Overview.
We have identified one reportable business segment based on the distinctness of our activities and products: lime and limestone operations. All of our operations are in the United States. Operating profit from our lime and limestone operations includes all of our selling, general and administrative costs. We do not allocate interest expense and interest and other income (expense), net to our lime and limestone operations.
Through our lime and limestone operations, we are a manufacturer of lime and limestone products, supplying primarily the construction (including highway, road and building contractors), industrial (including paper and glass manufacturers), metals (including steel producers), environmental (including municipal sanitation and water treatment facilities and flue gas treatment processes), roof shingle manufacturers, agriculture (including poultry and cattle feed producers), and oil and gas services industries. We are headquartered in Dallas, Texas and operate lime and limestone plants and distribution facilities in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Arkansas Lime Company, Colorado Lime Company, Texas Lime Company, U.S. Lime Company, U.S. Lime Company – Shreveport, U.S. Lime Company – St. Clair, ART Quarry TRS LLC (DBA Carthage Crushed Limestone) and U.S. Lime Company – Transportation. The lime and limestone operations represent our principal business.
On July 1, 2020, we acquired Carthage Crushed Limestone (“Carthage”), a limestone mining and production company located in Carthage, Missouri, for $8.4 million cash. Carthage provides aggregate and pulverized limestone products that are used primarily in the agriculture, roofing, construction, and industrial industries. Carthage contributed $2.5 million and $4.7 to our revenues for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2021, respectively.
In addition to our lime and limestone operations, we hold natural gas interests through our wholly owned subsidiary, U.S. Lime Company – O & G, LLC. The revenues, gross profit and operating profit from our natural gas interests are included in Other for our reportable segment disclosures. Assets related to our natural gas interests, unallocated corporate assets, and cash items are included in Other identified assets.
Our lime and limestone revenues increased 30.5% and 19.2% in the second quarter and first six months 2021, respectively, compared to the second quarter and first six months 2020. In the second quarter 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental restrictions on business activities resulted in a general economic slowdown, which disproportionately impacted certain industries that purchase our products, including oil and gas services, environmental, and steel. In addition to the limestone sales by Carthage to agriculture, roofing and construction customers, noted above, the increases in our lime and limestone revenues in the second quarter and first six months 2021 resulted primarily from increased sales to our construction, steel, roofing and environmental customers. In the second quarter 2021, we also saw demand from our oil and gas services customers increase compared to the second quarter 2020. Revenues in in the second quarter and first six months 2021 were also favorably impacted by increases in the average selling prices of 2.2% and 1.8%, respectively, for our lime and limestone products.
Our lime and limestone gross profit increased 58.8% and 38.7% in the second quarter and first six months 2021, respectively, compared to the second quarter and first six months 2020. The increases in gross profit in the 2021 periods, compared to the comparable 2020 periods, resulted primarily from the increased revenues discussed above and increased operating efficiencies.
Federal, state, and local governmental restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have generally been lifted or curtailed in recent months, which has continued to reduce the impact of the pandemic on general business activities in the markets for our lime and limestone products. In the locations where we operate, normal business activities have largely resumed. With the resumption of normal business activities, we are experiencing lower availability of labor and certain supplies and services and rising costs. Additionally, new variants of COVID-19 and the possibility of new wide-spread or localized outbreaks of the virus could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and competitive position.
Looking ahead, we anticipate continued challenges in the availability and costs of labor and supplies and services for a period of time, while the broader economy adjusts to its reopened status, and we will continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and adjust our operations accordingly.
At our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, our shareholders approved an increase in the number of our authorized shares of common stock from 15,000,000 to 30,000,000. Possible uses of the additional authorized shares