Molybdenum does not occur in nature as a free metal but can be found oxidized in many minerals, such as wulfenite, powellite, and its main source, molybdenite.
The United States, Chile, Canada, China and Russia are among the world's leading producers of minerals containing molybdenum.
In 1885 the first molybdenum mine was opened in Norway. It remained open until 1973.
Molybdenum is mined principally and recovered after copper tungsten mining as well. Large mines in the United States and Canada mine principally, while mines in many other countries recover the metal.
In 2008, the United States produced $4.5 billion worth of molybdenum in 12 mines. Four of these mines produced only molybdenum, while the rest produced it as a byproduct of other mining.