy mining equipment, drilling rigs, haul trucks, and transportation fleets, so sustained high fuel costs threaten to increase operating expenses and squeeze margins across the extractive industries. Rising diesel prices may also boost the cost of moving raw materials and equipment, contributing to broader inflationary pressures. While elevated energy prices could support revenues for oil and gas producers, mining companies are likely to face higher production and logistics costs until diesel supplies improve.
• The Trump administration is creating the Marine Minerals Administration, merging two Interior Department bureaus that were separated after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, The New York Times reports. The reunification reverses a post-spill safeguard that divided drilling oversight from revenue collection. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says the merger will eliminate red tape and accelerate offshore energy and mining projects. The new office will oversee offshore oil and gas drilling and manage deep-sea mining lease sales targeting areas near Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The first lease sales are expected in 2027. Critics, including former Interior official Elizabeth Klein, warn the consolidated agency lacks adequate staff and expertise to responsibly regulate a new industry, particularly after Trump administration layoffs reduced staffing. Environmental advocates fear the restructuring weakens oversight of both offshore drilling and seabed mining, repeating conditions that contributed to the Deepwater Horizon spill.
• Producer prices for all mining industries jumped 17.6% in August compared to a year ago after falling 2.5% in the previous August-to-August annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The double-digit gain was driven primarily by higher oil and gas prices with rising prices for certain metal ores also contributing. According to the Federal Reserve, capacity utilization in the US mining sector was 86.3% in August, up from 86.1% in July, and 1.3% higher than the mining sector's long-run average (1972–2025) of 85.2%. Employment by the mining and energy extraction sector remained flat year over year in August, while the average sector wage rose 3.5% YoY in July to $39.36 per hour, BLS data show.

Industry size & Structure

The mining and energy extraction sector comprises 23,360 establishments that employ 573,500 workers and generate about $572.1 billion in annual revenue, according to government sources.

• The mining and energy extraction sector represents 1.2% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs less than 1% of the country's workers.
• The sector is concentrated: the 20 largest mining and energy extraction firms represent 49% of revenue. The 50 largest firms represent 68% of revenue.
• In addition to employer establishments, the mining and energy extraction sector has 67,750 owner-operated establishments with no employees. The majority of nonemployer establishments are in the subsectors of oil and gas extraction (65%) and support services for mining (27%). The owners of nonemployer establishments typically perform the work or subcontract labor for large or complex jobs.
• Texas has the most mining and energy extraction establishments in the US.
• A third of all US mining activity is concentrated in just four states: Nevada, Texas, Arizona, and California.
• Employment in the mining, quarrying, and energy extraction sector declined 30% between 2014 and 2024, primarily due to the sharp decline in employment by US coal mines and technological efficiencies in the oil patch, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.