MINING DEVELOPMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00423R000400520001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 1, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/07/22 : CIA-RDP83-00423R000400520001-9
50X1
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Country: Albania/CZechoslovakia/Hungary/Yugoslavia
Subject: Mining Developments
Place Acquired:
Date
50X1
Date of Info Jan 53 - Apr 53
SOURCE:
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1. "ALBANIA
Albanian Mining Scheduled for Peak Production--Output of the Albanian mining
industry is to be boosted by 300 percent of the 1950 production during the
last year of the current Five-Year-Plan, that is, in 1955. While
2,136,000,000 lei were invested in Albania's mining industry during the
first Five-Year-Plan (1946 to 1950), the amount for the second Five-Year-
Plan (spanning from 1951 to 1955) will be 8,943,000 lei.
Chromium ore will be produced to an extent of 120 thousand metric tons dur-
ing 1955, as against 50 thousand metric tons recorded in 1950, and 70 thousand
metric tons claimed as the 1952 production.
The copper mines are to produce enough copper ore to gain a total of 2,500
metric tons of refined copper during 1955, as against the claimed actual
production of 900 metric tons during 1952.
Copper ore production for 1952 exceeded the 1951 production by 98.9%,
chromium ore by 15.3%, and copper concentrate by 59%, the Communist govern-
ment_of ENVER ECCHA claims.
Great importance is ascribed to the innovation and rationalization drive in
Albanian mines; Soviet mining experts are conducting the work in the mit*,
and are aided by 'thousands of Albanian workers who participate it the
improvement suggestion drive, the Albanian press said recently gpril 19537.
2. "CZECHOSLOVAKIA
MiniSter for Mining Affairs Fired-- Claimed to leave his post as Mining
Minister on account of ill health, and based on an application to relieve
him from the post he held for three years, Mr Bilek was replaced by the
former Deputy Minister for State Planning, Raicmayer, soon after President
Gottwald died and Zapotocky took over the government.
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50X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/07/22 : CIA-RDP83-00423R000400520001-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/07/22 : CIA-RDP83-00423R000400520001-9
Bilek, 48-year old former miner, never was accused of tolerating short-
comings in the Czech mining industry, and never made responsible for the
always short production of iron ore and coal. Instead, the specified
mining enterprises were openly criticized. Despite the fact, however,
that Bilek was not fired for the obvious shortcomings in production, it
seems apparent that Zapotocky wants a tougher man as head of the Mining
Ministry. As such, Racimayer achieved fame when pushing through produc-
tion plans.
3. "HUNGARY
Hungarian Bauxite Deposits Largest of World's Total--Estimated to have a
volume of 300 million metric tons, the Hungarian bauxite mines participate
with 10% of the world's total, and 60% of Europe's wealth in this mineral.
Reports from Budapest say that about 50% of the total production is processed
domestically, while the rest is being exported to the East. New deposits
were proven in the BAKONY Mountains, about 10 miles west of Hungary's capital,
Budapest [-April 19537.
Construction work of an ore dressing plant near GYOENGISCROSZI is nearing the
end, reports from Budapest say. The plant is supposed to process mainly ores
not suited for dressing in the existing plants. (Sic).
14. YUGOSLAVIA
More Iron and Steel for Tito--The Yugoslav iron and steel industry, 100%
nationalized, has achieved a raw iron production of 270 thousand metric tons
during 1952, thus exceeding the pre-war gorld War 117 level (of 105 thousand
tons) considerably. The raw steel production rose to 460 thousand metric tons.
During the next three years, the production plan requires a production boost
to 630 thousand metric tons of pig iron, or the pre-World War II level six-
fold., To reach this goal, the iron works of SISAK is to be enlarged, and
a new combine near ZENICA (Bosnia) created gpril 19537.
The ZenicaL combine, laid out to produce 800 thousand metric tons of pig iron
sometime in the future, is at present under construction. A Saar construction
firm has completed one blast furnace, is working on the second furnace, and
hopes to start the construction of the third furnace still in 1953. A US rolling
strip was installed during the late fall of 1952, designed for 450 thousand
metric tons annually.
The Sisak Iron Works reported one of the three rolling strips in operation.
Laid out for 62 thousand tons per unit, the three-strip unit will be able
to process the entire Sisak production gpril 19537.
Plans call for the construction of another iron plant in the Federal State of
MACEDONIA, though no data have been made known as yet. With all planned iron
plants finished in several years,it seems probable that Yugoslavia's iron
norlaccifiPri in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/07/22 : CIA-RDP83-00423R000400520001-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/07/22 : CIA-RDP83-00423R000400520001-9
.=
production will eventually reach the one million metric tons level.
Austria has exported and installed a fine sheet roller strip in the former iv'
German-owned ASSLING (Jenice) steel mill. This made necessary the
installment of a sixth open hearth furnace to reach the 45 thousand metric
ton capacity for which the roller is laid out.
A small hearth furnace was completed recently in the GUSTANJI (Slovenia)
Steel Mill ,5pril 19537."
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/07/22 : CIA-RDP83-00423R000400520001-9