The Actual Production of Mineral Raw Materials in Styria

Abstract: The Province of Styria, geologically dominated by alpine mountainous domains, Quaternary and Neogene basins, hosts a great number (ca. 600) but mainly small mineral occurrences and deposits. After World War II rising labour costs, increased environmental standards and the global availability of mineral resources caused a continuous reduction of the domestic mine operations. Actually the following quantity of deposits of "bergfreie" and "bundeseigene" mineral commodities (these terms are related to the Austrian Mining Law) are worked: Iron ore (1), magnesite (5), talc/leukophyllite (2), grafite (1), gypsum/anhydrite (2), salt (1), clay (11), limestone (21) and diabase (1). Only the magnesite and talc deposits are of "world class" importance. Additionally the Austrian Mine Statistics (ÖMH) indicate the following numbers of operations of construction materials ("grundeigene" mineral commodities): limestone (24), dolomite (8), quartz and pegmatite (1), quartzite (10), basaltic rocks (6), serpentinite (3), gneiss (2), schist/phyllite (1), gravel/sand/debris (54) and trass (1). As the future accessibility to potential mine areas will be difficult the Austrian plan for raw materials supply indicate potential mine areas and recommend them as areas important for mineral resources supply to the land planning authorities.

KeyWords: Styria; Mineral resources; Mineral raw materials; Mining 1950-2006; Production.

Joannea Geol. Paläont. 10: 39-48 (2008)