Technical

Stratigraphic sequence

A simplified general stratigraphic sequence is presented as follows:

Holocene Pliocene Upper Miocene Oligo-Miocene: Upper Cretaceous Molasse:
Upper Cretaceous Flysch: Early Cretaceous: Upper Jurassic: Triassic-Jurassic:
Triassic: Permo-Triassic:

reserves of major mineral resources in Kosovo

Au

Underexplored for Gold

Billion tons  Lignite
+ 0
Million tons   Lead and Zinc
~ 0
Million tons   Nickel
< 0
Million tons  Bauxite
~ 0
Million tons  Magnesite
~ 0

Mineral deposits

Lignite

Lignite has extraordinary importance for Kosovo. It contributes 97% of the total electricity production, while the remaining part of the production, around 3%, is based on hydroelectric power plants.

Lead Zinc Silver

In the territory that Kosovo currently occupies, mining and exploitation of metals have been the main economic support since ancient times. Illyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Saxons, Ottomans, French, and British have carried out extensive mining activities in the region.

Nickel

The occurrences of nickel and cobalt are present in central Kosovo. Both elements occur together and are therefore described as combined. Ni and Co are found near Gllavica, in the north of Magura, and in Çikatovë.

Chromium

A series of Alpine-type peridotite outcrops in southwestern Kosovo are part of a linear arrangement of occurrences that extend into Albania. These outcrops are small but high-grade, and in Albania they are well-known for their high levels of Platinum Group Metals (PGM).

Bauxite

The bauxite deposits of Kosovo are found in karstified limestone formations and have been exploited through a series of mining operations, comprising the Grebnik mine. The limestone formations containing bauxite have also been utilized as construction material, and considerable waste from the quarried limestone can be found in the area.

Magnesite

Kosovo owns two magnesite (MgCO3) mines in Golesh and Strezovc. Both of these mines initially started as open-pit quarries and developed underground workings for exploitation until their closure in 1999.

Under explore for gold

Gold deposits in Kosovo are relatively underexplored compared to other minerals like lead, zinc, and nickel. While there are known occurrences of gold in the region, exploration efforts have been limited historically. This underexploitation presents an opportunity for further exploration and potential discoveries in Kosovo's gold sector.

Copper

Copper is a versatile metal known for its conductivity and widespread industrial use in sectors like electronics and construction. Kosovo has known deposits of copper, although they haven't been extensively developed. Exploiting these resources could support economic growth, but it depends on factors like market demand and environmental considerations.

Iron ore

Iron ore is a key raw material used in steel production. Kosovo has deposits of iron ore, which have been mined to a certain extent, contributing to local economic activities. The ore is primarily hematite and magnetite, processed to extract iron and other minerals essential for industrial use.

statistics

Reserves of Pb (lead), Zn (zinc), and Ag (silver)

The most important lead and zinc deposits and occurrences are found in the so-called ‘Trepča Metallogenic Belt’,
which stretches across the northern part of the Republic of Kosovo, starting from Leposaviq to Gllamë (Gjilan).
The length of the belt is over 80 km, with an average width of about 30 km.

Mine Category Ton Pb% Zn% Ag/g t
Stantërg
A+B+C1
12,319,303.00
3.96
2.61
65.44
Artanë
(Përroi i ngjyrosur+Kaltrina)
A+B+C1
7,914,014.00
2.62
3.14
106.23
Hajvali, Badovc, Kishnicë
A+B+C1
4,675,000.00
5.49
4.17
79.9
Bellobërdë
A+B+C1
1,995,979.00
7.5
5.87
87
Cërnac
A+B+C1
2,377,548.00
5.1
3.18
66
Totali
A+B+C1
28,481,844.00
4.08
3.2
80.1

The nickel-cobalt deposits

Systematic explorations in Kosovo for the discovery of nickel-cobalt deposits began in 1961.
The exploitation of nickel ore and processing-smelting of the ore, along with the extraction of the alloy Fe-Ni-Co,
began in 1984. Within the framework of Ferronickel production, two surface mines operated (Çikatova and Gllavica).

Place Category Xehe ne ton Ni% Co%
Gllavicë
A+B+C1
6,240,072.00
1.35
0.06
Çikatovë
A+B+C1
6,978,972.00
1.35
0.06
Total
A+B+C1
13,219,044.00
1.35
0.06

The bauxite deposits

The bauxite mine began operations in 1966, extracting bauxite using surface mining methods.
Before the mine closed in 1990, it achieved an annual production of up to 100,000.00 tons of bauxite.

Mine Ton Al2O3% SiO2% TiO2% Fe2O3%
Grebnik
1,700,000.00
49.00
2.25
1.50
27.50

The magnesite deposits

During the period 1964–1999, approximately 4.6 million tons of magnesite were extracted
from the Golesh magnesite mine, with a magnesium oxide (MgO) content of 44.49%, 0.2-5.0%
silicon dioxide (SiO2), and 0.2-1.5% calcium oxide (CaO).

Mine Ton MgO% SiO2% CaO%
Magurë-Golesh
2,400,000.00
46.22
2.76
0.89
Strezovc
1,700,000.00
41.29
5.35
5.35
Dubovc
964,949.00
42.85-45.86
1.29-6.7
1.26-2.78
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