THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA 
 
 
COMMODITY REVIEW 
299 
 
METALS 
 
 Aluminum.—The lack of aluminum raw material reserves in Czechoslovakia
created a dependence on imports of bauxite and alumina. 
 Czechoslovakia's aluminum reduction plant, with an estimated capacity of
60,000 tons, is located at Ziar nad Hronom in Central Slovakia. Ziar operates
on imported bauxite from Hungary. In 1978-79 the plant produced alumina,
aluminum, and some aluminum products. Production was below the estimated
capacity of the plant. Aluminum and special alloys from scrap were also produced
at plants in North Moravia and Central Bohemia. Capacity of the Kovohute
Bridlica manufacturing plant is estimated at 10,000 tons of foil and 26,000
tons of strip. 
 Antimony.—In 1978-79 antimony ores were mined in the Low Tatras
in
Slovakia and near Bratislava at Pezinok. Plans through 1990 emphasize the
need to modernize and increase existing mining and ore processing facilities.
Czechoslovakia erpects to export antimony by 1990. Resources of antimony
ore are mostly limited to the deposits situated in Slovakia, where extraction
is also to be concentrated in the future. Czech production, especially in
Rrasna Hora where drilling was done in 1978 around Sedlcany and Pricov, could
cover some part of antimony consttmption. The known antimony deposits in
th Czech Massiv are of a vein type with great uncertainty of mineralization.25

 Copper.—Production of copper in 1979 was approximately the same
as
in 19'18 and in 1977. Imports of copper metal from the U.S.S.R. and Poland
supplied the main requirements of Czechoslovak industry consumption. Present
Czechoslovak copper consumption is approximately 85,000 tons per year. 
 Under a long-term agreement, Czechoslovakia participated in the development
of copper production at Lubin mines in Poland. In 1978-79 copper ores were
mined in conjunction with iron ores at Rudnany (Slovakia) and near Roznava
(Slovakia), copper-lead-zinc ores in Banska Stiavnica (Slovakia), and copper
ores in the Zlate Hory (Moravia). Copper mining is to be expanded. Slovakia
appears to have good prospects regarding copper mining. 
 The new copper-lead-zinc deposits were found in Zlata Bana, Roznava, Novoveska

Huta, Slovinky, and Gelnica in 1978.26 It is believed that Slovakia will
be able to provide 16% of the country's needs of copperin the future. 
 GoId.—A new study of gold deposits was made by the Geoindustria
enterprise
of Prague. It is expected that new technologies will make it possible to
process very lean ores, so that they meet much of the longterm home demand.
It was found that what used to be regarded as copper, lead, and zinc deposits
in the Jeseniky Mountains are in fact the country's biggest gold deposits
as the value of gold far exceeds that of the other metals. Estimated metal
content is 3 grams per ton of gold-bearing ore.~ 
 Iron and Steel.—Iron ore deposits in Czechoslovakia occur in different
areas, however, only deposits in Central Czechoslovakia and in the Slovak
Ore Mountains are economically important. In 1978-79 iron ore was mainly
extracted from the Rudnany mines, located in Slovakia. Domestic production
supplied only a small part of the country's requirement of iron ore, and
the main part of the ore was imported from U.S.S.R. The rest of the ore was
imported from Brazil, Sweden, India, and Algeria. Czech participation in
the construction of the Soviet Union's ore projects in the Uk~. raine and
Kursk Magnetit Anomaly is planned to cover rising domestic requirements.

 it is estimated that total reserves of iron ore in Czechoslovakia approximate
500 million tons with average metal content of about 30%. Steel scrap isthemostimportant
domestic raw material for steel production of which nearly 8 million tons
were available in 1978.2$ Steel scrap accounted for more than 50% of steel
production. About 40% of the processed steel scrap comes from the Prumysl
Kovoveho Odpadru (Industry of Metal Scrap) enterprise and its Kovosrot subdivision.
Investments in the iron and steel industry during 1978 totaled about Kcs5.7
billion. 
 The production of pig iron and steel in 1979 was below the 1978 level. It
is anticipated that output of pig iron will reach 10.5 million tons in 1980
and 12.8 million tons in 1990. Crude steel production is planned to reach
16.3 million tons in 1980 and 20.4 million tons in 1990. 
 Czechoslovakia's plans for the steel industry are to reduce the open hearths
produc