Where is bauxite found and how is it mined?

Bauxite is the primary ore used to produce aluminum. It is found on every continent except Antarctica, with the largest deposits typically located in tropical and subtropical regions where heavy rainfall and warm temperatures facilitated its formation. Major producers include Australia, China, Indonesia, Brazil, and India, among others.12

Because the vast majority of commercially viable bauxite is located at or near the Earth’s surface, it is extracted using open-pit mining. The process generally involves the following steps:34

• Removal of Overburden: Minimal soil or rock covering the deposit is cleared away.3
• Extraction: The bauxite beds are loosened through blasting and then excavated using power shovels or draglines.3
• Transport and Processing: The ore is moved via truck, rail, or conveyor belt to a nearby processing plant, where it is crushed to facilitate handling and subsequent refining.3

Refining plants are ideally situated near mine sites to minimize transportation costs, which represent a significant portion of the total expense in bauxite production.3