[2-718-281-828]

> The point being made is that more and more tonnes of raw material are being shipped to smelters per person than ever before.

your argument fails to prove that for above mentioned fault in how you count the people involved.

[defrost]

Mineral | mining resource databases are a decent start:

https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/campaigns/met...

You can access annual reports and technical reports on pretty much all the major mine sites about the globe, capital investments, plant sizes, work forces, etc.

then expand outwards mapping supply chain networks, etc. You know, the usual legwork.