The handbook "Mineral Commodity Summaries of the Czech Republic", published for the eighth time, is intended to provide information for professionals and particularly for businessmen in order to assist them in developing small and medium size enterprises in mineral exploration and mining in line with both relevant legislation and interests of mining organizations.
The publication also includes basic data extracted from the "Register of Reserves of Mineral Deposits", which is further elaborated for only a limited number of Governmental Departments.
Information on prices of minerals, their technological parameters and exploitation, imports and exports, major mining companies and locations of mineral deposits is intended to assist in understanding the mineral potential of the Czech Republic and to stimulate investment activities when considering mining of minerals.
Based upon progress in the national information system and international cooperation, the publication is thoroughly supplied with appropriate statistical data and comments from readers will be taken into consideration when publishing further issues.
The term mineral reserves refers to geological and/or total reserves which means original reserves within individual deposits, calculated according to a assessed classification and conditions of their utilization. The basic data come from calculations of mineral reserves which were approved or verified in the past by the Commission for Classification of Mineral Resources and/or reserves approved by the Board of Minerals, Exploration and Mining of the former Ministry of Economy of the Czech Republic or those approved by former commissions for control and utilization of mineral reserves of individual mining and processing industries. Recently there are reserves approved by the Comission for Projects and Final Reports of the MŽP ÈR or by bodies ordering geological works.
Geological reserves on reserved deposits of reserved and non-reserved minerals - as of December 31, 1999 - exceeded 47,000 mill. tons with majority of mineral fuels and building materials. The Ministry of the Environment together with the Ministry of Industry and Trade have recently announced a project of recalculation of reserves of regale minerals which will lead to a fundamental economic revaluation of the mineral wealth of the Czech Republic. That´s why many changes have occurred in volume of reserves or deposits of many minerals (especially ores) in comparisn with recent years.
The year-book "Mineral Commodity Summaries of the Czech Republic" includes all minerals, i.e. metallic ores, mineral fuels, industrial minerals and building materials which are of economic importance and reserves on the territory of the Czech Republic. Each mineral is presented in an individual chapter consisting of ten parts.
Part 1. Characteristics and uses - provides a basic description of the mineral raw material, its abundance in nature, major minerals and general use.
Part 2. Mineral resources of the Czech Republic - describes major regions of their occurrence, characteristics of their deposits, types, production and potential use.
Part 3. Registered deposits of the Czech Republic - is based upon the register of mineral deposits of the Czech Republic and for the majority of minerals it includes a summary of individual deposits and their location. As for mineral fuels and some industrial minerals only regions and basins are shown rather than single deposits. As for dimension stone and building materials, hundreds of these deposits are scattered over the whole territory of the Czech Republic. Consequently, no summary or location is given in this paragraph.
Part 4. Basic statistical data of the Czech Republic as of December 31, are extracted from the "Reserves register" and from the ÈSÚ statistical data on mineral imports and exports.There are 3 groups of minerals (ores, mineral fuels and reserved industrial minerals) balanced in the Czech Republic. Statistical data has not covered up data of the Register of Reserves of Non-reserved Mineral Deposits yet. Data on foreign trade are the latest (continuously reviewed) data of the ÈSÚ.
Part 5. Prices - gives prices of orientation on domestic production, import and export prices. Domestic prices are without VAT.
Part 6. Mining companies in the Czech Republic. This part gives a list of companies which are mining the given mineral on the territory of the Czech Republic. The companies are arranged according to the level of production. Their addresses are at disposal in Geofond of the ÈR.
Part 7. World production gives data on mining and production of commercial products for the last 5 years. There are also quoted significant world producers, i.e. top producers in the world market.
Part 8. World prices - gives a summary of prices and their evolution in the last five years as well as prices based upon quotations or prices negotiated in contracts.
Part 9. Recycling - gives a brief description of possible recycling methods known in the world.
Part 10. Substitutes - this paragraph provides an appraisal of materials which can substitute for the given mineral (worldwide).
Numerous domestic data and foreign materials were used when compiling the present yearbook, especially data from journals and last editions of statistical yearbooks (for example Welt Bergbau Daten 99, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2000).