BRGM and the Société de l’Industrie Minérale (SIM) presented the new map of quarries in France in 2020, intended for professionals in the French extractive sector as a tool for communication. It is an update of the quarries map dating from 2014.
30 October 2020
Carrières de France - Active quarries

Carrières de France - Active quarries.

© BRGM

At the SIM Trade Fair held in Angers in October 2020, BRGM and SIM presented the map of French quarries in operation in 2020, and distributed it free of charge to the participants.

The 3,304 active quarries in France located on a thematic map

The 1:1,500,000 map gives a thematic view of the 3,304 quarries that were active in mainland and overseas France in 2020.

The map was created jointly by BRGM, which produced it, and the SIM, which financed the printing of the 600 copies distributed during the Congress. It is based on data from the Quarries and Materials database, which has been managed by BRGM since 2006, under the aegis of the Ministry for Ecological Transition (MTE).

A complement to the Quarries and Materials database

The map of French quarries in intended for professionals in the sector and for industrial users of the quarry materials shown on it. It complements existing quarry databases.

The map shows all operating quarries by substance extracted, on a simplified lithological map background showing the nature of the different rocks. All French territory is taken into account on this map, which covers mainland France and its overseas territories (DROMs).

New update

The 2014 map was updated with data from "Quarries and materials" dating from 2020. Improvements have been made with the provision of information on transport networks (waterways, railways and motorways), and information on tonnages extracted by quarry (3 classes: 0-250Kt, 250-750Kt and >750Kt).

The quarries map is also available in a poster format from the BRGM publications branch, Éditions du BRGM.

Further Maps have been available since 2015, including a series of 3 maps showing mineral resources by type of production:

  • Industrial rocks and minerals,
  • Ornamental and construction stone,
  • Extraction of metals and salts.