Gold

Gold occurring in a few geological formations in Poland was a subject of a mining activity since the early Middle Ages. At present gold is extracted only from copper-silver deposits mined in the area of the Fore-Sudetic Monocline. Gold occurs mainly in sediments of the oxidized facies, mainly in rocks of the Weissliegendes Sandstone of the Rotliegend and lower parts of the Zechstein copper-bearing shales. Gold is recovered in the course of a technological processing of sulfide ores and imported inputs. In 2017, 571.7 kilograms of gold were recovered from Polish sulfide Cu-Ag ores and 3,648 kilograms of gold taking into account imported inputs (gold, platinum and palladium).

The gold and arsenic mine at Złoty Stok, closed in 1960, was the biggest active gold mine in the Sudety Mts. Documented gold resources of Złoty Stok deposit were estimated in 1954 at 2,000 kilograms in anticipated economic resources of the ore and 490 kilograms in the anticipated sub-economic ones. The mean content of gold in löllingite-arsenopyrite ore is 2.8 g/t of ore. This deposit was exploited after the Second World War in 1954-1960. During that period about 25% of documented resources were exploited.

Prognostic and perspective resources of gold in Poland are estimated at almost 350 tonnes*.

Prepared by: Stanisław Z. Mikulski

*Mikulski S.Z., Wojciechowski A., Oszczepalski S., 2011 - Rudy złota. In: Bilans perspektywicznych zasobów kopalin Polski wg stanu na 31 XII 2009 r. (ed. S. Wołkowicz, T. Smakowski, S. Speczik): 110-116. PIG-PIB, Warszawa.