Barite
Barite is naturally occurring barium sulphate, a soft, chemically inert mineral whose defining property is an unusually high specific gravity for a non metallic. That density is what the market buys. The overwhelming bulk of world production is ground and sold as a weighting agent for oil and gas drilling fluid, where it holds back formation pressure without thickening the mud. The balance goes into radiation shielding concrete, into friction products and rubber, into filler for paint and plastics where a bright white inert extender is wanted, and into the chemical industry as feedstock for barium carbonate, barium chloride and the precipitated blanc fixe used in high grade coatings and paper.
Listed barite markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
A barite contract turns on specific gravity, on the chemical assay that governs whether it can be used in a drilling fluid or a chemical feedstock, and on the grind. The named grades in this trade are density grades.
Chemical assay
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Barium sulphate contentPercentage by mass | Determined by X-ray fluorescence on a fused bead under ISO 12677, or by the gravimetric reference method. It is the term that governs chemical and filler use. |
| Specific gravityGrams per cubic centimetre | Determined by pycnometer under the drilling fluid materials specification. It is the governing term for drilling grade and the grade names in this trade are specific gravity designations. |
| Soluble alkaline earth metals as calciumMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Determined under the drilling fluid materials specification. Soluble calcium and magnesium interfere with the mud chemistry and the limit is a pass or fail term. |
| Acid soluble contentPercentage by mass | Carbonate and other acid soluble minerals in the ore, reported because they consume acid and shift the density. |
| Iron as ferric oxidePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by X-ray fluorescence. It is the term that governs whether the ground product is white enough for filler and coatings use. |
| SilicaPercentage by mass | Free and combined silica in the ore, reported for both the abrasion it causes in pumping and the respirable dust classification. |
| Strontium sulphatePercentage by mass | Celestine substituting into the barite lattice. It is tolerated in drilling grade and controlled in chemical feedstock. |
| Loss on ignitionPercentage by mass | Determined under ISO 787 at the stated temperature. It captures carbonate and organic matter carried with the ore. |
Physical properties
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bulk density, loose and tappedGrams per cubic centimetre | Measured on a settled and a tapped cylinder. It sets the volume of the silo, the bag and the hold. |
| BrightnessReflectance percentage, against the ISO brightness scale | Measured under ISO 2470 on a pressed powder. It is a grade term for filler and coatings barite and irrelevant for drilling grade. |
| Whiteness and colourMeasured in the CIE colour space | Reported as the coordinates rather than as a name, so the buyer can match it against the pigment system. |
| Oil absorptionGrams of oil per hundred grams | Determined under ISO 787. It governs how much barite a coating formulation can carry. |
| MoisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying. Wet barite bridges in the hopper and it is a rejection at the mud plant. |
| Water soluble matterPercentage by mass, maximum | Determined under ISO 787. It governs suitability for the chemical and pharmaceutical routes. |
| AbrasionReported against the named method | A measure of what the ground product does to pump liners and nozzles over a well. |
Particle size and sizing
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Residue on the coarse sievePercentage by mass, maximum, at the stated aperture | Determined by wet sieving on a sieve conforming to ISO 3310. The drilling fluid specification fixes the aperture and the ceiling. |
| Fines below the fine sievePercentage by mass, maximum, at the stated aperture | Also fixed by the drilling fluid specification. Too much ultrafine material raises the mud viscosity at the same density. |
| Median particle sizeMicrometres, as the fiftieth percentile by volume | Determined by laser diffraction under ISO 13320, for the micronised filler grades. |
| Top cutMicrometres, as the ninety fifth or ninety ninth percentile | The coarse tail. It is what shows as grit in a coating film. |
| Grind descriptionDeclared | Lump, crushed, ground to the drilling specification, or micronised to a named cut. The grind is contracted, not inferred from the assay. |
Contaminants and regulated substances
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Soluble bariumMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Determined by the leach method named in the contract. Barite itself is insoluble and effectively inert, and the soluble fraction is what is regulated. |
| Mercury and cadmiumMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Determined on a digest. The drilling fluid materials specification sets limits on both because the cuttings are discharged. |
| Arsenic and leadMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Determined on a digest, against the destination limit for the intended use. |
| Respirable crystalline silicaPercentage by mass | Declared on the safety data sheet. It drives the handling controls at the receiving plant. |
| Naturally occurring radioactive materialBecquerels per kilogram | Screened where the deposit or the destination requires it, with the method and the limit named in the contract. |
Delivery, documentation and certification
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Form and packingDeclared | Bulk, big bags of a stated net weight, paper or polywoven bags palletised and shrink wrapped, or containerised bulk in liners. The pack is a price term because it drives the handling cost at both ends. |
| Moisture at loadingPercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying on a loading sample. Moisture is paid for as mineral unless the contract sets a dry weight basis, so it is always specified. |
| Weight basisDeclared | Wet or dry metric tonnes, on shipped weight or landed weight, with the survey house named and the draft survey or weighbridge method stated. |
| Sampling and assay protocolDeclared | Who samples, at which point, to what standard, how the sample is split and sealed, and which laboratory umpires a dispute. It is agreed before loading, not after. |
| Transportable moisture limitPercentage by mass | Where the cargo is a group A material under the maritime bulk cargoes code, the flow moisture point and the transportable moisture limit are certified before loading. |
| Safety data sheetDocument, to the globally harmonised system format | Classification, handling and respirable crystalline silica statement, supplied with every consignment. |
| Certificate of analysisDocument, per lot | Issued by the named laboratory against the contract specification, referencing the lot and the sampling record. |
| Regulatory registrationDeclared | Chemical registration at the destination where the mineral requires one, named on the contract. |
| Origin and due diligenceDeclared, with the mine or plant named | Country of origin, the mine or processing plant, and where required the responsible sourcing statement. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| China | East Asia | Origin and destination |
| India | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Morocco | North Africa | Origin and destination |
| United States | North America | Origin and destination |
| Mexico | North America | Origin and destination |
| Kazakhstan | Central Asia | Origin and destination |
| Iran | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| Turkiye | Europe and Anatolia | Origin and destination |
| Thailand | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Viet Nam | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Pakistan | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Sri Lanka | South Asia | Origin and destination |
| Algeria | North Africa | Origin and destination |
| Tunisia | North Africa | Origin and destination |
| Egypt | North Africa | Origin and destination |
| Nigeria | West Africa | Origin and destination |
| Ghana | West Africa | Origin and destination |
| Kenya | East Africa | Origin and destination |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | East Africa | Origin and destination |
| Mozambique | Southern Africa | Origin and destination |
| South Africa | Southern Africa | Origin and destination |
| Bulgaria | Southeast Europe | Origin and destination |
| Romania | Southeast Europe | Origin and destination |
| Ukraine | Eastern Europe | Origin and destination |
| Russian Federation | Eurasia | Origin and destination |
| Greece | Southern Europe | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Southern Europe | Origin and destination |
| Spain | Southern Europe | Origin and destination |
| Germany | Western Europe | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Northern Europe | Origin and destination |
| Netherlands | Northwest Europe | Destination and trading hub |
| Belgium | Northwest Europe | Destination |
| Brazil | South America | Origin and destination |
| Peru | South America | Origin and destination |
| Chile | South America | Origin and destination |
| Argentina | South America | Origin and destination |
| Colombia | South America | Origin and destination |
| Bolivia, Plurinational State of | South America | Origin and destination |
| Canada | North America | Origin and destination |
| Australia | Oceania | Origin and destination |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Middle East | Destination and trading hub |
| Oman | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| Qatar | Middle East | Origin and destination |
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Trading and finance |
| Switzerland | Western Europe | Trading and finance |
| Japan | East Asia | Destination |
| Korea, Republic of | East Asia | Destination |
| Malaysia | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| Indonesia | Southeast Asia | Origin and destination |
| France | Western Europe | Origin and destination |
| Poland | Central Europe | Origin and destination |
| Czechia | Central Europe | Origin and destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Production is when the mineral is mined and processed at origin, which follows the mine plan and the weather at the pit rather than a crop season. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is drying, grading, bagging and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecThe largest producing and exporting origin, with drilling grade and chemical grade ore from Guizhou, Guangxi and Hunan, shipping ground and lump through the southern ports. |
| India | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Oct to May, arrival Nov to JunRajasthan is the principal district. Mining and haulage slow through the monsoon and the export programme is weighted to the dry months. | |||
| Morocco | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecA long established supplier of drilling grade and white filler grade barite to Europe and the Gulf, shipping through the Atlantic ports. |
| United States | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecNevada production feeds the domestic drilling market, and the Gulf coast grinding plants also import lump ore for grinding at the point of use. |
| Mexico | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecNorthern state production supplying the Gulf of Mexico drilling market and the North American filler trade. |
| Kazakhstan | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecOverland and Caspian routes into the Russian and Central Asian drilling markets. |
| Iran | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecSubstantial reserves supplying the regional drilling market, moving through the Gulf ports. |
| Turkiye | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest Jan to Dec, arrival Jan to DecBoth a producing and a grinding origin, with plants converting domestic and imported lump into specification drilling grade. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and tonnage already sitting in a destination warehouse or terminal.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for barite. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading2511.10 Natural barium sulphate (barytes)
- PackingBulk in a lined container, 1 t big bags, or 25 kg to 50 kg paper or PP bags on pallets. Moisture and particle size distribution stated on the certificate of analysis at load.
- Container loading20ft: 26 t to 28 t bulk or big bag. Weight limited well before volume. Check the road weight limit at the destination before fixing the box size.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on typical analysis with a certificate of analysis at load port and an umpire clause. ASTM and API specifications where they exist, including API 13A for drilling grade barite and bentonite. Arbitration under ICC rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsEU REACH registration above one tonne per importer per year, respirable crystalline silica exposure controls under Directive 2017/2398, asbestos screening for talc and vermiculite, NORM screening on heavy mineral products, and food, pharmacopoeia or cosmetic grade certification where the end use requires it.
Common questions
What grades of barite does SIP Global trade?
We quote 34 published grades of barite, including Barium sulphate content - Percentage by mass, Specific gravity - Grams per cubic centimetre, Soluble alkaline earth metals as calcium - Milligrams per kilogram, maximum, Acid soluble content - Percentage by mass, Iron as ferric oxide - Percentage by mass, maximum and Silica - Percentage by mass. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is barite graded?
A barite contract turns on specific gravity, on the chemical assay that governs whether it can be used in a drilling fluid or a chemical feedstock, and on the grind. The named grades in this trade are density grades. Grading runs on 5 systems: Chemical assay, Physical properties, Particle size and sizing, Contaminants and regulated substances and Delivery, documentation and certification.
Where does SIP Global trade barite?
We trade barite in China, India, Morocco, United States, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkiye and 45 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is barite harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are China: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; India: harvest oct to may, arrival nov to jun; Morocco: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; United States: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec; Mexico: harvest jan to dec, arrival jan to dec. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for barite?
Barite is normally classified under HS 2511.10 (natural barium sulphate (barytes)). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for barite?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed barite market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.