INFORMATION ON COAL MINING (SOURCES OF COAL, MANPOWER, PRODUCTION, WAGES, HOURS, RESERVES, PRICES, SOURCES & RESOURCE OF IRON ORE; COAL GASIFICATION)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A041200110001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 21, 1958
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information a8ecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning oY the E.;l~ionage Laws, 'Pills
18. U.s.C. secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which !n any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
SUBJECT
Information ors. Coal Mining ( S
~~
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. PAGES
a report containing information ~
on coal and non-ferrous mining,
ENGLOSURE ~ ~ ASH EU l i "~'~~ }~ ~ ~~
PLEASE ROUTE 50X1-HUM
~ ~`~ R iy~
STATE ~ ARMY ?{ NAVY ]~ AFR }[ FBI AEC
~_RCCES 50 ~-HU~
? ? ??? ?? ? ???
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Sept 1957 COAL DEPOSITS IN CZEQiOSLOQAKIA
General Data:
C$echoslovakia is rich in fuel, mostly coal which is anthracite and lignite.
Heavy industrial needs of the natian are supplied, and the surplus is ex-
ported.
Hydrogenation of coal and cokery supply many chemical and chemical products
factories.
The great problem of the Caechoslovak coal mines is the constant shortage
of manpower. It is made uP by military labor units and by "dobrovolne
brigade" (volunteer brigades), who are not volunteers at all. In fact
the volunteer brigades are the most used tool of "co3iective and coercive
correction" employed by the Caechoslovak regime. In one way or another,
all the coal mdxies are thus constantly resupplied with msnpvwer, even
though it is heterogeninibus, negligent and recalcitrant. Skilled workmen
are on the other hand influenced to remain by offers of good salaries
workers
which are higher than those for any other ~i~3 class.
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COAL FIELDS
The mayor coal fields or basins being worked are the following:
I~RAVSKA OSTRAVA KARVINA (59/60 -29/F)
gi~Dxo (59/60 - 9/d)
PLZIId (59/60 ~ b/f)
TRUTNOY (59/60 - 18/C) ZACLER (59/60 - 18/C)
ROSIC~ OSLAVANI (BHI~0 59/60 - 2o/h)
The very extensive MOST (59/60 - 7/C), rich is however a lignite mine.
Total Production
The total anthracite production is an average of 30 cotillion tons annually,
distributed as follows:
OSTRAYA KARYIN, 65,000 to 68,000 tons daily
KLADNO about 10,000 " "
PLZEN 5,000 to 6,000
TRUTNOV-ZACLER b,000 to 8,000 " "
These daily figures should be miltiplied by 320 days, since Sunday is
sometimes a workday.
The best grade of coal is that mined in 1~RAYA OSTRAVA Field; it is
good for metallurgical coke which develops an average 7,000 calories,
and sometimes up to 8,000.
Sept 195? COAL FIELD of
59/60
MORAYSKA OSTRAYA
29/F
`i_
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General Data:
The I~RAYA OSTRAVA Coal Field is by far the most iaQortant, most
developed, and most yielding of the fields mentioned. It is a separate
entity from the other fields and mines; the director general of the field
or basin is directly subordinate to the Ministry of Mines and ~s almost ~ ~-
ar~ii ranked st a vice minister. The agency which rules the exploitltion
of the basin is designated:
t,
Z~.O.K.D. or ,Z~EDITIELSTVI OSTRhVSKO KARYINSRE DOI~I, meaning Directorate of
OSTRAVA-KARYINA Mines.
in "namestie Staling" (Stalin Square) of T'ARAYA OSTRAYA.
Director General:
AYnost ICARPETA,
Technical Manager:
Bretislav TROJAN.
Total Production of This Field
Production ranges from 65,000 to 67,000 tons ixi 2lt hours, amounting to
an annual total of 20 to 22 rrdllion tons. The production plan foresees
a daily output of 68,000 tans, a quantity milt which was not always at-
tained in 1956.
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From January to May 1957 production xas raised to the specification in
the plan, that is to 68,000 tans a day.
Workhours extend up to 12 hours daily, and every other Sunday, with no
other holidays granted. This is a pace xhich can pre3udice the output
in the long run because it is too high.
The Moravska Ostrava edition of Rude Pravo often reports production data
on this coal field.
Reserves
At the rate of 70,000 torts a day, there are reserves to last l~00 years.
Ines in This Field
Txenty?five mines subdivided into four sectors:
1) KARVINA sector (59/60 - 30/F)
MoRAVSKA-osrR~vA X59/60) north
" (59/x) $~~ ?
Of the 25 foregoing mines
1) KARVINA Sector
DUL 1 Mai
" Mir
" Klement Gottxald
" Armada CSR
" Doubrava.
2) ORLOVA Sector
Dul Zapotock~
" Sofi3a
,~
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3) MORAVSKA OSTRAVA NORTH Sector
Dul Sverma
Dul Tro3ce
and others.
!~) MORAVSKA OSTRAVA Y~ SOUTH Sector
Dul Zarubek
Dul Ostraveka Hlubina
and others.
In the KARVINA Sector, preparations are in progress to open two new
mines in the SUHA STO~IAVA and STOIdAVA VIKOT localities. It is planned
to have these mines in f1x11 operation by 1962. For the time being,
the two mines are desigr-ated by their geographical names.
DESCRIPTION OF SO1~+E OF THE MINES LISTED
1) KARVINA Sector
DUL " 1 Mai "
One May Mine
General Data:
This is the former HARBORA Mine. It is one of the largest in the field.
Fersonnel:
Director is Emil KAR'PETA, brother of the director general of all the
mines in the field.
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Chief Engineer: Viktor KOLACEK.
Engineers: 13 udning engineers; 2 mechanical engineers.
Oldrich MRAZEK
Valdimir FAJKUS
Josef PILLER
Jiri BIEGON
4ntonin KUCA
Josef KEMPNI
Bolealav SIKORA
Oldrich HECKO (former worker)
Boleslav aAS (former worker)
Josef KARPETA (former worker), brother of the two directors mentioned above.
the last three listed were graduated after a rapid
3-year course, as done in the early years of the CZECHOSLOVAK Communist
governm?nt. Their education, practice, and experience are not superior
to those of a good skilled worker. They are presently employed in
secondary work because of their inferior training.
Workers:
About 3,600 on throe consecutive shifts of 8 hours each, which are
almost always stretched into 12 hours.
5,900 to 6,000 tons every 2!~ hours. The production plan for
this urine is 5,8~ tons daily, but it is always exceeded. Despite this,
the mine operates on atlternate Sundays to cake ~P for those mines which
fall short of the goal.
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DUL MCA KARYINA
"Peace" Mine.
Cmeral Data:
^,
Chief Engineer: SLAVKOVSKI
Workers
About 1,000; on three shifts.
Production:
About 2, 50o tons daily.
DUL "KLEN~NT GOTTWALD" KARVINA
Mine named "Klement Gottwald",
Workers:
About 2,500; on three shifts
Production:
About 1~, 200 tons in 2!~ hours .
DUL "ARMADA CSR" KARVIAiA
"Czechoslovak Arne" M3.ne
General Data:
This is a complex of four mines bearing the follo~ring numbers
0 -the former B~ENESKA Mine
There is a cokery and chemical plant on the complex, rich is the most
important in the field or basin.
7
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Eng3nee~r Alois KUCHAA
Chief Engineer:
Productions
8,300 tons daily.
DUL "DOUBRAVA" DOUBRAVA (KARVINA)
"Doubrava" Mins.
It takes its name from the village in which it is situated,
Production:
A little less than 4,000 toms a day, but it will shortly exceed
1,000 tans.
2) ORLOVA Sector
DUL "ZAPATOCKI"
ZAPOTOCKI Min?.
No data available.
DUL "FIICIK" ORLOVA
Flicik Mine.
This is a large mine; it has the same potential as the "1 May"
or 5,500 to 6,000 tons daily.
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DUL "PICNIR" ORLOVA
Pionieri Mine. No data are available.
3) MORAVSKA - 03TRAVA NORTH Sector
DUL "SVERMA" MORAVSKA OSTRAVA
North
Sve rma Mine .
This is believed to be the former JOHANKA. It includes the coal mine
and cokery. No further data are available.
DUL "TROJCE" MORAVSKA OSTRAVA
North
1~) MORAVSKA OSTRAVA SOUTH Sector
DUL "ZARUBEK"
There are no data.
DUL "OSTRAVSKA HLUBINA"
M~RAVSKA OSTRA3TA
South
This takes ita name Prom the villagt near which it is situated.
EQUIPMENT AND SAFETY
C$?choalovak mine equipment is well maintained, both for greater
efficiency and for the safety of the personnel using it. Accidents
are~Caused by undue speed which willfully neglects safety. The prase
does not mention accidents except very serious ones, which are briefly
treated to keep from alarming the manpcywer.
~,
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MACHINERY
Constantly overhauled. The Kombain is imported from the USSR,
Mining me-chinery is not manufactured in Czechoslovakia because
of the high cost of such non-mass manufacture.
CLASSIFICATION OF COAL MINEIJ IN THIS BASIN
The coal first goes to the Washing plant. In the examples of the
"1 May" and "Feac?" mines, it goes to the U.Z.K. or Ustredni Zavod Karvina,
the Karvina Central Factory. It is then sent to the Huglobist Company,
Which selects coal in the entire basin This company has its home
office in MJRAVSKA OSTRAVA and a branch in PRAGUE.
DESTINATION and ALLIED INDUSTRY
The coal mined in this basin supplies the chemical industries, coal
hydrogenation plants and cokeries in the area, Which in tum supply
various subsidiary industries. The principal complexes
are
ZAVOD KAROLINA of MORAVSKA OSTRAVA
This is an old factory which has kept its name. It is a coking
plant with hydrogenation plant for the extraction of various chemical
components from the coal.
of
ZAVOD LAZI/ORLOVA
This is a coking plant.
ZAVOD ARMADA CSR (former],y BENESKA) in KARVINA
A coking plant with facilities for chemical exploitation of the coal,
and tha four mines attached. The coal is then shipped to various Czecho-
slovak complexes and and also exported to EAST GERMANY and RUMAN IA.
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COSTS AND PRICES
It has been figured that the cost of the coal mined in NDRAVA
OSTRAVA Bsin ranges from 109 to 120 croWna a tan.
The sale price has three values:
for the Socialistiko or State factories;
for export;
for private heating. Miners 50X1-HUM
in this area purchase it for 640 crowins a ton.
the price of sale to the USSR is somewhat cheap. 50X1-HUM
Supt 1957 OTHER BASINS
KLADNO (anthracite)
ZACLER "
ROSIC~E OSLAVANI (anthracite)
MOST (lignite).
the KLADNO Basin is old; 50X1-HUM
the PLZEN is old and has large reserves; the ZACLER Basin was developed
after the war and is expanding; the ROSICZE OSLAVANI is old and its
reserves are limited to another 30 years of mining at the present rate.
Sept 1957 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION ON THE COAL MINES
Manpoxer:
In short supply because work may be found jn industry without
risking the danger, inconvenience, and sweat of the mines. Agitators
attempt to recruit miners in the villages but they are not very
successftiil.
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Recourse is had to the military labor battalioa~s, the so-called
P.T.F. or PONDCNI TEHNICKI PRAPORT, Auxiliary Technical Battalion.
These have theoretical],y been abolished, but they continue to operate.
In spite of all this, the production plans are not fulfilled, and
there is further recourse to the "Brigades of Volunteer Labor" or
DOBROVOLNE BRIGADE.
These are made up of workers from factories which use coal and
are from time to time forced to supply a number of workers for the
mines, in proportion to their coal burning. Careless workers and
thoae who gzumble about the government are sent to the mines. This
measure is standard and the most widespread "corrective punishment"
now used in Czechoslovakia. The tour of duty is for six months.
The pay of the brigade and military labor workers is equal to that
for other workers in the mines.
Salaries and wages in the manes:
These are generally higher than for other occupational categories.
In the N~RAVSKA OSTRAVA Basin, salaries are even higher than in any
mine in the Republic; they were determined by a special act of the
government issued in 1953: DOKUI~NT STRANI ~VI,ADI.
here
The averagd monthly pay of a mdner/is 2,200 to 2,300 crowns, as
compared to 1,600 to 1,900 crowns paid in other mines. Foreman receive
up to IG, 000 c Towns a month, with an average of 1, 200 to 1,1100 crowns
more than their workmen.
An engineer has a base salary of x,500 crowns a month.
Add to this the bonus for exceeding the standard, in proportion to
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how much coal is extra.
The "1 Nhy" I~tLne has constantly exceeded the standard set by the
1956 Plan.
The bonus prise ranges from 50 to 150 percent of the salary and this
can be awarded 3 or 1t times in one year. As always happens under
Communist rule, there is partiality even in making these awards:
the 150 percent is given to the director, managers, and officials,
whereas the real producers, engineers, technicians, and miners receive
from 50 to 100 percent.
Two meals and breakfast at the mess cost 12 crowns a month.
Withholdings are high; about 1,000 crowns a month 50X1-H U M
because
from tax.
~ingle; those with three or more children are exempt
On 1 June 1957 work standards were raised 2.5 percent, thus
reducing the amount of bonus awards for exceeding the standard.
Strikes and demonstrations against the government:
tunnel
None. In 1953 the workers filled one/car out of 50 to protest
against the change in money, which was done at a ratio of 1 to 50.
d) FERROUS MINERAL NSNES
seyt 1957 DOL BANJA FQJDNJANY RUDNJANY
Rudn3any ~t 'tine Lsi]
General Data:
This is ari old mining complex for iron ore and the most important
in Czechoslovakia. It supplies ~5 to 5O percent of all the iron ore
extracted in the c ountrg. The TRINEC and VITKOVICE Steel Mills use it.
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Sept 195? DOL BANJA of ZELZNIK (SLOVAKIA)
59/60
DOL LUCIA BANJA of GELNICA
!t2/i
59/60
DOL BANJA ROZNJAVA of ROZNAVA
Lt0/J
These three are old mines still in operation.
Sept 195? Nex Ferrous Aiiiieral Mines
A nex ferrous mineral mine xas opendd after the war at an undetermined
locality mtnc in the area lying betxeen P'LZEN and PRAGUE.
Sept 195? Exploitation of rich deposits of iron ore
the
xill soon begin in/JESENIKI. ~o[#aiouAC Hills.
Deposits of iron ore in the hills .........................RUDO HORY
(SLOVAKIA}
General Data:
These ferrous deposits iaa this area have been almost exhausted.
Of the mines in the villages of SMOLNIK, S1~AINICK~ HUTA, and MARIJA
HUTA, only SMOINIK is still operating and at a small rate of production.
~~
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h) MISCELLANEOUS
Sept 1957 NEW "DEGASSING" METHOD IN THE MItdES
A system of limited absorption of mine gases invented by Dr Paul
SCHULTZ, a German,is in use.
However, a new system is being considered for the USSR and other
Orbit countries, which would:
impound almost all mine gases;
exploit their energetic power.
In October 1956, probably ~ Soviet suggestion, a technical
commission of mining engineers was established within the Directorate
Gene ral of the MORAVSKA OSTRAVA Basin to absorb and exploit gases.
It was headed by engineer Bretislav TROJAN, technical director general
of the basin. The pro3ect was named ODPL~IDiOVANJE JHOiNIK SLOJOV, or
in the short title: DEGAZACIJA.
1'
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