WorldWide Drilling Resource

Upswing Expected in the Construction Industry Adapted from a Press Release by VDMA German manufacturers of building materials for the construction industry are expecting a broadly based upswing in sales this year. At the end of 2016, orders received in most subsectors of the industry had risen considerably compared with the previous year. Experts expect this to translate into a sales growth for construc- tion equipment and building material machinery in coming years. After several years of decline without any real movement foward, German manufacturers of building material plants recorded an 8% rise in sector sales com- pared with the previous year, which increased largely due to orders from interna- tional business. At the same time, there was a rise in new orders of about 20%, which largely came from international customers. The United States continues to be the largest sales market for building material machines from Germany, followed by China and Russia. These increases do not necessarily dictate a boom because the growth has mainly originated from several large-scale orders which have mathematically boosted the industry as a whole, yet there is significant optimism about 2017 and beyond. Europe’s construction industry is predicted to grow by an estimated 2%, with Germany and the United Kingdom as the greatest stimulants. Good market opportunities are also developing in the United States and in some emerging economies internationally, such as India and Indonesia. Global demand for cement is also expected to rise 2% this year, with mining companies becoming increasingly interested in making purchases again throughout the world. After fairly weak sales in 2016, manufacturers of mineral pro- cessing systems and of cement, lime, gypsum, and dry mortar plants believe business in 2017 will be better than the year before. This means by 2018 there should be a revival in the industry, which will impact both subsectors. Since there is no longer a boom region or even a boom country, as there used to be in the past, the growth should be seen across the globe. Europe, excluding Russia, continues to be seen as the most prominent region to initiate this growth, particularly for gypsum and cement. Companies are mostly pleased with market devel- opments in Southeast Asia and India, where they believe growth is likely for coal and cement, in particular. The same applies to Brazil and also Northern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. 35 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® AUGUST 2017 During his career, Tim Connor, CSP (CertifiedSpeakingProfessional) hasgiven over 4000 presentations in 25 countries on a variety of sales, management, lead- ership, customer service communication, and motivational topics. 90% of his business is repeat engagements from previous clients. Call him and ask about his new client “Guarantee”. 704-875-1230 TimSpeaks4u@gmail.com TimConnor.com Frequently-Used Geological Terms Part 64 Glossary Adapted from the Dictionary of Geological Terms P Petrologist - Someone who studies petrology. Petrology - The branch of geology which deals with the origin, occurrence, structure, and history of rocks, especially igneous and metamorphic rocks. Phanerite - An igneous rock having the grains of its essential minerals large enough to be seen microscopically. Phantom Crystal - A crystal within which an earlier stage of crystallization or growth is outlined by dust, tiny inclusions, or bubbles. An example of this would be serpentine containing a ghost or phantom of original olivine. Phenocryst - One of the relatively large and ordinarily conspicuous crystals of the earliest generation in a porphyritic igneous rock. Phi Grade Scale - A logarithmic transformation of the Wentworth grade scale. The scale was developed specifically as a sta- tistical device to permit the direct application of conventional statistical practices to sedimentary data. Phlogopite - A magnesium-rich mineral of the mica group. It is yellowish brown to brownish red and usually occurs in crystalline limestones as a result of dedolomitization (a metamorphic process in which the magnesium in dolomitic rock forms new minerals). Phosphate - A mineral compound containing tetrahedral groups. An example is pyromorphite, phosphorus, arsenic, and vanadium may be substituted for each other in the tetrahedron. Phosphate Rock - Any rock containing one or more phosphatic minerals especially apatite, of sufficient purity and quantity to permit its commercial use as a source of phosphatic compounds or elemental phosphorus. About 90% of the world’s production is sedimentary phosphate rock, or phosphorite; the remainder is igneous rock rich in apatite. Look for more terms next month!