General information
On the website mineral raw materials were organized within four groups on the basis of their usability as a mineral commodity. Sometimes it can be misleading – for example: dolomite deposits are located in two mineral raw materials groups – as commodities for ceramic industry and in dimension and crushed stones group; limestones are used as a commodity for cement and lime industry and as dimension stones. Such examples can also be referred to other raw materials or rocks. It can be easily explained by the range of commodity studies, which were performed for particular industries during the exploration and documentation process of raw materials deposits. To make it easier mineral raw materials are also presented in alphabetical order.
All data were presented on the basis of the actual information coming from the system of management and protection of mineral resources in Poland MIDAS, carried out by the Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute, and on the basis of publication ‘The balance of mineral resources deposits in Poland as of 31 XII 2022’.
Definitions
Deposit resources (‘geological resources’ = anticipated economic resources and anticipated sub-economic resources) – total resources of mineral commodity/commodities within the deposit boundaries.
The limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit – values of deposit parameters delineating the deposit geological boundaries.
Anticipated economic resources (‘balance resources’) – deposit resources (or part of deposit) meeting the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit.
Anticipated sub-economic resources (‘sub-balance resources’) – deposit resources (or part of deposit) not meeting the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit.
Economic resources in place (‘industrial resources’) – part of anticipated economic resources or anticipated sub-economic resources or – in case of brines, curative and thermal water – exploitable resources, within the designed mining area or detached part of the deposit designed for exploitation, which can be designed for mining according to detailed technical and economical analysis taking into account law requirements, including environmental restraints.
Sub-economic (marginal) resources (‘not industrial resources’) – part of anticipated economic resources not-classified as economic resources within the area designed for exploitation, which can be designed for mining as a result of technical or economical or law requirements changes, including environmental restraints.
Exploitable resources – crude oil or natural gas resources, which are supposed to be extracted by applying current exploitation technology.
According to the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of the 1st of July 2015 on the geological documentation of a raw material deposit, excluding a hydrocarbon field (number of Polish act: Dz. U. poz. 987), the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of the 10th of July 2015 on the geological-investment documentation of a hydrocarbon field(number of Polish act: Dz. U. poz. 968) and the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of the 24th of April 2012 on the detailed requirements for deposit development plans (number of Polish act: Dz. U. poz. 511)
Resources categories
Solid mineral commodities
- D – inferred resources – mineral deposit boundaries, geological feature and anticipated resources are evaluated on the basis of available geological data, in particular from isolated excavations or natural outcrops, geological interpretation of geophysical measurements. The admissible error of average deposit parameters and deposit resources estimation may exceed 40 %.
- C2 – inferred resources – mineral deposit boundaries are evaluated on the basis of available data from isolated excavations, natural outcrops, interpolation or extrapolation of geophysical measurements; main structural and geological features and tectonics are recognized; geological-mining conditions of exploitation are preliminary evaluated; quality of mineral commodity is evaluated on the basis of regular sampling in the full range of commodity usage. The admissible error of average deposit parameters and deposit resources estimation can not exceed 40 %.
- C1 – indicated resources – mineral deposit boundaries are evaluated on the basis of available data from exploratory excavations, natural outcrops or interpolation or extrapolation of geophysical measurements; the grade of deposit exploration allows to prepare the prefeasibility study of economic mining, including the detailed delineation of structural and geological features, tectonics and quality of mineral commodity in the deposit, geological-mining conditions of exploitation, and allows to asses the influence of the intended exploitation on environment. The admissible error of average deposit parameters and deposit resources estimation can not exceed 30 %.
- B – measured resources – mineral deposit boundaries are delineated in details on the basis of the specially carried out exploratory excavations or geophysical measurements, the delineation of structural and geological features, correlation of strata, main tectonics features has to be unambiguous, quality and technological properties of mineral commodity should be confirmed by the sampling results in pilot-scale tests or commercial scale. The degree of the deposit exploration is sufficient enough to elaborate the mine management plan. The admissible error of average deposit parameters and deposit resources estimation can not exceed 20 %.
- A – measured resources – mineral deposit is explored to the extend which allows the current planning and carrying out the exploitation with the maximum possible rate of resources absorption; the delineation of structural and geological features, tectonics, resources on the basis of the opening-out, preparing and mining excavations, the type, quality and technological properties of mineral commodity on the basis of regular excavations sampling and data from the current production is required. The degree of the deposit exploration is sufficient enough to elaborate the mine management plan. The admissible error of average deposit parameters and deposit resources estimation in particular blocks can not exceed 10 %.
According to the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of the 1st of July 2015 on the geological documentation of a raw material deposit, excluding a hydrocarbon field (Journal of Laws 2015, Item 987).
Hydrocarbons
- C – inferred resources – hydrocarbons field boundaries are delineated on the basis of geophysical measurements and geological interpretation; such data allow to plan other works which are necessary to continue field exploration or its exploitation, when there is gas, oil or methane flow from at least one well in the amount of economic value or, in the case of the multi-horizontal fields, when the hydrocarbons saturation of gas and oil horizons is known on the basis of the drilling geophysics logging with gas, oil or methane flow from at least one well in the amount of economic value. The admissible error of average field parameters and field resources estimation can not exceed 50 %.
- B – indicated resources – the result of geological works carrying out are the basis to define the field geological structure, field boundaries and reservoir parameters of oil bearing and gas bearing formations as well as their variability in details; such data allow to plan other works which are necessary to continue field exploration or its exploitation, when there is gas, oil or methane flow from at least one well in the amount of economic value. The admissible error of average field parameters and field resources estimation can not exceed 35 %.
- A – measured resources – data for category B are defined on the basis of exploitation results. The admissible error of average field parameters and resources estimate is up to 20 %.
According to the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of the 10th of July 2015 on the geological-investment documentation of a hydrocarbon field (Journal of Laws, Item 968).