Chalk

2022

General information and occurrence

Chalk is a calcareous, soft and porous sedimentary rock characterized by a high calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) content and a very fine-grained structure. It is used mainly i.a.: rubber, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, ceramic and cement industries; for the production of paints and lacquers, plastic, building materials, in the agriculture as a fertilizer chalk for the soil liming and as a fodder chalk for the animals breeding. The natural raw materials of a given characteristic and use are being also obtained as a result of milling of other types of limy rocks and through a process of solutions precipitation.

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to 2 different mineral raw materials: proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature) and lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa). The raw materials differ in an origin, a chemical composition and use.

The proper chalk is an organogenic marine sediment of a white or creamy color constituted mainly from the planktonic organisms remains: coccoliths and crusts of forams. In Poland, it occurs in the Cretaceous sediments in the Lubelszczyzna area and in the area of north-eastern Poland where the Cretaceous deposits occur in the form of ice floats within the Quaternary sediments. In the vicinities of Kornica and Mielnik on the Bug river on the border of Mazowieckie and Podlaskie Voivodeships there have been 22 deposits of ‘writing chalk’ documented, and 1 deposit in Pomorskie Voivodeship. In the Lubelszczyzna area, in the vicinities of Chełm. ‘writing chalk’ is exploited for the cement production. The deposits occurring in this region are presented in the chapter Limestones and marls for cement and lime industries.

The lacustrine chalk is usually of white, white-yellow or grey color and is a very humid, clammy mass. It originates from the biochemical precipitation and the accumulations of a carbonate sediment on the lake bottoms. The significant role in this process play plants which pick up a dissolved calcium dioxide (CO₂) from water. This results in solution saturation changes and a calcite crystallization. Sediments of this type contain mainly carbonates and organic matter and detritic material brought from the land. The name of ‘lacustrine chalk’ is used for the sediments with the minimum content 80% of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), whereas the sediment containing 50-80% of calcium carbonate is called as calcareous gyttja. Very often the lacustrine chalk and gyttja beds occur below the peat beds. It results from the shallowing and encroachment of a sedimentary reservoir (lake). The lacustrine chalk deposits in Poland are usually of the Quaternary age and occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland. The Neogene chalk accumulations are known in the Bełchatów vicinities where they occur within the tectonic structure called as Kleszczów trough. The formations filled this trough contain the brown coal beds which are the subject of exploitation.

The chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment of the 1^st of July 2015 on the geological documentation of a raw material deposit, excluding a hydrocarbon field (number of Polish act: Dz. U. 2015, poz. 987) the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit and its boundaries (Appendix 8) are:

• lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja (table 38) are documented with the minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to the deposit thickness of 0.3 and the minimum general alkalinity expressed per CaO in dry mass of 40%
• proper (‘writing’) chalk (table 39) is being documented to the maximum depth of 70 m, with the maximum overburden of 15 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and the minimum weighted average of the CaCO₃ content in a deposit profile of 80%.

Resources and output

Table 1 shows resources and the current state of the exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

The total anticipated economic resources of chalk and calcareous gyttja in 2022 amounted to 207.180 million tonnes, including 35.484 million tonnes (17.1% of the total resources) of proper (‘writing’) chalk and 170.551 million tonnes (82.9%) of lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja. The resources increased by 0.877 million tonnes (it means by 0.4%) in comparison with the previous year.

In 2022, there was a new geological documentation approved for the lacustrine chalk deposit Lubiatowo V (1.233 million tonnes), located in Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship.

There were also 3 new documentations with recalculated resources approved for the following deposits:

• Bachorza III (Mazowieckie Voivodeship) – after the settlement of the previous exploitation and the decision of the current resources state (0.062 million tonnes) the Bachorza III deposit was crossed out from the domestic registry – as the result of including the deposit area and deposit resources into the neighboring Bachorza VI deposit;
• Bachorza VI (Mazowieckie Voivodeship) – the resources were updated within the previous deposit boundaries and the resources were settled within the new boundaries after including the Bachorza III deposit area from the east and the areas adjacent form the west;
• Perlino (Pomorskie Voivodeship) – there was a new documentation with recalculated resources prepared – due to the exploitation end; non-exploited resources (0.021 million tonnes) are classified as losses.

The output of chalk in 2022 was carried out from 10 deposits and amounted to 0.348 million tonnes. The volume increased by 0.046 million tonnes in comparison with 2021 (that is by about 15%). The exploitation of proper chalk was carried out from 8 deposits. The output was equal 0.288 million tonnes (83% of the total chalk output) – by 0.030 million tonnes (12%) more than in 2021. Lacustrine chalk was exploited from 2 deposits. The exploitation amounted to 0.060 million tonnes (17% of the total domestic output). The output increased by 0.016 million tonnes (36%) in comparison with 2021.

Lacustrine chalk (and other ‘accompanying raw materials’) is also temporarily recovered from the overburden of brown coal beds in the vicinities of Bełchatów – in the course of preparing the beds for the exploitation. In 2022 from the Bełchatów-pole Szczerców deposit there were 0.519 million tonnes of chalk exploited (the amount is not included in the Tables 1 and 2).

The economic resources of chalk are currently documented for 8 deposits (from which 4 deposits were exploited in 2022) and amount to 12.373 million tonnes which accounts for about 85% of the total anticipated economic resources of these deposits. In comparison with the previous year the economic resources decreased by 0.289 million tonnes (2.3%).

Most of the chalk and calcareous gyttja deposits are located within the Lakelands areas in Wielkopolska region, on Lubusz Land, on Pomerania region, on Masuria region, on Warmia region and on Suwalszczyzna region. These are also the prospective areas of the raw material occurrences*.

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2022.

 

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

* Jurys L., 2020 – ‘Kreda jeziorna i gytia wapienna (lacustrine chalc)’. In: ‘Bilans perspektywicznych zasobów kopalin Polski wg stanu na 31.12.2018 r.’ (eds. Szamałek K., Szuflicki M., Mizerski W.): 368-370. PIG-PIB, Warszawa [in Polish].

2021

General information and occurrence

Chalk is a calcareous, soft and porous sedimentary rock characterized by a high calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) content and a very fine-grained structure. It is used mainly i.a.: rubber, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, ceramic and cement industries; for the production of paints and lacquers, plastic, building materials, in the agriculture as a fertilizer chalk for the soil liming and as a fodder chalk for the animals breeding. The natural raw materials of a given characteristic and use are being also obtained as a result of milling of other types of limy rocks and through a process of solutions precipitation.

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature) and lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa). The raw materials differ in an origin, a chemical composition and use.

The proper chalk is an organogenic marine sediment of a white or creamy color constituted mainly from the planktonic organisms remains: coccoliths and crusts of forams. In Poland, it occurs in the Cretaceous sediments in the Lubelszczyzna area and in the area of north-eastern Poland where the Cretaceous deposits occur in the form of ice floats within the Quaternary sediments. In the vicinities of Kornica and Mielnik on the Bug river on the border of Mazowieckie and Podlaskie Voivodeships there have been 22 deposits of ‘writing chalk’ documented, and 1 deposit in Pomorskie Voivodeship. In the Lubelszczyzna area, in the vicinities of Chełm. ‘writing chalk’ is exploited for the cement production. The deposits occurring in this region are presented in the chapter Limestones and marls for cement and lime industries.

The lacustrine chalk is usually of white, white-yellow or grey color and is a very humid, clammy mass. It originates from the biochemical precipitation and the accumulations of a carbonate sediment on the lake bottoms. The significant role in this process play plants which pick up a dissolved calcium dioxide (CO₂) from water. This results in solution saturation changes and a calcite crystallization. Sediments of this type contain mainly carbonates and organic matter and detritic material brought from the land. The name of ‘lacustrine chalk’ is used for the sediments with the minimum content 80% of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), whereas the sediment containing 50-80% of calcium carbonate is called as calcareous gyttja. Very often the lacustrine chalk and gyttja beds occur below the peat beds. It results from the shallowing and encroachment of a sedimentary reservoir (lake). The lacustrine chalk deposits in Poland are usually of the Quaternary age and occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland. The Neogene chalk accumulations are known in the Bełchatów vicinities where they occur within the tectonic structure called as Kleszczów trough. The formations filled this trough contain the brown coal beds which are the subject of exploitation.

The chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment of the 1^st of July 2015 on the geological documentation of a raw material deposit, excluding a hydrocarbon field (number of Polish act: Dz. U. 2015, poz. 987) the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit and its boundaries (Appendix 8) are:

• lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja (table 38) are documented with the minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to the deposit thickness of 0.3 and the minimum general alkalinity expressed per CaO in dry mass of 40%
• proper (‘writing’) chalk (table 39) is being documented to the maximum depth of 70 m, with the maximum overburden of 15 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and the minimum weighted average of the CaCO₃ content in a deposit profile of 80%.

Resources and output

Table 1 shows resources and the current state of the exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

The total anticipated economic resources of chalk and calcareous gyttja in 2021 amounted to 206.303 million tonnes, including 35.752 million tonnes (17.3% of the total resources) of proper (‘writing’) chalk and 170.551 million tonnes (82.7%) of lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja. The resources decreased by 0.314 million tonnes (it means by 0.2%) in comparison with the previous year.

In 2021, any new decision approving a geological documentation or a supplement to such a documentation was issued, therefore any resources changes were recorded.

The output of chalk in 2021 was carried out from 12 deposits and amounted to 0.302 million tonnes. The volume increased by 0.063 million tonnes in comparison with 2020 (that is by 26%). The exploitation of proper chalk was carried out from 9 deposits. The output was equal 0.258 million tonnes (85% of the total chalk output) – by 0.052 million tonnes (25%) more than in 2020. Lacustrine chalk was exploited from 3 deposits. The exploitation amounted to 0.044 million tonnes (15% of the total domestic output). The output increased by 0.011 million tonnes (33%) in comparison with 2020.

Lacustrine chalk (and other ‘accompanying raw materials’) is also temporarily recovered from the overburden of brown coal beds in the vicinities of Bełchatów – in the course of preparing the beds for the exploitation. In 2021 from the Bełchatów-pole Szczerców deposit there were 0.049 million tonnes of chalk exploited (the amount is not included in the Tables 1 and 2).

The economic resources of chalk are currently documented for 8 deposits (from which 6 deposits were exploited in 2021) and amount to 12.662 million tonnes which accounts for about 86% of the total anticipated economic resources of these deposits. In comparison with the previous year the economic resources decreased by 0.255 million tonnes (2%).

Most of the chalk and calcareous gyttja deposits are located within the Lakelands areas in Wielkopolska region, on Lubusz Land, on Pomerania region, on Masuria region, on Warmia region and on Suwalszczyzna region. These are also the prospective areas of the raw material occurrences*.

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2021.

 

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

* Jurys L., 2020 – ‘Kreda jeziorna i gytia wapienna (lacustrine chalc)’. In: ‘Bilans perspektywicznych zasobów kopalin Polski wg stanu na 31.12.2018 r.’ (eds. Szamałek K., Szuflicki M., Mizerski W.): 368-370. PIG-PIB, Warszawa [in Polish].

2020

General information and occurrence

Chalk is a calcareous, soft and porous sedimentary rock characterized by a high calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) content and a very fine-grained structure. It is used mainly i.a.: rubber, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, ceramic and cement industries; for the production of paints and lacquers, plastic, building materials, in the agriculture as a fertilizer chalk for the soil liming and as a fodder chalk for the animals breeding. The natural raw material is being increasingly replaced by lime meals doming from the processing of limestones and marbles and by a raw material gained from the process of solutions precipitation.

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature) and lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa). The raw materials differ in an origin, a chemical composition and use.

The proper chalk is an organogenic marine sediment of a white or creamy color constituted mainly from the planktonic organisms remains: coccoliths and crusts of forams. In Poland, it occurs in Cretaceous sediments in the Lubelszczyzna area and in the area of north-eastern Poland where Cretaceous deposits occur in the form of ice floats within Quaternary sediments. In the vicinities of Kornica and Mielnik on the Bug river on the border of Mazowieckie and Podlaskie Voivodeships there have been 22 deposits of ‘writing chalk’ documented, and 1 deposit in Pomorskie Voivodeship. In the Lubelszczyzna area, in the vicinities of Chełm. ‘writing chalk’ is exploited for the cement production. The deposits occurring in this region are presented in the chapter Limestones and marls for cement and lime industries.

The lacustrine chalk is usually of white, white-yellow or grey color and is a very humid, clammy mass. It originates from the biochemical precipitation and the accumulations of a carbonate sediment on the lake bottoms. The significant role in this process play plants which pick up a dissolved calcium dioxide (CO₂) from water. This results in solution saturation changes and a calcite crystallization. Except for carbonates, lacustrine sediments contain the organic matter and the material brought from the land. Lacustrine chalk and gyttja usually contain minimum 80% of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), whereas the sediment containing 50-80% of calcium carbonate is called as calcerous gyttja. Very often the lacustrine chalk and gyttja beds occur below the peat beds. It results from the shallowing and encroachment of a sedimentary reservoir (lake). The lacustrine chalk deposits in Poland are usually of the Quaternary age and occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland. The Neogene chalk accumulations are known in the Bełchatów vicinities where they occur within the overburden of the exploited brown coal beds.

The chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment of the 1^st of July 2015 on the geological documentation of a raw material deposit, excluding a hydrocarbon field (number of Polish act: Dz. U. 2015, poz. 987) the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit and its boundaries (Appendix 8) are:

• lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja (table 38) are documented with the minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to the deposit thickness of 0.3 and the minimum general alkalinity expressed per CaO in dry mass of 40%
• proper (‘writing’) chalk (table 39) is being documented to the maximum depth of 70 m, with the maximum overburden of 15 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and the minimum weighted average of the CaCO₃ content in a deposit profile of 80%.

Resources and output

Table 1 shows resources and the current state of the exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

The total anticipated economic resources of chalk and calcareous gyttja in 2020 amounted to 206.617 million tonnes, including 36.010 million tonnes (17.4% of the total resources) of proper (‘writing’) chalk and 170.607 million tonnes (82.6%) of lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja. The resources decreased by 0.202 million tonnes (it means by 0.1%) in comparison with the previous year.

In 2020, there was 1 new deposit included in ‘The balance…’ – Kornica Nowa III (0.049 million tonnes) located in Mazowieckie Voivodeship (the exploitation started in 2020).

The output of chalk in 2020 was carried out from 12 deposits and amounted to 0.239 million tonnes. The volume dropped by 0.071 million tonnes in comparison with 2019 (that is by 22.9%). The exploitation of proper chalk was carried out from 9 deposits. The output was equal 0.206 million tonnes (86% of the total chalk output) – by 0.064 million tonnes (24%) less than in 2019. Lacustrine chalk was recovered from 3 deposits. The exploitation amounted to 0.033 million tonnes (14% of the total domestic output). The output decreased by 0.007 million tonnes (17%) in comparison with 2019.

Lacustrine chalk is also temporarily recovered from the overburden of brown coal beds in the vicinities of Bełchatów. In 2020 from Bełchatów-pole Szczerców deposit there were 0.007 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk exploited (the amount is not included in the Tables 1 and 2).

The economic resources of chalk are currently documented for 8 deposits and amount to 12.917 million tonnes which accounts for 85.8% of the total anticipated economic resources of these deposits. In comparison with the previous year the economic resources decreased by 1.071 million tonnes (7.7%). The drop resulted from: – the exploitation and losses; – the crossing out from ‘The balance…’ the resources within the abolished mining area Dębina III (−0.906 million tonnes); – the establishing of economic resources in the newly documented Kornica Nowa III deposit (+0.039 million tonnes).

Most of the chalk and calcareous gyttja deposits are located within the Lakelands areas in Wielkopolska region, on Lubusz Land, on Pomerania region, on Masuria region, on Warmia region and on Suwalszczyzna region. These are also the prospective areas of the raw material occurrences*.

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2020.

 

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

* Jurys L., 2020 – ‘Kreda jeziorna i gytia wapienna (lacustrine chalc)’. In: ‘Bilans perspektywicznych zasobów kopalin Polski wg stanu na 31.12.2018 r.’ (eds. Szamałek K., Szuflicki M., Mizerski W.): 368-370. PIG-PIB, Warszawa [in Polish].

2019

General information and occurrence

Chalk is a calcareous, soft and porous sedimentary rock characterized by a high calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) content and a very fine-grained structure. It is used mainly i.a.: rubber, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, ceramic and cement industries; for the production of paints and lacquers, plastic, building materials, in the agriculture as a fertilizer chalk for the soil liming and as a fodder chalk for the animals breeding. The natural raw material is being increasingly replaced by lime meals doming from the processing of limestones and marbles and by a raw material gained from the process of solutions precipitation.

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature) and lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa). The raw materials differ in an origin, a chemical composition and use.

The proper chalk is an organogenic marine sediment of a white or creamy color constituted mainly from planktonic organism remains: coccoliths and crusts of forams. In Poland, it occurs in Cretaceous sediments in the Lubelszczyzna area and in the area of north-eastern Poland where Cretaceous deposits occur in the form of ice floats within Quaternary sediments. In the vicinities of Kornica and Mielnik on the Bug river on the border of Mazowieckie and Podlaskie Voivodeships there have been 21 deposits of ‘writing chalk’ documented, from which 9 were exploited in 2019. In the Lubelszczyzna area, in the vicinities of Chełm. ‘writing chalk’ is exploited for the cement production. The deposits occurring in this region are presented in the chapter Limestones and marls for cement and lime industries.

The lacustrine chalk is usually of white, white-yellow or grey color and is a very humid, clammy mass. It originates from the biochemical precipitation and the accumulations of a carbonate sediment on the lake bottoms. The significant role in this process play plants which pick up a dissolved calcium dioxide (CO₂) from water. This results in solution saturation changes and a calcite crystallization. Except for carbonates, lacustrine sediments contain the organic matter and the material brought from the land. Lacustrine chalk and gyttja usually contain minimum 80% of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), whereas the sediment containing 50-80% of calcium carbonate is called as calcerous gyttja. Very often the lacustrine chalk and gyttja beds occur below the peat beds. It results from the shallowing and encroachment of a sedimentary reservoir (lake). The lacustrine chalk deposits in Poland are usually of the Quaternary age and occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland. The Neogene chalk accumulations are known in the Bełchatów vicinities where they occur within the overburden of the exploited brown coal beds.

The chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment of the 1^st of July 2015 on the geological documentation of a raw material deposit, excluding a hydrocarbon field (number of Polish act: Dz. U. 2015, poz. 987) the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit and its boundaries (Appendix 8) are:

• lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja (table 38) are documented with the minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to the deposit thickness of 0.3 and the minimum general alkalinity expressed per CaO in dry mass of 40% (71.2% CaCO₃);
• proper (‘writing’) chalk (table 39) is being documented to the maximum depth of 70 m, with the maximum overburden of 15 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and the minimum weighted average of the CaCO₃ content in a deposit profile of 80% (44.8% CaCO₃).

Resources and output

Table 1 shows resources and the current state of the exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

The total anticipated economic resources of chalk and calcareous gyttja in 2019 amounted to 206.819 million tonnes. They decreased by 0.326 million tonnes (it means by 0.16%) in comparison with the previous year.

In 2019, there was not any new geological documentation of chalk deposits approved and therefore there were not any growths and drops of the resources recorded.

The output of proper chalk and lacustrine chalk amounted in 2019 to 0.310 million tonnes in total, increasing in comparison with 2018 by 0.021 million tonnes (7.3%). The exploitation of proper chalk was being carried out from 9 deposits. The output was equal 0.270 million tonnes (87.2% of the total chalk output) – by 0.004 million tonnes (1.5%) more than in 2018. Lacustrine chalk was recovered from 3 deposits. The exploitation amounted to 0.040 million tonnes (12.8% of the total domestic output). The output increased by 75.4% in comparison with 2018. In the period 2009-2018, the output level was 2-3 times lower than the current one.

Lacustrine chalk is also temporarily recovered from the overburden of brown coal beds in the vicinities of Bełchatów. In 2019 from Bełchatów-pole Szczerców deposit there were 0.028 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk exploited (the amount is not included in the output tonnage given above and in the table 2).

The economic resources of chalk are documented for 9 deposits and amount to 13.988 million tonnes which accounts for 82.5% of the total anticipated economic resources of these deposits (the economic resources of Kornica Nowa II deposit had been depleted, and currently the non-economic resources are being exploited). In comparison with the previous year the economic resources decreased by 0.237 million tonnes (1.7%) due to the exploitation and losses.

Most of the chalk and calcareous gyttja deposits are located within the Lakelands areas in Wielkopolska region, on Lubusz Land, on Pomerania region, on Masuria region, on Warmia region and on Suwalszczyzna region. These are also the prospective areas of the raw material occurrences*.

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2019.

 

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

* Jurys L., 2020 – ‘Kreda jeziorna i gytia wapienna (lacustrine chalc)’. In: ‘Bilans perspektywicznych zasobów kopalin Polski wg stanu na 31.12.2018 r.’ (eds. Szamałek K., Szuflicki M., Mizerski W.): 368-370. PIG-PIB, Warszawa.

2018

Chalk is a calcareous, soft and porous sedimentary rock characterized by a high calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) content and a very fine-grained structure. It is used mainly i.a.: rubber, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, ceramic and cement industries; for the production of paints and lacquers, plastic, building materials, in the agriculture as a fertilizer chalk for the soil liming and as a fodder chalk for the animals breeding. The natural raw material is being increasingly replaced by lime meals doming from the processing of limestones and marbles and by a raw material gained from the process of solutions precipitation.

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature) and lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa). The raw materials differ in an origin, a chemical composition and use.

Proper chalk is an organogenic marine sediment of a white or creamy color constituted mainly from planktonic organism remains: coccoliths and crusts of forams. In Poland, it occurs in Cretaceous sediments in the Lubelszczyzna area and in the area of north-eastern Poland where Cretaceous deposits occur in the form of ice floats within Quaternary sediments. In the vicinities of Kornica and Mielnik on the Bug river on the border of Mazowieckie and Podlaskie Voivodeships there have been 21 deposits of ‘writing chalk’ documented, from which 9 is exploited at the moment. In the Lubelszczyzna area, in the vicinities of Chełm. ‘writing chalk’ is exploited for the cement production. The deposits occurring in this region are presented in the chapter Limestones and marls for cement and lime industries.

Lacustrine chalk is usually of white, white-yellow or grey color and is a very humid, clammy mass. It originates from the biochemical precipitation and the accumulations of a carbonate sediment on the lake bottoms. The significant role in this process play plants which pick up a dissolved calcium dioxide (CO₂) from water. This results in solution saturation changes and a calcite crystallization. Except for carbonates, lacustrine sediments contain the organic matter and the material brought from the land. Lacustrine chalk and gyttja usually contain minimum 80% of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), whereas the sediment containing 50-80% of calcium carbonate is called as calcerous gyttja. Very often the lacustrine chalk and gyttja beds occur below the peat beds. It results from the shallowing and encroachment of a sedimentary reservoir (lake). Lacustrine chalk deposits in Poland are usually of the Quaternary age and occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland. The Neogene chalk accumulations are known in the Bełchatów vicinities where they occur within the overburden of the exploited brown coal beds.

The chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment of the 1^st of July 2015 on the geological documentation of a raw material deposit, excluding a hydrocarbon field (number of Polish act: Dz. U. 2015, poz. 987) the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit and its boundaries (Appendix 8) are:

• lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja (table 38) are documented with the minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to the deposit thickness of 0.3 and the minimum general alkalinity expressed per CaO in dry mass of 40% (71.2% CaCO₃);
• proper (‘writing’) chalk (table 39) is being documented to the maximum depth of 70 m, with the maximum overburden of 15 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and the minimum weighted average of the CaCO₃ content in a deposit profile of 80% (44.8% CaCO₃).

Table 1 shows resources and the current state of the exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

Anticipated economic resources of chalk and calcareous gyttja in 2018 amounted to 207.145 million tonnes. They decreased by 0.114 million tonnes (0.6%) in comparison with the previous year.

In ‘The balance..’ there were 2 newly documented deposits of lacustrine chalk included: Górzna (0.011 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk accompanying peat) in Lubuskie Voivodeship and Rańsko 1 (0.020 million tonnes) in Wielkopolskie Voivodeship. The latter was allocated from Rańsko deposit as a result of additional exploration works carried out on the deposit. At the same time, there was a new documentation with updated resources elaborated for Rańsko deposit (−0.054 million tonnes). In turn, for the proper chalk deposit Rudka II located in Mazowieckie Voivodeship, there was a new documentation with recalculated resources prepared as a result of the deposit area and the resources enlargement (+0.199 million tonnes).

The output of proper chalk and lacustrine chalk amounted in 2018 to 0.289 million tonnes in total, increasing in comparison with 2017 by 0.091 million tonnes (46.0%). The exploitation of proper chalk was being carried out from 9 deposits. The output was equal 0.266 million tonnes (92% of the total chalk output) – by 0.091 million tonnes (51.6%) more than in 2017. Lacustrine chalk was recovered from 2 deposits. The exploitation amounted to 0.023 million tonnes (8% of the total domestic output). It was slightly bigger than in 2017 – at the level similar to the previous years (except for the 2016). Lacustrine chalk is also temporarily recovered from the overburden of brown coal beds in the vicinities of Bełchatów. In 2018 from Bełchatów-pole Szczerców deposit there were 0.042 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk exploited (the amount is not included in the output tonnage given above and in Table 2).

Economic resources of chalk are documented for 9 deposits and amount to 14.225 million tonnes which accounts for 86.5% of the total anticipated economic resources of these deposits. In comparison with the previous year they decreased by 0.223 million tonnes due to the exploitation and losses.

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2018.

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

2017

Chalk is a calcareous, soft and porous sedimentary rock with a high calcium carbonate content and a very fine-grained structure. It is used in many industries: rubber, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, ceramic, for the production of paints and lacquers, plastic, building materials, agriculture, for the soil liming and as a fodder chalk for the animals breeding. The natural raw material is being increasingly replaced by lime meals doming from the processing of limestones and marbles and by a raw material gained from the process of solutions precipitation.

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa) and proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature). The raw materials differ in an origin, a chemical composition and use.

Proper chalk is an organogenic marine sediment of a white or creamy color constituted mainly from planktonic organism remains: coccoliths and crusts of forams. In Poland, it occurs in Cretaceous deposits (the Lubelszczyzna area) and in the area of north-eastern Poland where Cretaceous deposits occur in the form of ice floats within Quaternary sediments.

In the Lubelszczyzna area (Chełm vicinities), ‘writing chalk’ is exploited for the cement production. Deposits occurring in this area are presented in the chapter Limestones and marls for cement and lime industries.

Deposits of ‘writing chalk’, documented within ice floats, occur numerously in the area of Kornica and Mielnik on the Bug river on the border of Mazowieckie and Podlaskie Voivodeships. There have been 20 deposits documented, from which 10 are constantly or temporarily exploited.

Lacustrine chalk is a very humid, clammy mass usually of white, white-yellow or grey color. It originates from the biochemical precipitation and the accumulations of a carbonate sediment on the lake bottoms. The significant role in this process play plants which pick up a dissolved calcium dioxide (CO₂) from water. This results in solution saturation changes and a calcite crystallization. Except for carbonates, lacustrine sediments contain the organic matter and the material brought from the land. Lacustrine chalk and gyttja usually contain minimum 80% of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), whereas the sediment containing 50-80% of calcium carbonate is called as calcerous gyttja. Very often lacustrine chalk and gyttja beds occur below the peat beds. It results from the shallowing and encroachment of a sedimentary reservoir (lake).

Lacustrine chalk deposits are usually of the Quaternary age and occur in northern and north-western Poland. There are also Tertiary chalk accumulations documented, which are being exploited as a co-occurring raw material in brown coal deposits in the vicinities of Bełchatów.

The chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment of the 1^st of July 2015 (number of Polish act: Dz. U. 2015, poz. 987) the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit (Appendix 8) are:

• lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja (table 38) are documented with the minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.3 and the minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 40% (71.2% CaCO₃);
• proper (‘writing’) chalk (table 39) is being documented to the depth of 70 m, with the maximum overburden of 15 m, the maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and the minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 44.8% (80% CaCO₃).

Table 1 shows resources and the current state of the exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

Anticipated economic resources of chalk and calcareous gyttja in 2017 amounted to 207.259 million tonnes and decreased by 0.107 million tonnes (0.1%) in comparison with the previous year.

In 2017 there has not been any chalk deposit documented. Nevertheless, as a result of the verification process there was Sławoszewo II deposit included in ‘The balance…’ (Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship). Sławoszewo II is a peat deposit in which calcareous gyttja occurs as a co-occurring raw material. Due to the inclusion of Sławoszewo II deposit in ‘The balance…’ anticipated economic resources increased by 0.001 million tonnes.

In 2017 there were new documentations with recalculated resources approved for 2 lacustrine chalk deposits which resulted in the resources correction of Skic-Kujan deposit located in Wielkopolskie Voivodeship (+0.171 million tonnes) and crossing out Lubiatowo III deposit (Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship) from ‘The balance…’. Lubiatowo III deposit has been totally exhausted.

The output of lacustrine chalk and proper chalk amounted in 2017 to 0.198 million tonnes and increased by 0.023 million tonnes (13.1%) in comparison with the previous year.

The ‘writing chalk’ was exploited from 9 deposits, including Sewerynów 1 deposit from which the exploitation has just started. The output amounted to 0.176 million tonnes (which accounted for 88.9% of the total chalk output) and increased by 0.013 million tonnes (7.7%) in comparison with the previous year.

The output of lacustrine chalk was carried out from 4 deposits including the 1^st year of the exploitation from Lubiatowo IV deposit. The output was equal 0.022 million tonnes (which accounted for 11.1% of the total chalk output) and increased by 0.010 million tonnes (88.9%) in comparison with 2016. The output growth is mainly the result of the beginning of Lubiatowo IV deposit exploitation. The level of the lacustrine output returned to the level recorded recently, after the temporary decline in 2016 (0.012 million tonnes) caused by the exploitation end and closing of Lubiatowo III mine.

Lucastrine chalk is also temporarily produced during the disclosing brown coal deposits for the exploitation in Bełchatów vicinities. In 2017 from Bełchatów-pole Szczerców deposit there was 0.050 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk exploited (the amount is not included in Table 2).

Economic resources of chalk in 2017 documented for 9 deposits amounted to 14.448 million tonnes which accounts for 86.7% of the total anticipated economic resources of these deposits. The economic resources increased by 1.607 million tonnes (11.1%) in comparison with the previous year due to the documentation of economic resources for Lubiatowo IV deposit (+1.427 million tonnes) and the resources updating for Roszczyce II deposit.

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2017.

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

2016

Chalk is a calcareous, soft and porous sedimentary rock with high calcium carbonate content and very fine-grained structure. It is used in many industries: rubber, paper, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, ceramic, for production of paints and lacquers, plastic, building materials, agriculture, for soil liming and as fodder chalk for animals breeding. The natural raw material is increasingly replaced by lime meals doming from processing of limestones and marbles and by a raw material gained from the process of solutions precipitation.

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa) and proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature). The raw materials differ in origin and chemical composition and use.

Proper chalk is organogenic marine sediment of white or creamy color constituted mainly from planktonic organism remains: coccoliths and crusts of forams. In Poland, it occurs in Cretaceous deposits (Lubelszczyzna area) and in the area of north-eastern Poland where Cretaceous deposits occur in the form of ice floats within Quaternary sediments.

Within Lubelszczyzna area (Chełm vicinities), ‘writing chalk’ is exploited for cement production. Deposits occurring in this area are presented in the chapter ‘Limestones and marls for cement and lime industries’.

Deposits of ‘writing chalk’, documented within ice floats, occur numerously in the area of Kornica and Mielnik on the border of Mazowieckie and Podlaskie Voivodeships. There have been over a dozen of deposits documented, from which 9 are constantly or temporarily exploited.

Lacustrine chalk is very humid, clammy mass usually of white, white-yellow or grey color. It originates from biochemical precipitation and accumulations of carbonate sediment on the lake bottoms. The significant role in this process play plants which pick up a dissolved calcium dioxide (CO₂) from water. This results with solution saturation changes and calcite crystallization. Except for carbonates, lacustrine sediments contain the organic matter and material brought from the land. Lacustrine chalk and gyttja usually contain minimum 80% of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), whereas the sediment containing 50-80% of calcium carbonate is called as calcerous gyttja. Very often lacustrine chalk and gyttja beds occur below the peat beds. It results from the shallowing and encroachment of a sedimentary reservoir (lake).

Lacustrine chalk deposits are usually of the Quaternary age and occur in northern and north-western Poland. There are also Tertiary chalk accumulations documented, which are being exploited as a co-occurring raw material in brown coal deposits in the vicinities of Bełchatów.

Chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment of the 1^st of July 2015 (number of Polish act: Dz. U. 2015, poz. 987) the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit (Appendix 8) are:

• lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja (table 38) are documented with minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.3 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 40% (71.2% CaCO₃);
• proper (‘writing’) chalk (table 39) is being documented to the depth of 70 m, with maximum overburden of 15 m, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 44.8% (80% CaCO₃).

Table 1 shows resources and the current state of exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

Anticipated economic resources of chalk calcareous gyttja in 2016 amounted to 207.366 million tonnes and increased by 7.380 million tonnes (3.7%) in comparison with the previous year.

There were six new deposits included in ‘The balance…’. In 2016 there were newly-documented Rudka III deposit (0.597 million tonnes of proper chalk) in Mazowieckie Voivodeship, Krosino-Mołstowo 1 deposit (0.049 million tonnes of proper chalk and calcareous gyttja – the resources assessed within dry mass) and Lubiatowo IV deposit (1.427 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk) in Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship. There were also three deposits presented in ‘The Balance…’ which were documented and approved in 1997: Woskrzenice – pole A (anticipated economic resources equal 0.684 million tonnes and anticipated sub-economic resources equal 0.220 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk), Woskrzenice – pole B (0.504 million tonnes of anticipated economic resources and 1.503 million tonnes of anticipated sub-economic resources of lacustrine chalk) and Woskrzenice – pole C deposit (2.039 million tonnes of anticipated sub-economic resources and 0.780 million tonnes of anticipated sub-economic resources of lacustrine chalk). These three deposits are located in Lubelskie Voivodeship.

Due to the changes mentioned above the anticipated economic resources increased in the comparison with the previous year by 5.299 million tonnes, including ‘writing chalk’ of 0.597 million tonnes (11.3%) and lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja of 4.702 million tonnes (88.7%). Anticipated sub-economic resources growth was equal 2.502 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk.

There were new documentations with recalculated resources approved for two deposits: Roszczyce II (+0.359 million tonnes – the changes of deposit boundaries and resources updating) in Pomorskie Voivodeship and Strzeszów (+0.046 million tonnes due to the resources updating) in Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship.

There were the verifications of deposits elaborated for one deposit in Mazowieckie Voivodeship and two in Pomorskie Voivodeship. It was for Bachorza III (+0.022 million tonnes), Darżyno (+0.186 million tonnes), Zapceń – pole A (+1.646 million tonnes – there have been two documents included in ‘The balance’: geological documentation elaborated in 2001 and a new documentation with recalculated resources elaborated in 2006).

In 2016, production of chalk increased by 0.003 million tonnes (1.7%) to the level of 0.175 million tonnes.

The production of ‘writing chalk’ amounted to 0.163 million tonnes (accounting for 93.1% of the total domestic output of chalk) and increased by 0.008 million tonnes (5.4%) in comparison with 2015.

The ‘writing chalk’ output is characterized by the growing tendency. There was a new mine started off on Kornica-Popówka deposit, which has not been exploited for a dozen or so years. All of exploited deposits of ‘writing chalk’ are located in Kornica – Mielnik vicinities on the border of Mazowieckie and Podlaskie Voivodeships.

The production of lacustrine chalk amounted to 0.012 million tonnes in 2016 (6.9% of the total domestic output of chalk) and was by 0.006 million tonnes lower than in 2015.

The production drop was a result of Lubiatowo II deposit abandonment (due to the resources depletion) which have been the main raw material source until recently. The lacustrine chalk output is generally characterized by the declining tendency, whereas the number of exploited deposits increased to three in the last year (Roszczyce II – Pomorskie Voivodeship, Mosina II and Strzeszów – Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship).

Lacustrine chalk occurr also as co-occurring raw material in brown coal deposit in Bełchatów vicinities. In 2016 from Bełchatów-pole Szczerców deposit there was 0.011 million tonnes of lacustrine chalk exploited (the amount is not included in the table 2).

Economic resources of chalk in 2016 documented for 9 deposits amounted to 12.841 million tonnes which accounts for 83.3% of anticipated economic resources. The economic resources increased by three times in comparison with the previous year due to the documentation of economic resources for Kornica-Popówka (+8.221 million tonnes) and Strzeszów (+0.371 million tonnes) deposits and due to the recalculation of resources for Mosina II deposit (+0.046 million tonnes).

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2016.

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

2015

Chalk is a weakly coherent and porous limestone rock, mainly used in the manufacture of rubber, paper, chemicals, dyes and cement. Cretaceous limestones of the chalk type used in production of cement (Chełm deposit) are discussed in the section dealing with limestone and marl raw material of the cement industry. Chalk deposits found in north-eastern Poland are related to erratics of Cretaceous chalk embedded in Quaternary glacial sediments (for example, the Mielnik and Kornica deposits).

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa) and proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature). The raw materials differ in origin and chemical composition and use.

Lacustrine chalk, also known as ”meadow limestone” or ”lacustrine limestone”, is a calcareous sediment of the Quaternary age, associated mainly with post-lacustrine series formed in times of the Last Glaciation. It is used in agriculture as calcareous fertilizer. Accumulations of lacustrine chalk occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland, often at the base of peat and calcareous gyttja deposits. Chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment of the 1^st of July 2015 (number of Polish act: Dz. U. 2015, poz. 987) the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit (Appendix 8) are:

• lacustrine chalk and calcareous gyttja (table 38) are documented with minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.3 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 40% (71.2% CaCO₃);
• proper (‘writing’) chalk (table 39) is being documented to the depth of 70 m, with maximum overburden of 15 m, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 44.8% (80% CaCO₃).

Table 1 shows resources and the current state of exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

Anticipated economic resources of chalk calcareous gyttja in 2015 amounted to 199.99 million tonnes and increased by 0.106 million tonnes (0.05%) in comparison with the previous year.

There were two new deposits included in ‘The balance…’ (both located in Mazowieckie Voivodeship): newly-documented Sewerynów 1 deposit (0.697 million tonnes of proper chalk) and Kornica – Nowa 1 deposit (1.145 million tonnes of proper chalk) – allocated from Kornica – Nowa deposit.

There were new documentations with recalculated resources approved for four deposits: Kornica – Nowa (−1.734 million tonnes, from that 1.145 million tonnes allocated as the new Kornica – Nowa 1 deposit and 0.590 million tonnes as a result of better exploration), Malinowo-pole IV (+0.051 million tonnes due to the resources updating; the deposit abandoned), Mosina II (0.029 million tonnes as a result of recalculation) and Długa Goślina (−0.022 million tonnes, the resources crossed out from ‘The balance…’).

Długa Goślina deposit was crossed out from ‘The balance…’ due to the fact that chalk was co-occurring raw material and has never been exploited. The main raw material – peat – was depleted and the mine was closed down.

There were the verifications of resources elaborated for: Rajgród deposit (+0.028 million tonnes, gyttja resources were documented) and Pomorsko II (+0.110 million tonnes, the rectification of the mistake made in the decision approving the documentation). Moreover, there were also recources of Pęczerzyno-Rynowo deposit updated during the mine management plan elaboration (+0.041 million tonnes).

In 2015, production of chalk increased by 0.027 million tonnes (19%) to the level of 0.172 million tonnes (table 2). The majority of the output constitutes writing chalk production that amounted to 0.155 million tonnes (90%). It is being exploited from 7 deposits (6 in Mazowieckie Voivodeship and 1 in Podlaskie Voivodeship). The remaining part of the production is lacustrine chalk output – it amounted to 0.017 million tonnes (10%). The writing chalk production increased significantly (by 0.028 million tonnes – 22%) while production of lacustrine chalk decreased by 0.6 thousand tonnes (3%). This chalk has been exploited from 2 deposits – Lubiatowo III in Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship and Roszczyce II in Pomorskie Voivodeship.

Lucastrine chalk occur as co-occurring raw material in brown coal deposit Bełchatów – pole Szczerców and is being temporarily exploited from this deposit (the resources of the chalk are not officially calculated). The output was not carried out in 2015.

Economic resources of chalk in 2015 documented for 7 deposits amounted to 4.35 million tonnes which accounts for 84.5% of anticipated economic resources.

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2015.

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

2014

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa) and proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature). The raw materials differ in origin and chemical composition and use.

Lacustrine chalk, also known as ‘meadow limestone’ or ‘lacustrine limestone’, is a calcareous sediment of the Quaternary age, associated mainly with post-lacustrine series formed in times of the Last Glaciation. It is used in agriculture as calcareous fertilizer. Accumulations of lacustrine chalk occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland, often at the base of deposits of peat and calcareous gyttja. Chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

Chalk is a weakly coherent and porous limestone rock, mainly used in the manufacture of rubber, paper, chemicals, dyes and cement. Cretaceous limestones of the chalk type used in production of cement (Chełm deposit) are discussed in the section dealing with limestone and marl raw material of the cement industry. Chalk deposits found in north-eastern Poland are related to erratics of Cretaceous chalk embedded in Quaternary glacial sediments (for example, the Mielnik and Kornica deposits).

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment there are the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit:

• proper chalk (‘writing chalk’) is being documented to the depth of 70 m, with maximum overburden of 15 m, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 80% (44,8% CaCO₃);
• lacustrine chalk is being documented with minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.3 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 40% (71,2% CaCO₃);

The table 1 given below shows resources and the current state of exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

Anticipated economic resources of chalk in 2014 amounted to 199.88 million tonnes and increased by 244 thousand tonnes (0.1%) in comparison with the previous year.

There was not any new deposit documented in 2014.

There were 2 deposits crossed out of ‘The balance…’: Czarnoszyce and Różyny II (Pomorskie Voivodeship) which were partially depleted and abandoned. The proper documentations aiming to cross these deposits out of ‘The balance…’ were prepared and approved.

There are also other deposits which are supposed to be completely depleted but there have not been appropriate documentations accepted for crossing them out of the publication – such decisions must be taken by adequate geological administration body. Such deposits are: Iłowo (Kujawsko-pomorskie Voivodeship), Kruklin II, Lutek, Lutek II, Upałty (Warmińsko-mazurskie Voivodeship) and Prostynia II (Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship).

There were new documentation with recalculated resources approved for 3 deposits: Ględy 1 and Wenecja (Warmińsko-mazurskie Voivodeship) and Kalwy Cieśle (Wielkopolskie Voivodeship). The resources growth amounted to 396 thousand tonnes (64 thousand tonnes and 333 thousand tonnes for Wenecja and Kalwy Cieśle deposits respectively).

In 2014, production of chalk decreased by 11.30 thousand tonnes (7.2%) to the level of 145 thousand tonnes. The majority of the output constitutes writing chalk production which amounted to almost 127 thousand tonnes (87.4%). It is being exploited from 7 deposits (6 in Mazowieckie Voivodeship and 1 in Podlaskie Voivodeship). The remaining part of the production is lacustrine chalk output – it amounted to 18 thousand tonnes (12.6%). The writing chalk production slightly decreased (by 1.7 thousand tonnes – 1.3%) while production of lacustrine chalk decreased significantly (by 9.6 thousand tonnes – 34.5%).

Lucastrine chalk occurr as co-occurring raw material in brown coal deposit Bełchatów – pole Szczerców and is being temporarily exploited from this deposit (the resources of the chalk are not officially calculated). The output was not carried out in 2014.

Economic resources of chalk in 2014 documented for 7 deposits amounted to 4.44 million tonnes which accounts for 84.8% of anticipated economic resources.

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2014.

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

2013

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa) and proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature). The raw materials differ in origin and chemical composition and use.

Lacustrine chalk, also known as ‘meadow limestone’ or ‘lacustrine limestone’, is a calcareous sediment of the Quaternary age, associated mainly with post-lacustrine series formed in times of the Last Glaciation. It is used in agriculture as calcareous fertilizer. Accumulations of lacustrine chalk occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland, often at the base of deposits of peat and calcareous gyttja. Chalk deposits occurrence is presented on the map.

Chalk is a weakly coherent and porous limestone rock, mainly used in the manufacture of rubber, paper, chemicals, dyes and cement. Cretaceous limestones of the chalk type used in production of cement (Chełm deposit) are discussed in the section dealing with limestone and marl raw material of the cement industry. Chalk deposits found in north-eastern Poland are related to erratics of Cretaceous chalk embedded in Quaternary glacial sediments (for example, the Mielnik and Kornica deposits).

According to the Regulation of the Minster of the Environment there are the limit values of the parameters that defines the deposit:

• proper chalk (‘writing chalk’) is being documented to the depth of 70 m, with maximum overburden of 15 m, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.2 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 80%;
• lacustrine chalk is being documented with minimum deposit thickness of 1 m, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.3 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 40%;

The table 1 given below shows resources and the current state of exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

Anticipated economic resources of chalk in 2013 amounted to 199.64 million tonnes and increased by 584 thousand tonnes in comparison with the previous year.

There were gyttja resources as co-occurring raw material documented within 3 deposits: Gorszewice AW 2, Wieliszewo and Wieliszewo I (with total resources of these deposits equal 900.13 thousand tonnes).

There were 4 new documentations with recalculated resources approved for 4 deposits: Roszczyce II, Kazimierz III, Kobierniki and Tyczewo I.

In 2013, production of chalk increased by 18.08 thousand tonnes to the level of 165.29 thousand tonnes. Lacustrine chalk production amounted to 27.80 thousand tonnes and writing chalk production to 137.49 thousand tonnes. Lacustrine chalk is being exploited only from Lubiatów and Bełchatów deposits while writing chalk is being exploited from 7 deposits (6 in Mazowieckie Voivodeship and 1 in Podlaskie Voivodeship).

Lucastrine chalk occurr as co-occurring raw material in brown coal deposit Bełchatów – pole Szczerców and is being exploited from this deposit (the resources of the chalk are not officially calculated).

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2013.

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Wojciech Szczygielski

2012

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa) and proper chalk rock (still often called as ”writing chalk” in Polish literature). The raw materials differ in origin and chemical composition and use.

Lacustrine chalk, also known as ‘meadow limestone’ or ‘lacustrine limestone’, is a calcareous sediment of the Quaternary age, associated mainly with post-lacustrine series formed in times of the Last Glaciation. It is used in agriculture as calcareous fertilizer. Accumulations of lacustrine chalk occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland, often at the base of deposits of peat and calcareous gyttja. Chalk deposits occurence is presented on the map.

Chalk is a weakly coherent and porous limestone rock, mainly used in the manufacture of rubber, paper, chemicals, dyes and cement. Cretaceous limestones of the chalk type used in production of cement (Chełm deposit) are discussed in the section dealing with limestone and marl raw material of the cement industry. Chalk deposits found in north-eastern Poland are related to erratics of Cretaceous chalk embedded in Quaternary glacial sediments (for example, the Mielnik and Kornica deposits).

Chalk deposits are being documented to the depth of 10 meters, with minimum deposit thickness of 1 meter, maximum overburden of 2.5 meters, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.3 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 40%.

The table 1 given below shows resources and the current state of exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

Anticipated economic resources of chalk in 2012 amounted to 199.05 million tonnes and decreased by 106 thousand tonnes in comparison with the previous year. There was Ludwinek deposit crossed out of ‘The balance…’ (with resources of 9 thousand tonnes). One deposit – Mosina – was documented in 2012.

In 2012, production of chalk increased by 19 thousand tonnes to the level of 147 thousand tonnes. Lacustrine chalk production amounted to 16 thousand tonnes (the same level as in 2011) and writing chalk production to 132 thousand tonnes (increased by 20 thousand tonnes).

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2012.

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Agnieszka Wałkuska

2011

In Poland, chalk is the name traditionally given to two different mineral raw materials: lacustrine chalk (calcareous tufa) and proper chalk rock (still often called as”writing chalk” in Polish literature). The raw materials differ in origin and chemical composition and use.

Lacustrine chalk, also known as ‘meadow limestone’ or ‘lacustrine limestone’, is a calcareous sediment of the Quaternary age, associated mainly with post-lacustrine series formed in times of the Last Glaciation. It is used in agriculture as calcareous fertilizer. Accumulations of lacustrine chalk occur mainly in northern and north-western Poland, often at the base of deposits of peat and calcareous gyttja. Chalk deposits occurence is presented on the map.

Chalk is a weakly coherent and porous limestone rock, mainly used in the manufacture of rubber, paper, chemicals, dyes and cement. Cretaceous limestones of the chalk type used in production of cement (Chełm deposit) are discussed in the section dealing with limestone and marl raw material of the cement industry. Chalk deposits found in north-eastern Poland are related to erratics of Cretaceous chalk embedded in Quaternary glacial sediments (for example, the Mielnik and Kornica deposits).

Chalk deposits are being documented to the depth of 10 meters, with minimum deposit thickness of 1 meter, maximum overburden of 2.5 meters, maximum ratio of overburden to deposit thickness of 0.3 and minimum alkalinity (CaO) of 40%.

The table 1 given below shows resources and the current state of exploration and development of chalk.

Table 1. Chalk – million tonnes

Anticipated economic resources of chalk in 2011 amounted to 199.16 million tonnes and increased by 283 thousand tonnes in comparison with the previous year. There was new Koszelówka II deposits documented (with resources of 710 thousand tonnes). Three deposits were crossed out of the ‘Annual report…’: Trzebielino, Kolonia Wólka Nosowska II and Rudowo.

In 2011, production of chalk sharply increased by 52 thousand tonnes to 128 thousand tonnes. Lacustrine chalk production amounted to 16 thousand tonnes and writing chalk to 112 thousand tones (74 thousand tonnes from Mielnik deposit).

The figure given below shows changes in domestic resources and production of chalk in Poland in the years 1989-2011.

Table 2. List of chalk deposits – thousand tonnes

Prepared by: Agnieszka Wałkuska