TY - JOUR

T1 - Geological potential of antimony, bauxite, fluorite, and magnesite of the Central Dinarides (Bosnia and Herzegovina): exploration and exploitation perspective

AU - Borojević Šoštarić, Sibila

AU - Markelj, Anže

AU - Jašarević, Eldar

AU - Haindl, Angelika

PY - 2022/5/26

Y1 - 2022/5/26

N2 - This paper presents the critical raw materials (CRM) potential of antimony, bauxite, fluorite, andmagnesite deposits in Bosnia and Herzegovina, discusses their metallogeny and joint geological features, and explains the methodology of the InvestRM application and evaluation criteriafor the selected commodities in the following steps: (1) preparation of the geological data templates, (2) evaluation and verification of the geological data, (3) ranking of deposits according tothe geological data relating to quality and quantity, and (4) identification of the 10+ perspectivedeposits. Existing geological datasets show the existence of significant potential in primary CRMsuch as bauxite (56 Mt), magnesite (4 Mt), and antimony (0.2 Mt) in Bosnia and Herzegovina(BiH). The geological settings of BiH provide favourable metallogenetic conditions primarily forbauxite and magnesite deposits but also for antimony within polymetallic deposits, while fluorspar is rather rare. Our methodology described herein led to the selection of the following fourteen deposits for further geological prospection and investment: the polymetallic antimony deposits Čemernica and Podhrusanj, antimony fields Srebrenica and Rupice; magnesite fieldsKladanj, Banja Luka, Teslić and Novi Šeher and bauxite regions Vlasenica-Srebrenica, GrmečMountain deposits in Una-Sana region and South Bosnia regions from Posušje to Trebinje. Abasic economic calculation based on the world producer ranking and a self-sustainability andeconomic contribution assessment shows that further investments in geological exploration andmining of antimony, magnesite, and bauxite CRM could place BiH on the list of important producers of these commodities in Europe

AB - This paper presents the critical raw materials (CRM) potential of antimony, bauxite, fluorite, andmagnesite deposits in Bosnia and Herzegovina, discusses their metallogeny and joint geological features, and explains the methodology of the InvestRM application and evaluation criteriafor the selected commodities in the following steps: (1) preparation of the geological data templates, (2) evaluation and verification of the geological data, (3) ranking of deposits according tothe geological data relating to quality and quantity, and (4) identification of the 10+ perspectivedeposits. Existing geological datasets show the existence of significant potential in primary CRMsuch as bauxite (56 Mt), magnesite (4 Mt), and antimony (0.2 Mt) in Bosnia and Herzegovina(BiH). The geological settings of BiH provide favourable metallogenetic conditions primarily forbauxite and magnesite deposits but also for antimony within polymetallic deposits, while fluorspar is rather rare. Our methodology described herein led to the selection of the following fourteen deposits for further geological prospection and investment: the polymetallic antimony deposits Čemernica and Podhrusanj, antimony fields Srebrenica and Rupice; magnesite fieldsKladanj, Banja Luka, Teslić and Novi Šeher and bauxite regions Vlasenica-Srebrenica, GrmečMountain deposits in Una-Sana region and South Bosnia regions from Posušje to Trebinje. Abasic economic calculation based on the world producer ranking and a self-sustainability andeconomic contribution assessment shows that further investments in geological exploration andmining of antimony, magnesite, and bauxite CRM could place BiH on the list of important producers of these commodities in Europe

KW - CRM exploration

KW - Mining potential

KW - Central Dinarides

KW - Bosnia and Herzegovina

KW - Fluorite

KW - Antimony

KW - Magnesite

KW - Bauxite

U2 - 10.4154/gc.2022.16

DO - 10.4154/gc.2022.16

M3 - Article

VL - 75.2022

SP - 269

EP - 287

JO - Geologia Croatica

JF - Geologia Croatica

SN - 1330-030X

IS - 2

ER -