Market
Who produces the world's barite? The 2026 supply map
Four countries mine more than three quarters of the world's barite. Here is where it comes from, who holds the reserves, and what the latest data says about demand.
Key takeaways
- World barite mine output was about 8.7 million tonnes in 2025, up from 8.0 million tonnes in 2024.1
- India, China, Morocco and Kazakhstan together produced about 6.9 million tonnes, close to 80% of the total.1
- Barite use per rig is rising because wells are getting deeper, so sales grew in 2025 even though rig counts fell.1
The producers
The U.S. Geological Survey publishes the most widely used estimate of world barite output each February. Its 2026 edition puts world mine production at about 8.7 million tonnes for 2025, excluding the United States, whose figure is withheld to protect company data.1
India grew the most, from 2.6 to 3.0 million tonnes. China rose from 2.1 to 2.2 million tonnes and Morocco from 930,000 tonnes to 1.0 million.1 Production is concentrated, and the largest source is under pressure. India made exports of its high-grade barytes subject to a licence in April 2026.2
The reserves
Reserves tell a different story from production. USGS only includes reserve estimates developed since the 4.1 specific gravity standard was adopted in 2010, so several producers have no published figure.1 Of the countries listed:
USGS estimates the world's identified barite resources at about 740 million tonnes, out of about 2 billion tonnes in all categories.1
Fewer rigs, more barite
Rig counts are often used as a shortcut for barite demand. The 2026 USGS report shows why that shortcut is weakening. Through October 2025, the average rig count outside the United States was 1,258, down from 1,349 a year earlier. The US average fell from 599 to 564. Barite sales were still estimated to have increased, because deeper wells use more barite per rig.1
In the United States, more than 90% of barite sold is used as a weighting agent in oil and gas drilling fluids. USGS also notes there are no large-scale alternatives to barite in drilling fluids. Calcium carbonate, hematite, ilmenite and manganese tetroxide are used only in specific cases.1
Where Türkiye stands
Türkiye produced about 260,000 tonnes in 2025, around 3% of world output, and holds 34 million tonnes of reserves.1 Turkish deposits are concentrated in four districts named by the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA): Alanya and Gazipaşa, Konya and Isparta, Muş, and Kahramanmaraş.3 The Konya and Isparta deposits occur as veins with BaSO4 content between 62% and 99%.3
KHN Minerals mines in that Konya and Isparta district, at Doğanhisar and Yalvaç. The typical raw material from our mines contains 97.00% BaSO4.
Frequently asked questions
Which country produces the most barite?
India. USGS estimates Indian output at 3.0 million tonnes in 2025, followed by China at 2.2 million tonnes and Morocco at 1.0 million tonnes.
How much barite is mined each year?
About 8.7 million tonnes in 2025, according to the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. This excludes US production, which is not published.
What is most barite used for?
Drilling fluids for oil and gas wells. In the United States, more than 90% of barite sold goes into this use.
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Barite, February 2026. pubs.usgs.gov
- Bhatia Bhola & Associates, "DGFT Notification 12/2026 dated 17.04.2026: baryte export policy amended", 22 April 2026. bhatiabhola.com
- General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), "Barit". mta.gov.tr
Need API barite for your next well?
KHN Minerals mines barite at its own licensed sites in Konya and Isparta, micronizes it in Akyazı and tests it in its own laboratory. Tell us your application, grade and volumes.
- 97%typical BaSO4 in our ore
- 3barite mining licences
- 24 htarget reply time
