Barite: Trading
Crude ore bought abroad, ground near the wells
What this tab covers How and where it is bought and sold: who buys and sells, exchanges and benchmarks, contract types, the big trading houses and how prices are discovered.Barite has no exchange. Mud companies and grinders buy crude ore under contract, often from India, China and Morocco, and grind it near drilling regions. Price-reporting agencies such as Fastmarkets publish indicative prices for API-grade lump and ground barite. Tilton and Guzmán's table puts 2014 sales of barite products at about $1.2 billion, a sizeable market for a low-profile mineral.
Where it is bought (buyers)
- Grinders and mud companies on the US Gulf Coast buy crude lump by the shipload
- Saudi Arabia (16.2% of 2024 import value), Argentina, Norway and other drilling hubs import crude or ground barite
- Paint, plastics and chemical makers buy white and micronised grades
Where it is sold (sellers)
- India (APMDC Mangampet), mainly to the US and Saudi Arabia
- China (limited by export restrictions)
- Morocco, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Mexico, Laos
Exchanges and benchmarks
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| No exchange market | No futures; nothing on MCX or NCDEX | Prices set in tenders and bilateral contracts |
Contract types
- APMDC long-term and tender-based sales of lump barite by grade
- CIF US Gulf contracts for API 4.1 and 4.2 lump
- Delivered ground-barite contracts between mud companies and operators
Top trading houses
- Drilling-fluid companies (Halliburton Baroid, SLB M-I SWACO)
- Specialist industrial minerals traders
How prices are discovered
- Price reporting agency assessments for API lump and ground barite
- US unit values (USGS)
- APMDC tender results