Bulgary

Bulgaria was an important regional producer of nonferrous metal ores and concentrates, and was mostly self-sufficient in mineral requirements. Mining and metalworking in the region was well documented by Roman times, when Bulgaria and Romania, known respectively as Thrace and Dacia, were important sources of base and precious metals. Small quantities of bismuth, chromite, copper, gold, iron, lead, magnesite, manganese, molybdenum, palladium, platinum, silver, tellurium, tin, uranium, and zinc were mined, as well as the industrial minerals anhydrite, asbestos fiber, barite, bentonite, common clays, refractory clays, dolomite, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, kaolin, industrial lime, limestone, nitrogen (in ammonia), perlite, pyrites, salt (all types), sand and gravel, silica (quartz sand), calcined sodium carbonate, dimension stone, sulfur (content of pyrite), sulfuric acid, and crushed stone. Most of the copper deposits were within a roughly 50 km-wide (30 mi) swath from Burgas in the east, to the former Yugoslavia in the west, and almost all was produced by two enterprises, Asarel-Medet, at Panagurishte, and Elatzite-Med, at Srednogorie; copper was also mined at Burgas and Malko Turnovo. Lead and zinc were mined chiefly in the Rhodope Mountains, at Madan and Rudozem. Production outputs for 2000 were: gold, 2,347 kg in 2000, down from 3,390 in 1996; gross copper, 22.8 million tons; barite ore (run of mine), 8.75 million tons, up from 285,000 in 1997, 452,197 in 1998, and 1.12 million in 1999; limestone and dolomite, 11 million tons; industrial lime, 1.39 million tons; and silica, 690,000 tons. Manganese ore production was zero in 1999 and 2000; it was 55,600 tons in 1998.
Navan Resources, of Ireland, obtained a new exploration license for gold in "highly prospective" southeastern Bulgaria. The Krumovgrad region, already known for the presence of epithermal gold mineralization, showed 110 million tons of ore grading 2.2 grams per ton gold and 8.8 grams per ton silver. Navan was also exploring a promising copper mineralization at Pozharevo, in western Srednegoria, and had a 92% interest in the Chelopech gold and copper mine. The UK's Hereward Ventures won a tender for the Dikanyite exploration license, south of Sofia, a gold-producing area in antiquity that was associated with shear zones. The Asarel-Medet copper mining and beneficiation complex was privatized in 1999 through a management-employee buyout. In 2000, 80% of KCM SA, the country's producer of lead and zinc, was sold to its management.
In 1998, the National Program for Sustainable Development of Mining in Bulgaria was drafted and approved, and the Underground Resources Act was enacted. The latter, which aimed to promote private enterprise and foreign investment, stipulated that underground mineral wealth was the property of the state, and provided for claims by domestic and foreign companies for the development and operation of mineral deposits for up to 35 years with potential 15-year extensions. Improved economic performance at the end of the 1990s, the significant shift away from economic uncertainties during the transition from central economic planning, improving political stability in the Balkans, and greater investor confidence in the legal underpinnings of the growing privatization process combined to contribute to the $1 billion net foreign investment in 2000, one-third more than in 1999.


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source:http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Bulgaria-MINING.html

Mining stocks worth 28 billion euros in Greece

Mining stocks worth 28 billion euros is estimated that there are in the Greekunderground, as stated by Minister for the Environment, Energy and ClimateChange, John Maniatis, citing a study of the Institute of Geology and MineralExploration (IGME).

Speaking in Greek-Chinese 'Business Conference ", G. Maniatis heralded theinternational public tender for the leasing of public mining, according to the specificproposals for the recovery sought by the government.

Gas: 1.5 trillion. cubic meters south of Crete

At 1.5 trillion. cubic meters of natural gas deposits determines that exist in the maritime area between Frangocastello Plakias, southern Crete, Professor of Geology and Professor Emeritus at the University of Crete, Anthony Foscolo.

In particular, the occasion and government communications for direct marketingprocesses to exploit the mineral wealth of Greece, Mr. Foscolo said that the scientific community sees a positive way these initiatives.
According to the professor, "the energy future of Europe, North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean and Greece, which has more reserves."
Mr. Foscolo argues that "there are three pieces. The first is that we must exploit the mineral wealth to draw debts. The second, that this mineral wealth to Europe's needs. This message has not been passed by the Greek government for the Europeans: Gentlemen, you'll need energy after 2015, this energy we have and we will give it. And the third is the geopolitical power that we acquire.
Natural gas is the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus Israel, Egypt and Lebanon should be directed to the European Union, via Crete. So this time Crete is a "key" scary. Not only because it has the mineral wealth, but because this time all the mineral wealth that has the Eastern Mediterranean will pass through the island, "said Mr. Foscolo.
As regards the investigations will take place in Crete professor said:
"We'll go down between Plakias and Frangocastello is one piece, another piece of big piece is the piece south of Gavdos. Has stock, how do not know. What I can say with certainty is that the piece between Plakias and Frangocastello the count to be 1.5 trillion cubic meters of gas. "Trying to give a comparative size in relation to the deposits of Prinos, Mr. Foscolo said:
"The West has 20 before Greece and Crete has 2,000 before."

Mineral deposits worth 40 billion available to Greece

Greece has a readily exploitable mineral reserves, the total economic value of 38.2billion euros (based on metals prices in late 2010).
This revelation made ​​in the newspaper "Equivalence", General Director ofExploration, an associate professor of Geology and Paleontology, University of Athens Kostas Papavasiliou and lists unique items, as noted, already in the handsof the government.


professor at an exclusive interview with the newspaper, responds to questions from journalists on the mineral deposits in Greece.

Big fossil found in Albania and Kosovo worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

In Albania and Kosovo are large mineral deposits worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Most important in Kosovo, is the largest deposits of coal in Europe, also found gold, silver, arsenic, thallium, bismuth iron and other metals.
Also in Albania and Kosovo are deposits of ore, chromium, bauxite, copper, nickel, silica, magnesium and cobalt.
 During the last years huge explorations have taken place in northern Albania, especially in Tropoje and Kukes. According to the Albanian company Minerals & Bytyci geologist engineer Shpk stressed that there were 100 new positions chrome ore in Tropoje.
According to Italian and American engineers working for the Albanian company Mineral Bytyci Shpk this vast range of Tropoje to Kukes have a computer more than 500 million tons of chrome ore. New geological surveys and chemical results have shown a surprising amount of metals in northern Albania and Kosovo. There are also large quantities of magnesium and nickel.
The Albanian government has done a terrific job in building roads, to the extraction point. The value of the metals have been discovered in Albania and Kosovo more than 100 billion dollars as feedstock.Albanian Minerals in New York are raising interest in capacity building, and the amount of money invested plan to triple the amount of investment in the region.
We have created a partnership and a joint venture with the largest companies in the world, companies marketing business, "said government official. "The potential of mining in Albania and Kosovo is more than anyone ever imagined.This will create a strong economic development in Albania, Kosovo and the entire Balkans. "