Nelson-Farrar Quarterly Costimating Changes in the indexes for nonmetallic building materials

Gary Farrar
Contributing Editor

The accompanying table shows how Nelson-Farrar indexes have changed over the period 1991-1994 for selected basically nonmetallic building materials.

Data are included for the overall nonmetallic group, five nonmetallic materials, and iron castings.

Building brick and concrete ingredients indexes showed the greatest changes during the period.

Building brick changed from 844.5 in the first quarter of 1991 to 925.8 in the fourth quarter of 1994. During the same period, concrete ingredients changed from 631.8 to 693.1.

Clay products, iron castings, and concrete products showed more moderate changes, although none of the changes in the indexes were drastic. The clay products index rose from 699.6 to 749.8 over the 4-year period. Iron castings changed from 984.0 to 1,031.2, and concrete products changed from 548.3 to 598.1 over the same time span.

The smallest index change occurred in the fireclay brick category, changing from 1,057.2 in the first quarter of 1991 to 1,089.3 in the fourth quarter of 1994.

The final category, the overall nonmetallic index, changed from 631.6 to a high of 674.2 during the third quarter of 1994.

The Nelson-Farrar overall inorganic chemical index showed a slight decrease throughout the period, varying from 456.8 in the first quarter of 1991 to 437.4 in the last quarter of 1994.

Itemized Refining Cost Indexes

The cost indexes may be used to convert prices at any date to prices at other dates by ratios to the cost indexes of the same date. Item indexes are published each quarter (first week issue of January, April, July, and October). In addition the Nelson Construction and Operating Cost Indexes are published in the first issue of each month of The Oil and Gas Journal.

 Index for earlier
 year in Costimating
 Operating cost (based on 1956 = May and Questions on
 100.0): 1954 1972 1992 1993 1994 1995 *References Technology issues
 Power, industrial electrical 98.5 131.2 639.4 642.2 636.0 645.9 Code 0543 No. 13, May 19, 1958
 Fuel, refinery price 85.5 152.0 408.9 405.8 421.3 479.5 Oil & Gas J No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958
 Gulf cargoes 85.0 130.4 486.2 516.7 570.6 657.5 Oil & Gas J. No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958
 N.Y. barges 82.6 169.6 557.7 542.1 690.1 572.2 Oil & Gas J. No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958
 Chicago low sulfur - - 467.7 416.8 401.2 623.6 Oil & Gas J. July 7, 1975
 Western 84.3 168.1 588.2 558.5 544.9 729.2 Oil & Gas J. No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958
 Central 60.2 128.1 494.5 539.5 489.8 585.5 Oil & Gas J. No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958
 Natural gas at wellhead 83.5 190.3 1724.4 1789.1 1601.8 1494.4 Code 531-10-1 No. 4, Mar. 17, 1958
 Inorganic chemicals 96.0 123.1 442.5 437.4 445.9 474.1 Code 613 Oct. 5, 1964
 Acid, hydrofluoric 95.5 144.4 407.5 407.5 407.5 407.5 Code 613-0222 Apr. 3, 1963
 Acid, sulfuric 100.0 140.7 347.4 347.4 347.4 347.4 Code 613-0281 No. 94, May 15, 1961
 Platinum 92.9 121.1 353.6 372.2 398.5 437.4 Code 1022-02-73 July 5, 1965, p. 117
 Sodium carbonate 90.9 119.4 410.5 382.7 365.1 368.1 Code 613-01-03 No. 58, Oct. 12, 1959
 Sodium hydroxide 95.5 136.2 635.1 428.7 352.5 658.4 Code 613-01-04 No. 94, May 15, 1961
 Sodium phosphate 97.4 107.0 663.3 688.4 726.1 726.1 Code 613-0267 No. 58, Oct. 12, 1959
 Organic chemicals 100.0 87.4 366.1 374.9 386.0 457.5 Code 614 Oct. 5, 1964
 Furfural 94.5 137.5 658.3 658.3 658.3 658.3 Chemical Marketing No. 58, Oct. 12, 1959
 Reporter
 MEK, tank-car lots 82.6 87.5 309.4 302.1 366.7 366.7 Reporter
 Phenol 90.4 47.1 170.9 184.8 187.6 244.6 Code 614-0241 No. 58, Oct. 12, 1959
Indexes For Selected Construction Materials
 Year, Non Building Fireclay Iron Clay Concrete Concrete
 quarter metallic brick brick castings products ingred. products
 1991
 1st 631.6 844.5 1,057.2 984.0 699.6 631.8 548.3
 2nd 632.7 848.1 1,062.3 986.5 703.4 633.4 551.2
 3rd 631.0 852.5 1,058.9 985.6 701.8 632.3 552.1
 4th 633.2 852.5 1,058.9 987.3 703.4 632.3 553.6
Year 632.1 849.4 1059.3 985.8 702.0 632.4 551.3
 1992
 1st 632.1 854.0 1,064.8 988.1 705.0 632.8 555.0
 2nd 631.6 863.5 1,069.0 994.7 713.1 637.1 553.1
 3rd 632.7 867.9 1,079.1 996.4 715.8 636.6 554.5
 4th 634.8 874.5 1,059.7 996.4 718.5 637.6 557.3
Year 632.8 865.0 1,068.2 993.9 713.1 636.0 555.0
 1993
 1st 639.7 884.0 1,064.0 1,001.4 723.4 646.2 562.6
 2nd 644.5 895.0 1,066.5 1,003.0 728.2 655.2 566.8
 3rd 648.3 897.9 1,079.1 1,011.3 733.1 660.0 569.2
 4th 654.8 899.4 1,074.9 1,007.2 734.7 668.0 574.9
Year 646.8 894.1 1,071.1 1,005.7 729.8 657.4 568.4
 1994
 1st 658.5 906.0 1,080.8 1,016.3 737.4 674.4 580.1
 2nd 667.7 919.9 1,079.1 1,022.9 747.7 684.6 584.8
 3rd 674.2 924.3 1,073.2 1,027.9 749.3 691.5 592.9
 4th 654.8 925.8 1,089.3 1,031.2 749.8 693.1 598.1
Year 669.6 919.0 1,080.6 1,024.6 746.0 685.9 589.0
Itemized Refining Cost Indexes
Index for earlier
 year in Costimating
 Operating cost (based on 1956 = May and Questions on
 100.0): 1954 1972 1992 1993 1994 1995 *References Technology issues
 Operating labor cost (1956 = 100)
 Wages & benefits 88.7 210.0 824.9 868.0 903.2 874.8 Employ & Earn No. 41, Feb. 16, 1969
 Productivity 97.2 197.0 293.8 303.4 316.7 347.3 Employ & Earn No. 41, Feb. 16, 1969
Construction labor cost (1946 = 100)
 Skilled const. 174.6 499.9 1416.0 1449.3 1484.6 1513.9 Eng. News Record No. 55, Nov. 3, 1949
 Common labor 192.1 630.6 1884.8 1933.2 1997.6 2023.9 Eng. News Record No. 55, Nov. 3, 1949
 Refinery cost 183.3 545.9 1579.2 1620.2 1664.7 1695.5 Oil & Gas J. May 15, 1967
Equipment or materials (1946 = 100):
 Bubble tray 161.4 324.4 928.9 947.5 980.6 1019.4 Computed July 8, 1962, p. 113
 Building materials (nonmetallic) 143.6 212.4 632.8 646.8 669.6 697.9 Code 13 No. 61, Dec. 15, 1949
 Brick-building 144.7 252.5 865.0 894.1 919.0 947.0 Code 1342 No. 20, Mar. 3, 1949
 Brick-fireclay 193.1 322.8 1068.2 1071.1 1080.6 1123.0 Code 135 May 30, 1955
 Castings, iron 188.1 274.9 993.9 1005.7 1024.6 1064.3 Code 1015 Apr. 1, 1963
 Clay products (structural, etc.) 159.1 342.0 713.1 729.8 746.0 763.9 Code 134 No. 20, Mar. 3, 1949
 Concrete ingredients 141.1 218.4 636.0 657.4 685.9 717.1 Code 132 No. 22, March 17, 1949
 Concrete products 138.5 199.6 555.0 568.4 589.0 612.3 Code 133 Oct. 2, 1967, p. 112
 Electrical machinery 159.9 216.3 550.4 555.5 560.5 563.1 Code 117 May 2, 1955
 Motors and generators 157.7 211.0 726.9 736.9 746.7 760.7 Code 1173 May 2, 1955
 Switchgear 171.2 271.0 843.9 862.3 880.0 897.1 Code 1175 May 2, 1955
 Transformers 161.9 149.3 439.4 435.0 445.5 455.0 Code 1174 No. 31, May 19, 1949
 Engines (combustion) 150.5 233.3 809.2 820.6 838.2 852.3 Code 1194 No. 36, June 23, 1949
 Exchangers (composite) 171.7 274.3 746.6 704.1 690.7 749.4 Manufacturer Mar. 16, 1964
 Copper base 190.7 266.7 733.9 675.0 727.7 767.8 Manufacturer Mar. 16, 1964
 Carbon Steel 156.8 281.9 752.1 706.6 673.9 726.5 Manufacturer Mar. 16, 1964
 Stainless Steel (304) - - 747.9 714.7 730.4 820.2 Manufacturer July 1, 1991
 Fractionating towers 151.0 278.5 789.8 794.0 808.4 835.3 Computed June 8, 1963, p. 133
 Hand tools 173.8 346.5 1340.4 1367.0 1400.1 1445.0 Code 1042 June 27, 1955
 Instruments (composite) 154.6 328.4 865.5 879.3 887.6 907.7 Computed No. 34, June 9, 1949
 Insulation (composite) 198.5 272.4 1233.6 1312.7 1370.1 1448.5 Manufacturer July 4, 1988, p. 193
 Lumber (composite) 197.8 353.4 996.1 1272.9 1303.1 1204.3 Code 81 No. 7, Dec. 2, 1948
 Southern pine 181.2 303.9 744.4 965.3 1039.6 982.2 Code 81102 No. 7, Dec. 2, 1948
 Redwood, all heart 238.0 310.6 1522.0 1996.9 2024.1 1823.1 Code 811-0332 July 5, 1965, p. 117
 Machinery:
 General purpose 159.9 278.5 898.0 913.6 931.8 958.5 Code 114 Feb. 17, 1949
 Construction 165.9 324.4 1141.2 1171.6 1185.6 1212.5 Code 112 Apr. 1, 1968, p. 184
 Oilfield 161.9 269.1 1005.9 1005.4 1033.5 1052.6 Code 1191 Oct. 10, 1955
 Paints-prepared 159.0 231.8 680.0 687.7 697.8 732.4 Code 621 May 16, 1955
 Pipe:
 Gray iron pressure 195.0 346.9 1488.0 1540.8 1619.9 1643.8 Code 1015-0239 Jan. 3, 1983
 Standard carbon 182.7 319.9 978.2 1009.1 1077.7 1126.6 Code 1017-0611 Jan. 3, 1983
 Pumps, compressors, etc. 166.5 337.5 1216.4 1254.6 1278.2 1315.4 Code 1141 No. 29, May 5, 1949
 Steel-mill products 187.1 330.6 942.9 957.1 1005.4 1074.0 Code 1017 Jan. 3, 1983
 Alloy bars 198.7 349.4 809.2 818.5 854.3 857.6 Code 1017-0831 Apr. 1, 1963
 Cold-rolled sheets 187.0 365.5 1030.7 1057.9 1122.2 1206.1 Code 1017-0711 Jan. 3, 1983
 Alloy sheets 177.0 225.9 492.5 510.3 522.6 536.6 Code 1017-0733 Jan. 3, 1983
 Stainless strip 169.0 221.2 502.8 503.0 504.5 540.0 Code 1017-0755 Jan. 3, 1983
 Structural carbon, plates 193.4 386.7 1020.5 1054.6 1120.2 1192.4 Code 1017-0400 Jan. 3, 1983
 Welded carbon tubing 180.0 265.5 1131.9 1044.3 1106.3 1238.2 Code 1017-0622 Jan. 3, 1983
 Tanks and pressure vessels 147.3 246.4 691.6 684.5 688.0 711.3 Code 1072 No. 5, Nov. 18, 1949
 Tube stills 123.0 125.3 361.5 367.8 383.7 405.0 Computed Oct. 1, 1962
 Valves and fittings 197.0 350.9 1297.8 1322.3 1358.3 1401.6 Code 1149 No. 46, Sept. 1, 1940
 Nelson-Farrar Refinery (Inflation Index) 179.8 438.5 1277.3 1310.8 1349.7 1385.2 Oil & Gas J. May 15, 1969
 (1946)
 Nelson-Farrar Refinery Operation 
 (1956) 88.7 118.5 393.3 396.3 405.8 409.4 Oil & Gas J. No. 2, Mar. 3, 1958
 Nelson-Farrar Refinery Process 
 (1956) 88.4 147.0 415.1 416.9 431.4 447.4 Oil & Gas J. No. 2, Mar. 3, 1958
 *Code refers to the index number of the Bureau of Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Wholesale Prices Itemized Cost Indexes, Oil & Gas 
 Journal.
Copyright 1995 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.