JACHYMOV URANIUM MINING DISTRICT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R012200100003-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2002
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: July 25, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

FCRM NO. 51.61
MAY 1949
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE a
ACQUIRED
APP"teftl\E?rFAMP 286166swift741""-RDP's3413445124122?444"drri 114fV)Ialdi 4
-CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
emblem
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DATE DISTR.
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NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
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25 July 1952
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b.
C. amaindiAlcno at g 9,
eztuc*ox.vlthaU308 =ten
the tote1 crude or* production Jotild
wotad have a 1/3 Oa content of 1.54c. lb
the anount of or,ade ore shipped to tails we
Presumably. the 700 tone added to the fit,mre
the aumatt of ore which we onli crumbed or et
both rich and poor ore with en average 03 08
it would appear that the *verso 03 0$ eontont Crf
production woad be epproxinately 2% rather then 1.5% ?
ato
itfTeRNttvs &gi.CTAS
i'AkDEATilf: OUR ta
Jog
CLASSIFICATION SECRET,
STATE
ARMY
NAVY
AIR
NSRB
DISTRIBUTION
X
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11113 IS MI Erff",11771,1FIE TO
1401
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Joachimathal) TIranium Mining District..
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Previous- efforts have shown that it is impossible to obtain competent
information on the output of uranium crude ore from available sources.
Since these Sources were only assistant Workers in the mines, they had
a much too limited knowledge of the entire operational setup to supply
useful information on the production of uranium ore. This method of
produring overall production figures on uranium mining, bayed on many
bits of information from minor sources?'therefore, was not satisfactory.
Another method of determining the volume of uranium ore produced VAS
through the observation of the crude ore dressing process. This nethod
was propitious for the Czechoelovekian uranium ore district because it
was found that the total crude ore production passed through the "Central
Ore Chamber" at the Bratrstvi vine and through the three washinc Plants
of the Bratretvi and Antes Mines. Peports on incoming and outgoing
shipments of the "Central Ore Chamber" and on amount of time worked in
the washing plants, the capacities of which were well known, were eufficient
to furnish a more reliable estimate of the production of the individual
mines. A third method was the observation of uranium ore shipments
leaving Czechoslovakia. Thus, not only the dressed crude ore but also
the bulk shipments of poor crude ores were recorded. This method WAS made
more feasible by the fact that all crude ore shipmento left Czechoslovakia
via Ostrov or Nerklin. However, since lwere
only temporarily employed in loading operations, they could gather only
a partial survey on the loaded shipments. For this reason, no detailed
information could be obtained by this method.
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2. No substantial changes have become known since the compilation of the
last survey on the uraniu0 ore district, The known mines of the Jechy
Mff7 district together with their characteristic features are shown in
the sketch in Annex 1. The information on the mine layout dates back
to early 1950. The following is a chronAlogical history of the ex-
pansion of these nines;
!i opened
19471 glias
Irene
Tome
Bost Sen
New buildinjs and tnetallattrms
Dratratvit New ore dressing plant
Test sheds
New pumping installations
on the 3d, 6th and 7th
levels
Modernisation of the
installation
)K11,
i948i bare Eliast Transformer
Ore chamber
Marie Antoinette
Klement
gduard
gva
Ore bunker
Washing plant
Drying room
Svornosts New haulage installation
with machine house. Since
1948 the: Bratrstvis Rovnost,.
Svornosts Elias/Irene Hines
have been equipped with
electrical and Diesel loco-
motives, and with excavators
Rovnoetz Modernisation of the haulage
installation
Bratrstvi Tranafterer station
Machine house
I
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Oro dump
Office building
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1950t Adam
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Rovnosts
bic meter
WilOr
Irene: New haulage installation
Eva. New steel hoisting tower
(Stahlfeerderturm
!Whine house
Eduard Is New haulage installation
Adams New steel hoisting tower
Transformer station
. The method of processing the crude ore was determined by piecing to.
gether bits of information supplied by mources and is illustrated by
diagrams in Annexes 20 3, and L. The crude ore was graded as fellows.
Spez al (pure pitchblende) ) Rich or
Silna or behata (rich pitchblende) also called Bi-material ) Picked
Sieba or chuda spoor pitchblende) also called S-material ) Ore
ABO-naterial, also called TJ-material (this is the poor ore )
An additional "extra rich" grade was said to have been introduced
since November l949 and was. processed together with the "epeeist]."
grade. The U303 content of the different grades was not known by
sources. The large lumps of all grades of rich ore were sorted at
the mines, packed in bexes, sealed and sent from all mines to the
"Central Ore Chamber" ((ITK) at the Bratretvi Wine. Here it was
examined in the radiometric test room and sorted according to grade.
The ore was sent to the "Large Ore Chamber" or "Large 'Pill" for pro-
cessing. rach grade was crushed separately and shoveled to obtain
a uniform mixture. This mixture was then packed into metal containers
and the lids sealed by welding. The "Spezia" and "Extra Rich" grades
were ground only once a meek or once every two weeks. The poor ore,
together with sorted ore from the old waste dumps, were sorted in
radiometric test stations and the rich grades of ore obtained during
this sorting process were sent directly to the OTK, where it was pro-
cessed in the same manner as the rich ore ooming directly from the
mines. The dead stone, which is earth with no uranium content, was
discarded and of the remaining poor ores part was shipped in bulk
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e(
to ve part was sent to the "small ore chamber" or srnaU mill*
where it was ?rushed and packed in metal containers and part vas
sent to one of the two washing plants at the Bratrstvi mine or to
the washing plant at the Elias mine. In Czechoslovakia, ore was
dressed only by the wet-mechanical method. No additional dressing
operation is done in Czechoslovakia. After being washed, the ore
wasesgain sorted by classifying screens and vibrator tables, dried in
? the drying ,X1.1.11_and then peeked into metal containers and shipped to the
OTN. 7[1*(0re? *lashing plants contained about 150 vibrator tables.
The conoentrated and crushed ore processed in the OTK and also the
unprocessed poor ore in bulk, was loaded once a month in actress and
shipped tc the U.S.S.R. when there were lnree stocks of unprocessed
poor ore, a second train with this ore in 131ek was dispatched. The
material processed in the Elias mine was loaded in tlerklin and the
ears were coupled to the train coming from Ostrov. The average number
of ears reported was 45 tr, 50 for each train and included 10 to 12
care of unprocessed poor ore. The remainder of the oars were loaded
with iron containers of crushed ore or concentrates. The material
leaving the Elias washing plant filled 5 to 8 cars. The cars were
standard 1-ton to 20-ton railroad cars. Trieck shipments of material
to Cop CR 49/k 90), still reported early in 1949, were not observed
after that time. According to information from one seeress the trains
taken over the Polish border could have a maximum grose weight of
only 1,150 tons. This limited gross weight would mean n net weight
of only 600 to 700 tons although the actual load of 50 railroad cars
would be about 800 tons because most of the 20-ton railroad cars were
loaded with only 17 tons, while the 15-ton cars were eseally loaded to
capacity. Subsequent statistics in this report are computed on a
maximum net weight of 800 tons.
The returnees and refugees could not supply any reliable information on
tile U300 content of the crude ore and dressed ore. In order to obtain
an estimate of the 1J308 content, the following factors have been
assumed to be trues
a. The main production of uranium ore in the Jachymev district is still
obtained fron the old mine installations, which were mined for
uranium ore- as early as 1919 and, in some inetancee, were abandoned
as being unprofitable. At that time the main working zones were ths
uranium containing ore veins of this district, running from north
to south. The information collected during earlier minirg operations,
on the geological conditions of this district and one the crude ore
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characteristics of these veins has also proven to be applicable at
the present time. The returnees confirm the belief that the previously
mined veins are still the main production veins.
b. Uranium mining has been intensified under Soviet managements reeardless
of profitableness, since 1946. The ratio of rich ore and poor ores
the location of occurrences and the analytical findings discovered in
the initial period can to some extent also serve as a rule today. In
addition, poor ore material is processed on a large scale at the pre-
sent time. As a result of the extensive use of poor ores the average
U0 content of the mined ore and of the dressed ore will be lower than
in prewar time.
c. The rich ores and poor ores have the following estimated U0 contents
"Blearier
" extra rich" )
"Silna"
"Slabs."
40%
13 %
5 %
The poor ore (ABC material) has the following estimated U308 contents
1 percent for the crushed material
0.5 percent for the bulk material
The estimated 1J30 content of the concentrates obtained by dressing
20 percent.
6. Estitheela-2_4ducedU04 amount The information on the incoming ship-
ments, the processing volume and outgoing shipments of the OTK as well an
the amount of material processed by the washing plants furnish an approxi-
mate estimate of the 11308 output. Figures on shipments loaded in Ostrow and
Merklin can eiMultaneously be used for Checking. Accurate information
cannot be obtained because information on the incoming shipments) processing
volume and outgoing shipments obtained from different sources vary con-
siderably. The available information, covering the period fro* late 1949
to early 1.950, is as follows'
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a,
April 1949 to April 1950
September 1949 to Nay 19501
191491
be Br c
450 to 550 tone per month
6 to 10 trucks daily,
each loaded with 150 to 180
boxes of 30 to 40 kg each
(i.e. about 45 to 55 tons
daily or about 1,200 tone
monthly)
Of incoming O?e e ipments
about 5 percent were "extra
rich", 75 percent wers"Silnan
and "Slaba" and about 20 per-
cent were poor ore (ABC
material).
crushed ore and concentrates)
Until October 12491 M4Y 1949 3,000 containers of about
60- kg each i.e. about 180 tons
monthly
Summer 1949 4'000 containers of about
60 kg each i.e. about 240 tons
monthly
Autumn 1949 5,000 containers of about
60 kg each i.e. about 300 tons
monthly
Aug 1949 to December 19491 110 container, of about 65 kg
each daily i.e. about 7 tons
daily or about 200 tons
monthly
September 1949 to Juivary 19501 200 to 240 containers of about
60 kg daily i.e. *bout 12 tone
daily or about 350 tons
monthly
5,000 to 6,000 containers of
60 to 80 kg each monthly i.e.
about 350 to 420 tons monthly
April 1949 to April 19501
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Late 19494 about 17 tons daily i.e. about 500 tons
monthly
September 1949 to My 19501 "Spesial*grade - 60 to 70 boxes of 60 kg each
weekly
Large mill (rich ore) 200 boxes per ahift i.e.)
about 20 tons daily about 900 t
Small mill (poor ore) 100 boxes par monthly
shift i.e. about 10 tons daily
October 1949 to ,bar 19491 *Spezia" and "Extra rich" erodes ? 4 to 5
tons in fourteen days
"Silna" and "Sleba" grades - 300 to 350 tons
in fourteen days
flidu.'191i91 Three Iota totalirc 300 to 350 containers of
about 60 kg each were processed in 3 shifts,
i.e. 18 to 20 tons daily or 540 to 600 tone
monthly.
Autumn 19491
Late 19491
"Silna", extra rich and "Slabs" grades
lot, averaging 100 to 110 containers of 60 to
65 kg each, processed in 1 shifts
"Siam", extra rich and "Slab*" gradee -one
lot, averspg 100 to 110 containers of 60 to
65 kg each, processed in 1 shift
ABC material - one lot averaging 100 to 110 con-
tainers of 60 to 65 kg each, processed in 2
shifts.
c. Cutgoing,shipments of the (ILK.
April 1949 to April 19501
350 tone monthly
Late 19491 14,000 tontainers of 60 kg each, monthly i.e.
840 tons monthly
jeptember 1949 to May 19504 "Sposial" grade. 100 containers of 30 kg each
monthly lie, 8 tons monthly
"Silna" and "Illaba" grades 13,500 containers
of 55 kg monthly i.e. 850 tone monthly
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The ore dressed he mashing plants must be added to the above amounte
of crushed material.With 150 vibrator tables in operation with a daily
output of 30 kg per vibrator table a daily amount of 4.5 tons of *omen
trate is produced i.e. about 120 tons monthly of which about eo tont are
froca the Elise mashing plant.
d. 212122tatal, vitara_l_sechoslorakia.,
The reported production figeree agree fairly well with the repo tedtrans?
portation figures. According to most reports, one transport train, loaded
with processed material, wee dispatched from Ostrov each month. Care
loaded with concentrate from the Elias washing plant were coupled to this
train. Mach train comprised 45 to 50 care including 35 to ho care loaded
with crushed ore and concentratee in containers and the remaining cars
with shipments of poor ore in bulk. The maximum net weight of a transport
train was 800 tons. This amount may be broken down into the following
types of shipments:
Crushed ore average 480 tons
concentrate 120 "
Total material in containers550 to 650 -gar
Poor ore in bulk 150 to 250 tons 200 "
Assuming the transport amount of about 800 tons and the U30 content as
computed in paragraph 4 there would be the following U308 atoures per month
late in 1949t
Grades
"Spezia"
"Extra rich"
"Ulna" F.10 percent)
"Slaba" 60 percent)
Production amount Percentage of
U 0
3 8
ho percent
10 tons
13 percent )
5 percent )
or ore (crushed) 150 tons 1 percent
Poor ore in bulk 200 tons 0,5 percent
Concentrates 120 tone ;42. '1,4 20 percent
800 tons
7 percent
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4 tone
25 torm
1,5 tons
1 ton
24 tons
111.P?????????.4.0.m..1.06est
55.5 tons
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Assuming that about 3,000 tons of crude ore with a TJ0 content of 1 per-
cent was processed into concentrates, the total crude re production
would be about 3,700 tons monthly and would have a U10 content of 1.5
percent. This estimate seems to be too high as the crude ore of the
Jachymov district has a U20 content of about 1 percent. flecauge of the
smaller capacity of the vie ine plants in early 1949, it is estimated
that the total 1949 production of uranium ore in Czechoslovekia would
correspond to 4 U3011 content of 300 to 350 tons, This is a considerable
increase compared with the previous estimate of the 1949 ILA amount of
160 tons although the UtOR content of the different grades or ore were
reduced in accordance Vali the abovementioned presumptions. It was
seemed in the earlier estinate, which was baded on available reports,
that the total crude ore production, except for the hspezial" grade,
was being processed into concentrates in the washing plants, The esti
mate of the 1110A amount was therefore based only on the reported capa-
city of the vasEing plants. The large shipments of crushed material had
not been reported previously. Formerly, the transportation figures could
not be related to production and processing figures although these
statistics now agree fairly well. The U308 amounts estinated in this
report are considered maximuMeneunts since the estimaten were based an
the highest figures, The estimated annual production of 300 to 350 tons
of U100 would mean an increase of 15 to /7k times the mum prewar pro-
ductfoH of the Jachymov district which was 19.6 tons of U308 in 1932.
The production reported for late 1949 was 35 times the /932 amount. The
monthly 11300 content would be approximate2,7 30 tons if the average U108
content Is reduced to 1 percent and the monthly outceing shipment to
700 tons. Thus, the actual 1120A content of the ore produced in Czecho-
slovakia and shipped out of Ciodhoslovakia is probably between 30 to
55 tons monthly,
Two returnees indicated that other ore material which was yielded during the
production of uranium ore was also collected and delivered in Jaelymov.
This information is the first, of its kind. According to one of the rettrneos
who worked in the Rovnost Mine, bismuth MOB yielded mainlv in the khir"
vein on the "Daniel" level. This source, I 25X1
stated that bismuth was as carermewf,ae uranium ore. A large
amount of bismuth, frequently more than of uraniue weaves mined especially
from the sumer of 1949 until the fall of 1949. It was put into the same VP*
of containers as was the uranium ore and was also sent to the ore chamber,
Source did not have any information on the subsequent procensine. The other
returnee worked in the Flies Mine in November 1949. According to his information,
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silver ore, if it was a rich grade, was also collected and delivered.
Additional information of this kind, especiallj on the amount pro?
duced and the subsequent processing activities, ie not avniiatats
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?ft.
13ar6arce 2107e. /f5484)
yz?Aolaj Pline (190)
..7.K.HYNOF Uranium inins siticl.
.Mine gnsfallizlions 1950.
(1946no)
iq,777e.t
Lese?7d:
? rich production
? rnedict 772 production
O poor prOcirl C on
abando ned level
owl elect. or Diesel locomoare
22 ex ea Vcrtor
(no-) we), ? opePieci
t 1
,Eci;.ar4 phne (ios)
rich ore
(grades: sioece al,
..sz.17)4
SicZ6ci)
poor ore /or
washi,79 plant .5
2/-
Elias Washl Newel
MIRO Jreste IVO)
;
f947 z o)
(so,n)
194.9 -neve
5vornosl Pline (1-9*01
0 -en
Ro Yr] 0 .5 t
76:
rendwareed 1,211 >948
!99
Washing Plant
/
rineld PliNe (91w)
-0 13D,
11
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UM' erSevz' (4947) c
_ 4601. /171
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Sen Mir)e (f9072P
SW
2
oial s27ve,- fere( -
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3"ler
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QS.)
ert. 650
Loycler constr.
_
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?
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Niiloinelle stai4Py_(194cf PLO)
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Washi?j) Plan
-X 2 10
Washing 2----..12" 72 21
1
FT
-
".? ? I. soz -rollers
al-51714k far
virafor e;a6/e.5
:2,3.1712i-42 ry
;
viiaratIor /aide:
"?A
7arith7"/Wrec-- ies/ 5 /4
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bucket's /or-
C ?ricer/ ['rale
1732.4pu
frenr, ?
?nines:
7Srae4.5:2),::,
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6are.?5 pi/ea r.ircordins
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tcffiZffir
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g Win- 7 Ka
.5Creen
drying kib?
? 'Central Ore Chamber OTIr
eale-clir7_62,aresszny?cfrillit ciashins
z-rxsecrficelio,7 amei SpArtent
Fraote co7c1' mzne
doieVe erezoi
norroo, gtwye
low
1????Ornamscraska-...
eye rdieci3 els
(c-rze _she ce ev and co Prcenlrenze)
...Mira/ 14
Orzishin? Plant
'OF
unloading )an,)
a. crushers in each room (ictrye and
rich oPe (crude ore
coneerzirale
_coneenIrceZe
and criesZed ore)
poor creed. ore lar
?
?
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?
Ebas Washzry Plant'
oizst`riut`c2
Vi4rcyfor
latVes
1
gRNYMOV Elias- 71-1ene Nine ,7nsfalialion (fsgo)
slope cruSh
WaShi.ns, cylii7c47'
conveyor &di
?41/r
0 ?
/
k-fw
r--"!
.r11,5 try 7d./124-6
2 -6,zw 7771145 -
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Annex 3 eo
OIK
1
017e
CbC`
aI Of e
rit
vet 5)
j0 014
D 3
.7rene
AWN
/11111,:owni
i Min Mil
11111111111111 ME 1
=el MEC
Ink
Elias Pline
red t' o "TVS& E.C.
gee
r'
-'01110/;-.4". 1111110111:
7?a? :7 v /7-?:
?ab
-
,
co-nyeyor de/4
dead seone
hiCanata sorts.ny
OP' -
co,,reyar aeM
TW111WWWIF
OSTROr
(077ce a 7110h th)
amherYcollecliort
?111,
? r oz.\ itv.."
r ? r ? -141
-N.,
old l wasee ciump
-
? ;OW..
* 1
? ? s
'
-
? 7-
dead slone
al&
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rich ore
. POO)-. 0).e? /or
washinf pier nis
_concerilrale
.14
Approve or
ease
NOV Row7ost Mine. (i96.0)
rri"rWrns 5h:ft : 150 fo 200 pze ccrrs
noon Shp: -fao .E.o 150
IrrshcL ship : ?
if- rr2 LIG" riCli
eg
T111.
A
1\1615
I"
1/4.9
Ytt
raa"ro,nez`riG es 4'
2c0,7re.yor ,34.111
excarcze?or
=
o wasEe ciamp
Ore lump s
111=p111111111111q
10 13raIrsere "OTIC
uOre Cham6er
(7n4'nvcrl sorllny 544fip )710
4
_
ore lumps
2E0 3 3-oxes /sh0
Screen
?Donut?! Soret)if
2 :Shills
7211/ Select A-roaferra ?
?
4/e,z slone
BrairsIre
?poor ore
10.
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