Mineral mining

Exploitation of mineral deposits is done in underground, surface or combined method, using the most appropriate mining methods.
Information on stocks and mining are processed based on the Register of reserves of exclusive deposits of the Slovak Republic (SR BZVL), which is annually produced by the department of Geofond, State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr for the SR Ministry of Environment , and on and the information provided by the Central Mining Authority.
According to the Act no. 51/1988 Coll. on Mining activity, explosives and state mining administration, section 5a, the Notification of mining operations and activities carried out by mining methods and communication of the results:
- The organization is obliged to report mining activities and activities carried out by mining method to the Circuit Mining Authority respective for the place of activity performance.
- The organization shall annually notify in writing the competent Circuit Mining Office respective for the place of activity performance of results of mining activities, activities involving mining procedures or other action under this Act for the previous year. The results shall be communicated in the report which is to be submitted not later than at the end of January of the following year.
- In the report the organization shall specify the following results of:
a) mining activities under the documentation that was the basis for the authorization of mining activities,
b) mining of non-reserved minerals deposits under the plan of deposit exploitation,
c) other action governed by this Act as required by the respective Circuit Mining Authority.
 
All organizations, even though they report the amount of extraction in thousands of m³ (e.g. building stone, gravel-sands, sands, brick clays), shall always specify the final amount of mining in kt (after calculating the average bulk density of mineral mined). This does not apply to natural gas.
 
Classification of reserves for exclusive deposits of SR is regulated by the section 14 of Act no. 44/1988 Coll. as amended, and Decree of the SGI No.6/1992 Col. on classification of reserves and reserves calculation of exclusive mineral deposits. Reserves of exclusive mineral deposit are classified into following categories according to the stage of survey, knowledge of the deposition mode, quality, technological characteristics and mining conditions:
– Z-1 (proved mineral reserves)
– Z-2 (probable mineral reserves)
– Z-3 (supposed mineral reserves)
 
According to economic viability, the reserves are classified into economic reserves and potentially economic reserves. Economic reserves are reserves currently exploitable, and comply with recent technical, technological and economic conditions of mineral deposit or its part exploitation. Potentially economic reserves are currently unusable; it is assumed that they will be exploited in the future, taking into account the expected technical, technological and economic development.
 
According to the possibility of exploitation, conditioned by mining technology, operation safety and determined safety pillars, the reserves are classified blocked reserves and free reserves.
Blocked reserves are reserves in safety pillars of opencast and underground constructions, facilities or mining works, as well as in pillars, determined for safety of operations and protected interests. Other reserves are defined as free.