BULGARIAN RESOURCES OF LEAD ZINC SILVER IRON GOLD AND OTHER METALS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A003700350004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 24, 2009
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 2, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/04/24: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA003700350004-9
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
1
INFORMATION REPORT
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.B. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT Bulgarian Resources of Lead, Zinc,
Silver, Iron, Gold, and Other Metals
PLACE ACQUIRED
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 2 March 1954
NO. OF PAGES 5
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
Leads Silver, and Zinc
It Lead, silver, and zinc are all extracted from the same ore (galena) in the
following percentages:
a. Lead, 67 percent;
b. Silver, 18 percent; and
c. Zinc, 15 percent.
2. The extraction of these ores is carried out by Gorubso, the Bulgarian-Soviet
mining organization, which is also responsible for the ek lloitation(}df'1tth 1.
minerals.
3? Most of the production is sent to the Soviet Union.
4. The hat, t rtant,',:ti 3 t#-) ate in the Rhodope Mountains, and particularly in
the following villages:
a. Madaia(three mines;
b. Rudozems three mines;
c. Borieva Reka, three mines;
d. Konski Doly two mines;
e. Strashimirp two mines;
f. Fetrovitsa; and
g. Kurovgrad (sic).
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STATE X ARMY lX NAVY I X AIR I X FBI I IAEC ORR E X
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5. The total production is allegedly sent to Kurdzhali by means of the teleferic
line.
6, Other small exploitation zones for this ore are said to be located at
Iskresh and Asenovgrad.
7. The production of these metals for the year 1925 was as follows:
a. Lead, 5:000 tons;
b. Silver, 1,000 tons; and
c. Zinc, 1,000 tons.
8. The present production is estimated to be about 180 tons per day, which amounts
to about 65'000 tons per year. According to the Five Year Plans the lead pro-
duction is supposed to be 13:300 tons for 1953.
9. The following limonite mines were known to have been in existence in the pasts
a. In the Sofia area;
b. In the Kazanluk area; and
c. In the Samokov area.
10. At present the following mines are in operation:
a. Gradovo, production not known;
b. Elfin Pelins production 10,000 tons per year;
co Smoiyan-Zlatograd, allegedly some iron is found with the other minerals
(leads zinc: silver) in this area; and
d. Maritsa basins important new deposits have allegedly been located in this
area; an und6nfiftedFreport states that the annual production from this area
is 130,000 tons of raw ore; the ore is allegedly to be processed in Georgi
Chankov complex under construction in Stara Zagora.
11. The production of cast-iron and steel, according to the Five-Year Plan, is
allegedly as follows:
Cast-irons 20 tons; and
be Steels 10 tons.
Manganese
12. Deposits of manganese were formerly discovered in the areas of Varna (now Stalin),
Yambol, and Sofia. At present the most important deposits are said to be those of
Varna. Annual production in 1925 was 800 tons. No other data are available con-
cerning the mining of manganese or the present production.
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 Approved For Release 2009/04/24: CIA-RDP80-00810A003700350004-9
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-3-
Chromium
13. In the past, chromium deposits were not exploited. Reports have been received
of deposits at Gostun (between Nevrokop and Razlog), but there are no details con-
cerning mining of the ore.
Aluminum
14. In the past,, Bulgaria did not produce aluminum, but deposits are now being ex-
ploited in the Dolni Okol and Radomir areas. Production of these mines is not
know. These zones are allegedly being built up to increase the production of
the mines.
15. Up to 1939, most of the sodium production was derived from the salt deposits
northeast of Burgas and from the quarries of Provadiya (west of Varna). The
1935 production was 6,,000 tons per year. At present, because of the intensified
exploitation in the Provadiya area, there are industrial establishments under
construction between Devnya and Provadiya for the production of calcined soda
and glass.
16. Small deposits of talc are known to be in existence around Sliven, Karnobat, and
northeast of Pazardzhik. No details are available concerning the present pro-
duction or exploitation of these deposits.
Gold
17, Small gold ng zones .ate allegedly located west of Stara Zagora, north of
Nova Zagora, and at Busentsi on the Yugoslav border. No data are available con-
cerning the present exploitation or production of the ore.
Barium
18. Small barium mines are allegedly located at Zemen and Pet", Production is not
known.
19. A sketch of Bulgaria showing the various mineral deposits and mining areas in
Bulgaria is enclosed as an Appendix, pages 4 and 5.
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Mineral Deposits in Bulgaria - November 1953
Novo
Selo
Vidin
x
.Kula
?akovitsa
Aleksandrovo ''Krumovo
Belogradchil Ryakhovo
?Lekhchevo Kn
edkovets
. Boychinovtsi 'Byala
Phiprovtsi
Yerainand Slat
,lerkovitsa
'VRhTSA
t ` _ ezdra
t . Dragoman L
rt %Peturah
51 t
Trun 'oaes* A
-A Breznik
SOFIA
At
V
~Gorna Dzhumaya
+Razlog
P /MAIM A
.Trustenik
'Radomirtsi
'Lukovit
-Sevlievo
Dryanovo
Gahrova
4Pirdop
?Koprivshtit'aarlovo v
' Petrioh Kazanluk
' Panagyurishte
Ikhti man
Go
4, amo-Ko r
erkovo
6jGrat =l gnatirys o OrIz ovo
PLCA DIV `" i
'PLEVENlavy
Peshtera rsur.1sovgra
Bratsigovo senov~rad
'Popovo
k
1- - Sveti
+ \ Vrach
Dospa t
. Nevroko x
4
A. Opel X' cYi k x x X
x k x
Kurdzhali
Smo n A,rd o
c
9 a No
-1- k ~ Xt k
X
00044
If,
6 r- /? EEc.>r "A 11
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APPENDIX (Continued)
'Razgrad
.Byala
$ S trakkd lovo
Popovo "Novi Pazar
bPolsi Senovets A ' SHUMN
u
rgovishte
T
Doha, Oryakhovitsa
?? `Leskovets .Omurtag
TURNOVO
bVurbitsa
plena
?Aytos
? Sliven X ` Kam
"Ivaylovgrad,,,
%Krumovgrad -,- x
G E N D
UNanganese IBarium
XTalo
\/Gold
NAluminum
S C A L E 1sl,S00,000
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
ambol
'" -t -r
? General
Toshevo
a Dobrich
Provadiya ?
' Rakovets"
(
?Sredets
,Elkhovo ?Fakiya
i-
Topolovgrad 4 1 v. A- cnr~nirawnA '4 4- _Msil1tn
x `- T T X Tvtrnovq
3L#CK
S Ei9
L E
Lead, Zinc?
Silver
QChrcnn3.um
OSodium
A Iron
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