en.Wedoany.com Reported - Argentina's National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) released the Mining Industrial Production Index (IPI minero) for April 2026. Raw series data show a cumulative increase of 7.4% in the first four months of the year compared to the same period in 2025.

Seasonally adjusted monthly data rose 0.7% from March, while the trend-cycle series increased by 0.4%, confirming an acceleration in the sector.

In the crude oil and natural gas segment, April saw a year-on-year increase of 6.0%. Crude oil surged 19.1% in the month, with a cumulative annual growth of 17.1%, entirely driven by unconventional activities. Shale oil grew 39.2% year-on-year, reaching 2,915.3 thousand cubic meters; conventional oil declined 10.0% to 1,299.8 thousand cubic meters. Natural gas posted a modest year-on-year increase of 2.8%, while oil and gas extraction support services contracted by 19.8%.

Metal ore mining grew 12.5% compared to April of the previous year. Silver and gold processing rose 15.8% year-on-year, while the gold bullion or doré bar segment increased by 7.4%. Other metal ore categories fell 55.4% year-on-year.

Non-metallic mineral and construction rock mining surged 45.5% year-on-year, with a cumulative growth of 32.2% in the first four months. Salt mining soared 150.3%, and brine processing rebounded 155.8%, primarily driven by lithium carbonate. Monthly physical production of lithium carbonate reached 11,466.1 tons, a net increase of 60.4% year-on-year, with cumulative growth of 48.2% from January to April. Within the same category, boron minerals grew by 35.9%.

In construction materials, limestone and gypsum rose 5.2%, supported by clinker (+16.5%); sand and gravel fell 5.7%, while common sand increased 9.4%; clay and kaolin quarries declined 17.1%; coal and peat contracted sharply by 21.6% year-on-year.

This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com