Gold occurring in various geological formations in Poland was a subject of a mining activity from at least the early Middle Ages. At present, gold is extracted only from copper-silver deposits located in the area of the Fore-Sudetic Monocline. Gold occurs mainly in the oxidized facies sediments (in German Rote Fäule), mainly in rocks of the Weissliegendes Sandstone of the Rotliegend and in the lower parts of the Zechstein copper-bearing schists (Kupferschiefer). Gold is recovered in the course of a technological processing of sulfide ores and imported inputs. In 2019, 674 kilograms of Au were recovered from Polish sulfide Cu-Ag ores. However, taking into account the recovery from the imported inputs – there were about 3,225 kilograms of Au recovered.
The gold and arsenic mine at Złoty Stok, closed in 1960, was the biggest active gold mine in the Sudety Mts. Documented in 1954 gold resources of Złoty Stok deposit were estimated at 2,000 kilograms in the ore anticipated economic resources and 490 kilograms in the ore anticipated sub-economic ones. The mean content of gold in löllingite-arsenopyrite ore is 2.8 g/t of ore. This deposit was exploited after the Second World War in 1954-1960. During that period about 25% of documented resources were exploited.
The prospective resources of gold in Poland are assessed to be equal 419.2 – 431.8 tonnes, whereas the prognostic resources to be equal 34.3 tonnes*.
Prepared by: Stanisław Z. Mikulski
* Mikulski S.Z., Oszczepalski S., 2020 - Rudy złota (gold ores). In: Bilans perspektywicznych zasobów kopalin Polski wg stanu na 31.12.2018 r. (eds. Szamałek K., Szuflicki M., Mizerski W.): 174-187. PIG-PIB, Warszawa.