Phosphate rocks and elemental phosphorus are considered to be critical raw materials mainly because of such parameters as the growing prices of phosphate fertilizers, the high concentration of producers limited to several countries in the world, the exceptional significance of phosphorus in agriculture and the inability to substitute it.
In Poland 100% of the demand phosphate rocks relies on import. The expansion and mining of the nation’s own resource base may be an alternative to import and a way to provide safety of supplies. Historically, phosphorites from the northern margin of the Holy Cross Mountains were extracted using the underground method, which was abandoned in the beginning of the 1970s due to the unprofitability of extraction. However, in eastern and south-eastern Poland, phosphorite concretions of the Eocene age occur at shallow depths, which can have local significance as mineral deposits and might be extracted in open-pit mines. The economics of mining in shallow opencasts do not require such stringent limiting parameters for phosphate deposits as those currently valid, which were established for underground mining conditions.
In this publication, the authors analyzed contemporary conditions for a cost-effective phosphorite deposit, including the price fluctuations of phosphate rock, a review of threshold parameters of deposits for phosphorite projects in the world, and the economics of open-pit ore extraction, where an aggregate mine with mixed extraction (partially from below the water table) was adopted as a point of reference.
As a result, new threshold parameters defining an ore deposit and its boundaries are proposed for Eocene phosphorites in Poland.

A ccording to the Polish Geological and Mining Law the granting of a concession for the exploration of a hydrocarbon deposit and the production of hydrocarbons from a deposit, or a concession for the production of hydrocarbons from a deposit in Poland is proceeded according to a tender procedure or open door procedure (upon a request of an entity). O n June 28, 2018 the Polish Minister of the Environment announced 5 tender areas. These areas (promising for discoveries of conventional and unconventional oil and gas deposits) were selected by the geologists of the Polish Geological Institute-NRI and Department of Geology and Geological Concessions of the Ministry of the Environment based on the geological data resources stored in the National Geological Archive. These are: Bestwina-Czechowice, Królówka, Pyrzyce, Złoczew i Żabowo. The main exploration target on the areas located in central and north-western Poland (Pyrzyce, Żabowo and Złoczew) is related to Permian Rotliegend sandstones and carbonates of the Zechstein/Main Dolomite. The Bestwina-Czechowice and Królówka areas (southern Poland) are prospective for conventional and hybrid-type accumulations of gas in the Miocene of the Carpathian Foredeep below the Carpathian Overthrust and in the Paleozoic-Mesozoic basement. The beginning of the 4th bidding round for hydrocarbon concessions is planned in Q4 2019. The entity can also choose the area and apply for a license submitting an application to the Ministry of the Environment. The area indicated by the entity cannot be the subject of a tender or any other concession, and the maximum acreage is 1,200 km2.