The mining industry is very important for our country and economy, so let’s talk about it now and focus mainly on the individual raw materials that are crucial to the mining industry.

Let’s start with OIL. Oil is of great importance to the mining industry. Among the main products are, for example, gasoline, paraffin, and kerosene. Other products include adhesives, paints, varnishes, and tires. What is good to know about oil extraction? If there is enough natural gas in an oil deposit, the oil can flow out on its own due to pressure. Natural gas is found in the Netherlands and Turkmenistan. Oil is extracted from offshore platforms in the continental shelf. Oil is transported via pipelines and tankers. The Gulf of Mexico (Texas), Venezuela, and Ecuador are major oil producers. What is OPEC? OPEC is an acronym for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. 

The second raw material is COAL. Coal is found in surface or underground mines. It is used in thermal power plants or heating plants. It is a very important chemical raw material. Among the highest quality and most calorific types is anthracite (a type of black coal). Conversely, lignite, for example, has the lowest calorific value. In terms of production and reserves, China accounts for 40–50%. Bituminous coal is found, for example, in the vicinity of Pennsylvania and near Nepal. Lignite is most commonly found in Russia near Moscow and in Australia around Melbourne.

Iron ore is found primarily in Brazil, Egypt, India, and southern China.

Non-ferrous metals are found in Bolivia, Indonesia, Australia, and Cuba.

In the Czech Republic, coal and natural gas are used very frequently; they are often indispensable raw materials. Oil also plays a huge role here. Oil reserves in our country are found primarily in the South Moravian Region. It is considered a relatively small oil field. There were about 340,000 cubic meters of oil and just under a million cubic meters of natural gas stored there. Coal mining is very demanding, and many people cannot handle this work and change professions.