During the immediate post-war years, the Institute was extremely successful in mineral discoveries:

1947 – regional studies begun before 1939 resulted in the discovery of a salt plug in Kłodawa, Kujawy area

1952 – Stanisław Pawłowski and his team discovered sulphur deposits in the Fore-Carpathian Miocene rocks. This discovery of global significance has substantially contributed to the development of national economy.

1954 – in the Sudeten Mts. near Stanisławów one of Europe’s biggest barite deposit was discovered and exploitation began three years later.

1957 – Global-scale large copper deposits were found in the Fore-Sudetic monocline, between Lubin and Glogow, and soon afterwards, also silver deposits were discovered and described by Jan Wyzykowski and his team

1954–1960 gravimetric survey and drilling operations conducted by Zbigniew Werner lead to the discovery of salt domes near Izbica Królewska, Lubień, Łanięta. Mogilno and Damasławek

1952–1960 Exploratory work in the Miocene of the Polish Lowlands initiated by Edward Ciuk resulted in the discovery of numerous brown coal fields, among others Adamow, Uniejow, Gubin, Mosty and Rogozno. During 1961–1975 the PGI examined the structure, quality and volume of reserves in fields of Bełchatów, Złoczew and the so called Wielkopolska grabens.

1962 – drilling operations carried out in the Suwalki area near Krzemianka and Udryń at the instigation of Jerzy Znosko revealed the presence of vanadium-bearing ilmenite-magnetite ores

1964 – intensive geological work conducted by the Polish Geological Institute in the Puck Bay area lead to the discovery of polyhalite deposits

1964–1971 PGI staff have determined the extent and reserves of the hard coal deposit in the Lublin area discovered prior to the Second World War by prof. Jan Samsonowicz