Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi - Mineral Resources Management

The study of saprolitic nickel ore conducted in the Mandiodo area of North Konawe, Indonesia, reveals a high nickel content. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses from bedrock to saprolite horizon samples reveal the characteristics of the ore as a weathering product from the peridotite bedrock composed mainly of olivine, pyroxene, and serpentine. The results reveal an advanced serpentinization process, indicated by the domination of olivine and serpentine, represented by forsterite and chrysotile, respectively, with a lower amount of enstatite, a member of the pyroxene group, in the bedrock. Further, the abundance of goethite, amphibole, and chlorite mineral groups in the saprock and saprolite indicate an initial stage of weathering. After the weathering of the bedrock, the serpentine is the primary source of Ni in the saprock and saprolite horizon, with a minor occurrence in goethite. Pentlandite is rarely present in the bedrock but is often found with a very high Ni content. In the saprolite ore, the content of Ni hosted by serpentine-group minerals and Fe from goethite increased drastically up to 4.6 and 43.8 wt%, respectively, followed by the drastic depletion of Si and Mg to 7.3 and 3.9 wt%, respectively. The presence of chromite in the saprolite horizon plays a significant role during the enrichment of Cr and Al, and the Mn is hosted by both Mn-oxides and goethite. Geochemical variations in the saprolitic horizon indicate the prospect of future critical metal resources in the study area.

To address the issue of low accuracy in detecting stacked fine ore particles using existing target detection algorithms, which subsequently affect the crusher’s ore crushing and screening process, a new ore detection method based on the SPDM-YOLO deep learning network is proposed. The study focuses on detecting stacked fine tungsten ore particles ranging in size from 6 mm to 50 mm. The initial step involves incorporating SPD-Conv into YOLOv9, whereby it replaces the conventional CNN ’s step-length convolutional layer and pooling layer. This is done to reduce the loss of ore target detail information. Secondly, a lightweight hybrid local channel attention module (MLCA) is integrated into the backbone to improve focus on target features and enhance the model’s ability to process intricate details. Finally, the Inner-FocalerIoU loss function is proposed by combining the advantages of Inner- IoU and Focaler-IoU. Replacing the original CIoU loss function with it as the edge loss function of the algorithm not only improves the accuracy of calculating the overlap of the bounding box but also effectively speeds up the edge regression process. The Mosaic data enhancement method was employed to augment the dataset for experimental purposes. The findings indicate that the enhanced YOLOv9 network model improves the accuracy (P) by 3.09%, the detection precision (PR) by 2.41%, and the mean average precision (mAP) by 2.18% compared to the original model. This substantiates the assertion that the augmented algorithm is more efficacious in recognition.

This article presents the evolution of legal regulations, which have played a key role in enforcing the obligation of planned mine closure. Particular attention is paid to ensuring financial resources for this purpose. Any legal regulations, in order to be effective, must provide for the necessary funds, which should be collected before the commencement of the closure process. It is difficult to determine its exact time frame and costs, which makes the task highly challenging to decision-making bodies. There is a need to match uncertain, distant expenses with precise legal provisions. The example of Polish lignite mining shows the effectiveness of decommissioning regulations. Not only will we face the effects of its closure, but also the next generation will. Unfortunately, it was not until 2001 that regulations were introduced to provide financial security to support mine closures. However, they have shortcomings because the mine closure process is planned only at the final stage of extraction rather than being initiated much earlier. Therefore, the funds collected in the Obligatory Mine Decommissioning Fund (FLZG), usually 10% of the so-called exploitation charge, are insufficient. In the case of Polish mines, payments to the FLZG cover only part of the liquidation works. Administrative actions eliminate these negative effects of the legal regulations presented above. The Polish government has secured financing for the mine liquidation process by consolidating them with lignite-fired power plants. Currently, Poland plans to build six nuclear power plants. In their case, such a consolidation step will be impossible. Therefore, taking into account the experience from lignite mining, a financial mechanism for securing their decommissioning should be created now.

The efficient management of coal resources is becoming increasingly important in Poland and Europe, especially during the ongoing energy transition. This paper presents an automated methodology for on-demand inventory of coal dumps and heaps, addressing the limitations of traditional manual surveying techniques. The proposed system integrates Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for rapid spatial data acquisition, IoT sensors for real-time monitoring of environmental parameters, and the QGIS open-source Geographic Information System for data processing and volume calculation. The methodology details the process of generating accurate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) from UAV imagery using OpenDroneMap software and subsequent volume calculation using a custom algorithm developed within the QGIS Model Designer. This algorithm addresses the challenges of data processing, including the removal of “bad pixels” and geometric correction, to ensure accurate volume estimations. The results demonstrate the potential of the integrated system to provide accurate and timely inventory data, crucial for optimizing coal demand forecasting, production planning, and distribution logistics. This approach offers significant advantages over traditional methods by enhancing safety, reducing labor intensity, and enabling more frequent and precise measurements. The developed solution aligns with the goals of the Polish “Dynamic management of coal demand, production, resource management, and distribution logistics in an economy implementing a decarbonized energy mix” (DynGOSP) project, supporting the modernization of the Polish coal mining sector.

Disadvantaged groups refer to individuals or social communities that are in unfavorable social, economic, or educational circumstances, making them particularly vulnerable to social exclusion. These groups gain significant importance in the context of the energy transition, which is one of the most pressing challenges of the Anthropocene era. The urgency to transform our energy systems has never been greater. The energy transition, defined as the shift to clean, sustainable energy sources, offers the promise not only of mitigating the impacts of climate change but also of reducing poverty and enhancing social equity. However, the energy transition requires a holistic approach that considers the intricate interconnections between social, political, and environmental factors, especially in terms of its consequences. These consequences will be particularly pronounced in coal-dependent regions, where both industry and social life have historically revolved around coal mining. Moving away from coal extraction and exploitation in post-mining regions will lead to profound changes in the labor market, potentially causing what is termed “territorial stress,” resulting from deep economic and social transformations. In this context, the principles of a Just Transition emphasize the need to prioritize disadvantaged groups, who are likely to be most affected by the energy transition. This article aims to analyze the opportunities and challenges that the energy transition presents for disadvantaged groups in Silesian Coal Region.

The paper presents an authorial method of determining the deposit resource base considering changing market conditions. To achieve this goal authors built the dedicated software, which optimizes mining schedules taking into account the expected impact of geological and mining factors and natural hazards on the exploitation process. The research method developed, and the IT tool built, enables the analysis of thousands of variants of cutting the mining plots in order to identify ones that maximize the profit potential of longwalls and parcels. In this method the potential is measured by the value of the operating margin and profit, which include capital expenditure and operating costs of coal production. The impact of geological, mining and natural hazard factors is identified in a multicriteria method. Then, by estimating the authorial risk index RI, the cost of equity – the weighted component of the mining company’s cost of capital – is adjusted.
The results of the presented example show that even small changes in raw material price may significantly affect the amount of recoverable resources and the economic value of the project (NPV). Resource base in the analyzed cases ranges from 0 to 45 million Mg and the NPV from 0 to 7.8 billion PLN. For the base price scenario effective resources amount to 19.4 million Mg, which represents only 42% of the proven recoverable resources. The approach used is in line with the requirements of the JORC Code and enables multivariate analysis of tunnel layouts using advanced digital tools.

Siliceous fly ashes (FA) are fine-grained thermal decomposition remnants of mineral substances present in bituminous coal. Due to its formation method, FA consists mainly of an aluminosilicate glassy phase, as well as crystalline components, such as mullite and quartz. Formerly treated as waste materials, FAs are now a desirable raw material with numerous applications, particularly in the building materials industry, for instance, as an additive for the production of ceramic building materials. FA suitability in this field of application is determined mainly by its specific impact on the sintering process. The addition of FA to the raw material composition intensifies the firing process, primarily due to the fine grain size and the appearance of a liquid phase during sintering. During the thermal treatment of FA at temperatures above 900°C, in addition to the sintering process, devitrification (or glass crystallization) occurs, resulting in the formation of olivines and calcium-rich plagioclase. The results presented in this publication demonstrate the formation of calcium-rich plagioclase and (Mg, Fe)2[SiO₄] olivines of the magnesium-iron type, indicating that the direction of devitrification of FA is similar to the initial stages of basalt magma crystallization, known as the Bowen Reaction Series. This publication aims to explain these similarities. For this purpose, two different FAs were examined for the evolution of their phase composition (XRD) during their heat treatment and thermal properties (DTA/TG, dilatometry).

Environmental awareness plays a vital role in shaping the behaviour of today’s consumers, influencing their purchasing decisions and their interactions with the marketplace. Marketing communications that emphasise environmentally friendly product features, packaging, and even product names have a significant impact on purchase decisions. Consumers who prioritise environmental concerns are often willing to pay more and are more likely to select environmentally friendly products. An example of greenwashing in the energy market is eco-pea coal. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of knowledge about greenwashing on the perception of coal products by employees of coal depots. To achieve this, a survey (CAWI) was conducted with a sample of 300 coal depot employees. The study aimed to determine whether employees in the energy sector are familiar with the issue of greenwashing, how this knowledge influences their perception of the environmental impact of burning high-quality coal, and whether awareness of the term greenwashing affects their opinions on the environmental friendliness of eco-pea coal. The research also examined respondents’ attitudes towards renaming eco-pea coal and its colloquial use. An analysis of coal product terminology and relevant legal regulations was conducted. The study identified the characteristics of eco-pea coal and compared these features with those of other coal products. The findings revealed that employees’ perceptions of coal products and their characteristics varied according to their level of awareness regarding greenwashing. The results emphasize the importance of training coal depot employees to ensure consistent terminology and accurate descriptions of coal assortments, preventing potential consumer misguidance.

The article discusses the complex challenges facing the Kraków Metropolitan Area (KMA) due to rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, and social tensions. Population growth and investment in urban infrastructure are leading to significant changes in the urban landscape, with negative impacts on air quality and the availability of green spaces. Although city governments have introduced various strategies to mitigate these problems, such as the creation of the Urban Greening Agency and decarbonization initiatives, significant gaps exist, particularly in terms of representation of marginalized groups in decision-making processes. The article emphasizes the necessity of an approach that takes into account the diverse and sometimes conflicting interests and perspectives of various social groups in urban planning and environmental policy. In this respect, meeting the diverse needs of all residents becomes challenging, highlighting the need for strong leadership, community involvement, and cooperation with neighboring municipalities in striving for a sustainable and just future for the KMA. Regional cooperation in improving air quality, protecting green spaces, and promoting sustainable transportation can address these issues more effectively. The article’s message is that the choices made today will have a longterm impact on the quality of life in the KMA, and sustainable development, which combines environmental integrity with social justice, is crucial for the region’s future. The article concludes with a summary of the key findings and recommendations for future metropolitan policy and practice.