IMPORTANCE OF CEMENT MARKET CHARACTERISTICS TO THE INDUSTRIAL GEOLOGIST

Decisions to develop deposits of calcareous materials for cement production are based largely on anticipated markets for heavy construction which utilizes concrete. The geol-ogist should understand the fundamental factors that underlie such management decisions, so that his field work and reports will more effectively relate to the information require-ments of managers in the cement industry. The paper examines the relationships that exist between exploration and development of calcareous raw materials for cement manufacture and changing factors in the marketing of cement. Continued overcapacity, improved technology, changing distribution pat-terns, ease of entry, economics of scale, and the nature of product demand are some of the characteristics of the cement industry that are basic to decisions regarding exploration programs and property development. In the petroleum industry, and to some extent in metal mining, the geologist often reaches important managerial positions in his company. This is not so true in the portland cement industry because the geologist doesn't appear to be abl