Minerals of the Czech Republic

The Mineral commodity summaries of the Czech Republic have been published since 1992 with the aim of providing information on minerals in the Czech Republic as well as abroad.

The publication includes selected data on the principal minerals of the Czech Republic that are or, until recently, were of industrial importance. Since 2009, it also includes minerals whose reserves or resources (approved and unapproved) have not been mined in the Czech Republic in the past. Also included are minerals unmined in the present and past, without existing resources and reserves, which are items of Czech foreign trade that can be monitored via tariff items. The publication contains basic information on the state of and changes in the mineral reserves of the Czech Republic as presented in the "Register of Mineral Deposit Reserves of the Czech Republic", which is provided to a limited number of state authorities. The publication also contains information on the prices of mineral commodities, their technological characteristics and use, imports and exports, major producers, and areal distribution of resources. It provides perspectives on the mineral potential of the Czech Republic and on investment in mining projects. This is also aided by the newly listed prognostic resources, both officially approved by the Commission for Projects and Final Reports (KPZ) of the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) in categories P1, P2, P3, and unapproved by the KPZ (mentioned only in expert reports).

As the state information system and international collaboration progressively develop, additional statistical data are added, taking into account the comments of readers.

The mineral reserves listed are defined as geological reserves, i.e. reserves present in their original state in the deposits and classified according to their economic viablity. The data are based on calculations of reserves approved or verified by the Commission for Classification of Mineral Reserves or on calculations approved by the Commission for Exploration and Exploitation of Reserved Minerals of the former Ministry of Economic Policy and Development and the Ministry of Economy, or by the former commissions for reserves management in individual mining and manufacturing industries. Reserves are currently approved by the KPZ of the MoE or by organizations awarding geological projects.

The Mineral Commodity Summaries of the Czech Republic includes minerals selected according to whether they are or were mined in the Czech Republic. Currently mined minerals also include approved prognostic resources, if existing. Currently unmined minerals are divided into those that were mined in the past and those that have never been mined. In both cases, it is distinguished whether their resources and reserves are known or not and, generally, also whether they are metallic ores or non-metallic minerals. Separate chapters are dedicated to each mineral, or mineral grouping common in its deposit. Each chapter is structured identically. The chapters of currently mined minerals listed - mineral fuels, industrial and construction minerals, and metallic ores, which are of economic importance and of substantial reserves in the territory of the Czech Republic - consist of eleven parts.

Part 1. Characteristics and use - provides a basic description of a commodity, its occurrence in nature, use, principal minerals and general economics.

Part 2. Mineral resources of the Czech Republic - describes the main areas of occurrence, deposit characteristics, ore types, mine production and potential use.

Part 3. Registered deposits and other resources of the Czech Republic - is based on an inventory of mineral deposits of the Czech Republic and includes a list of deposits and the areal distribution for most of the minerals. The names of exploited deposits are written in bold. No individual deposits are listed for energy minerals and specific industrial minerals, only deposit areas or basins are shown. The localities of dimension stone and construction mineral deposits, hundreds of which occur throughout the territory of the Czech Republic, are indicated in categories of reserved, non-reserved, exploited and unexploited deposits.

Part 4. Basic statistical data of the Czech Republic, as of 31 December – taken from the ‘Register of Mineral Deposit Reserves (hereinafter the “Register”). The economic viability of three mineral commodity groups (metallic ores, energy minerals, industrial and construction minerals) is monitored in the Czech Republic. In addition, the mining of non-reserved deposits has been monitored since 1999.

NOTE: The Register presents the reserves data in the categories on exploration (prospected, explored) and economic use (economic, potentially economic), as stipulated by relevant statutes starting with the Mining Act. Reserves include potentially economic reserves, i.e. reserves which are currently not recoverable and which are, therefore, potentially economic resources. Consequently, total mineral reserves are in reality total mineral resources. The term reserves as used, by contrast, in standard international classifications represents only the parts of explored resources which are available for immediate extraction. All other registered parts are resources, not reserves, of a given mineral. The relationship of domestic and foreign classifications of mineral reserves and resources is described in the separate chapter of this yearbook “Mineral reserve and resource classification in the Czech Republic and its evolutional comparison with international classifications”.

Part 5. Foreign trade - provides export and import information on tariff items related to a given mineral commodity. Foreign trade data are based on the latest (continuously updated) information from the Czech Statistical Office.

Part 6. Domestic market and foreign trade prices – provides indicative prices on domestic production of mineral commodities, import and export prices. Domestic prices do not include VAT.

Part 7. Mining companies in the Czech Republic as of December 31 – provides a list of companies mining the given mineral in the territory of the Czech Republic. The companies are listed according to production level. Their addresses are available from the Czech Geological Survey (CGS).

Part 8. World production - covers mineral production or production of marketable products during the last five years, as well as important world producers, i.e. the top five to ten countries in terms of world production.

Part 9. World market prices – summarizes the development of world prices during the last five years and prices quoted or reached during trading under present conditions.

Part 10. Recycling – brief description of possible recycling methods used worldwide.

Part 11. Substitutes - provides an assessment and list of possible mineral substitutes used worldwide.

The publication includes data from domestic and foreign journals, expert literature, and the latest editions of various international statistical summaries.

Czech and English editions of the Mineral Commodity Summaries of the Czech Republic can be ordered in print or electronic form from the CGS. Older Czech and English editions are also available in electronic form.