Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi - Mineral Resources Management

Untill 1993 the iron ores were presented in the Polish mineral resources data file. They are: Middle and Lower Jurassic sedimentary siderite deposits and Middle Jurassic ironbearing, limonitic sands, formed in weathering zone of sideritic sandy limestones. After economic evaluation, theywere excluded fromthe data file. The deposits that could be considered as potentially economic should contain at least 25% of Fe, and are characterized by ore accumulation over 2.5 t/m2• Polish siderite ores, although of higher iron content, are characterized by very low thickness 0.12-0.47 cm, and therefore by low ore accumulation, less then 1.5 t/m2 (-400 kg Fe/nr'), far less than the minimum acceptable as possible economic. The iron bearing, (limonitic) sands are 10-13 m thick in average, but contain only 16.6-17.6% Fe, so below the acceptable limit for economic ore. They need costly thermic processing to get the product suitable for further enrichment and metallurgical treatement. The both siderite and ironbearing sand deposits are extremly poor when compared with the iron ore deposits recently mined. It is very improbable that they can get economic value in the future and can not be classified even as subeconomic. Their elimination from the Polish mineral resources data file ends over 2000 year history of iron ore mining in Poland, which added substantial value to the national economy in the past.

The paper discusses the current situation and prospects for future development of supply and demand for kaolin in Poland. The most important phenomena and tendencies in the international market, which influence the Polish kaolin business over the last decade, have been also discussed, e.g. a switch from kaolin to carbonates in paper manufacturing resulting in reduced consumption, the developing of new grades and blends of kaolin to satisfy the consumers needs, globalization of the market of raw materials for the ceramics.

Open mining of hard-rocks has been performed in the vicinity of Cracow for a long period of time. Discussed teritory consists of several physico-gcographical mcsoregions (Fig. I) that display complicated geological structure (Fig. 2), diversified relief as well as natural - landscape values. The Cracow region is also characterized by considerable concentration of hard-rock deposits as well as limestone and magmatic rock mining sites. The mining of these rocks has got a few century long tradition which has been performed in a lot of quarries of different dimensions (Tab. I). The hard-rock deposits excavated in these quarries have been used in many branches of industry as well as in agriculture. In the vicinity of Cracow there are also the areas of unique natural landscape values which have been under different forms of legal protection since I 981 (Fig. 3). The open mining activity has influenced the environment in discribed region with larger intensity than elsewhere. Thus, the greater precautions should be undertaken during the course of mining. The range and scale of the exploitation effect depend on the environmental, mining and social- economic factors as well as on the course of reclamation and managament of the workings after the closing up of the mining activity. Presented paper deals with the influence of the hard-rock mining on the particular components of the natural environment against the sozological conditions. Prospects of management of the post-exploited workings that minimize environmental transformations are also discussed. New, antropogenie forms resulting from this management may also become an additional atraetion of the region.

The aim of the study was to determine mineralogical composition of carpathian sandstones in order to define petrographic composition of the source material areas. The mineralogical composition of the carpathian flysh sandstones collected in six sampling sites was established. The samples collected in the profiles no I and II in Beskid Śląski represent istebnaiańskie sandstones. The other four sampling sites were located in Beskid Żywiecki, Gorce and Beskid Śądecki and represent magurskie sandstones. Tree samples of rock material were collected in reach sampling profile from the BC horizon. The sandstones contain various amounts of quartz, potassium feldsaprs, plagioclase, fragments of sedimentary, magmatic and metamorphic rocks, muscovite, biotite, carbonates, glauconite, heavy minerals, organic matter and binder. There are considerable differences in mineral composition of the sandstone samples taken from six profiles as well as from the same profile. The istebniańskie sandstones contain average higher amounts of metamorphic and sedimentary rocks than the magurskie sandstones. On the contrary, the magurskie sandstones contain higher amounts of quartz.

There is given the calculation method of mineral deposits capital value as an expected value of discounted cash flow. The authors express the as a price, which an investor can pay for operational use of it, giving parameters, which significantly affect the calculation results.

Despite the ten years of economy transformation the coal price formation processes do not seem to be understood and further explanation of their development and dependencies is required. The paper starts with the identification of the Polish coal market structures. Two typical structures have been differentiated. The first one, which comprises small consumers, is similar to perfect competition as there arc many sellers, there is no limit to enter the market and information on the price is available. The second structure, oflarge consumers market is similar to oligopolistic market with few sellers, barriers to entry and limited information on prices. Since the microeconomic theory gives rational prices only in specific cases, sellers and buyers use differentmethods to determine prices and their rational boundaries. It is proved that long-term marginal cost of production constitutes the base for the formation of coal prices. This cost could be estimated on the basis of the average long-term cost or incremental cost. The paper gives some formulas how to estimate the long-term marginal costs, and recommends the average long-term cost as the base for the coal price formation. Buyers use netback method to estimate the maximum of the price they can pay. Additionally parity and two-tier pricing rules are considered. All the above-mentioned methods could be used both by regulators and market agents. The paper concludes with consideration on the limits for coal prices, which exist in the Polish economy conditions. The upper boundaries arc import parity and netback prices whereas export parity and long term marginal cost form the lower boundary. Prices of substitutes could also intervene in coal price formation, but their impact is not easy to determine. These boundaries form ranges of rational domestic coal prices.

Convergence that is compression of gas storage cavern in rock salt due to salt creep is one of the factor deciding about effective capacity of cavern. In the article there is shown the forecast of convergence rate of selected rock salt cavern on the basis of massif movement computer simulation and of analytical consideration of exploitation scenario. Variability of speed convergence even in case of stationary salt creep law application and crucial role of minimum pressures of gas storing on rate of this process were ascertained.

In the paper, regional and local conditions have been presented. The geological structure ofthe western part ofCarpathian Mountains has been described. The local geological conditions were characterized along the tunnel axis-the express road S-94 Bielsko Biała-Żywiec-Zwardoń. The advantages and limitations of geological conditions important for tunnel construction were underlined.

Author presents basic kinds of influence ofproducts and technological processes on the adequate elements ofgeogenie and antropogenie environment. The different influences on the environment are classified under various criteria. There arc presented several kinds ofwastes and different techniques of reduction of environmental damage of waste.