Albania mining; Mineral resources reserves and locations, development and projects

Published on 10. July 2014., SEE Energy News

Albania is a country rich in various mineral resources. The discovery, exploitation and processing, is an important activity for the country’s economy. Traditionally, after 1944, extractive industries and mineral processing as chromium, copper, iron, coal, has provided substantial income.
The development of the mining industry has gone through three phases:

1. The first phase includes period until 1945. This phase is marked by two important events for the mining industry. In 1922, an index of the Geological Map of Albania, the first of its kind in the Balkans. In 1929, was drafted and approved the Mining Law of the Kingdom of Albania, the first in Albania, on the basis of which work began on the discovery and exploitation of minerals.
2. Stage two includes period until 1994, the year in which it was adopted “Mining Law of Albania”, with World Bank assistance. In this phase, 1945-1994, the mining activity was centralized in the hands of the totalitarian state and the organization was in the form of state-owned enterprises.
3. Third phase covers the period after 1944 until today. At this stage totally privatized mines and currently there is no mine in activity, which is state owned.
Chromium
Albania produced a maximum of 1.3 million tons per year. And today, even though the number of miners is greater than before the 90s, the country produces about 400 thousand tons, ie about 35% of production then. Actually there are about 150 subjects working in the chrome. Massif largest chrome reserves in place is the Has-Tropojë and occupies an area of approximately 794 km ².
Copper
Before the 90s our country has produced about 1.4 million tons of copper ore. During this time was put into use more mines, enrichment factories were built 7 and 3 copper processing plant. The processing is done in closed production cycles Catholic copper, electrolytic and cables, as well as reveal about 150 to 200 kg of gold and 1.5 tons of silver, as the latter stay connected with their appearance in nature. Copper resisted the transition and work continued agreeably to 1996. After 1997 – ’98, the copper industry was fully closed, to reopen later time. In total, about 68 million are discovered copper ore. In his main potential fields have Puka, Mirdita, less Korce, Kukes, Has and Shkodra.
Iron-nickel and nickel silicate
Nickel silicate mineral is leading the country, because it is the only mineral for which Albania with deposits estimated reserves of medium size, and furthermore is quite lucrative, if we can develop its processing industry. Before ’90, ferro-nickel produced have averaged 1.4 million tons. He further refine the production of pig iron and steel. Today, his problem is capacity, as the market continues to be low and also the price level. After the destruction of Metallurgic in Elbasan, all current production, which runs at about 100-150 thousand tons per year, entirely exported as ore in Macedonia and Kosovo.
Titanium
The second is mineral wealth. Estimated to be about 130 million tons of reserves, but so far have not been brought to light because of the extraction industry and its processing is very costly. His mineralization found in the Kashnjeti Sukaxhi and Ungrej and Puka, Ulza, Tropojë Berisha, Kaçinar, Tuff of Lurth
Uranium
There are two main areas of use of this mineral, to produce weapons of mass destruction and for producing electricity. In our country, this mineral studies are still at the research level, however, to the extent studied, geological reserves estimated in the spring of our Nimçës are about 29,000, with 0.77% uranium content
Bear
The only known source of gold in our country is the Gjazuj gas field, but this remains an unproven thesis, because it’s never been done perfectly by drilling parameters set.