In the article there was described the current state of mines against a background of tradition of exploitation and application of rock raw materials. Active quarries were selected, where the extraction of rock blocks has been a tradition, as well as quarries where the geological structure of the deposit allows to exploit the blocks in the future. There were also assessed old quarries and their deposits where the popular stones had been extracted in the past and then used in domestic architecture as a decorative materials. That is a group of more than 230 deposits in total. It has been presented economically justified perspectives of exploitation development concerning decorative and architectural rocks in south-eastern Poland against a background of European market requirements, the state of resources and environmental limitations. It was established that they are differentiated depending on the decorative properties of the rocks, their block divisibility and quantity of resources. Taking above-mentioned into consideration the deposits have been classified to groups which have the chances of exploitation development in the European, domestic and local scale. The former are Zygmuntówka Conglomerate, Morawica Limestone, Zalesiaki Limestone and Diplopora Dolomite. The domestic scope of use can be associated with properly developed deposits of Paleozoic limestones in the vicinity of Kielce and Krzeszowice and some dimension sandstones in the margin of the Holy Cross Mountains and in the Carpathians. The small deposits of sandstones from the Holy Cross Mountains margin and from the Carpathians as well as deposits of limestones from the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, excavating material used in so called small architecture, have guarantee of local development. Moreover there was shown the hazard to the dimension stones deposits connected with the huge consumption of their resources for the production of crushed aggregates. This problem concerns especially raw materials with good physico-mechanical properties. For the most attractive rocks it was justified the need of their protection against exploitation for the other purposes than block production. It was stated that the return to local masonry traditions is possible and necessary because of many connections with the national culture through its history, architecture and art. It requires large investments for modernize the exploitation methods as well as for promotion of Polish stones in the European market. It must be also taken into consideration the possibility of financial support from the European Union funds.

Chalcedonite is a diatomaceous sedimentary rock, which, on account of a very small occurrence area, is included into a group of unique rocks. It occurs at Dęborzynka, Gapinin, Lubocz and Teofilów deposits, located on the Rawska Plateau in the region of Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Nowe Miasto. The deposit in Teofilów is the only documented one and it is now being exploited. The surface of this deposit is 577 437 m2 and its geological resources were determined to be 21.587 - 106 kg (21 587.0 thousand tones). The main component of this rock is chalcedon (69.0-96.6 vol.%), however quartz, opal, iron hydroxides, pyrite, manganese compounds and clay minerals occur in small quantities. The active surface of chalcedonite is relatively small and it was determined as 3-6 m2/g. Chalcedonite had a mesoporous structure of a significantly high pore homogeneity, and the total volume of these pores was 0.03-0.04 cm3/g. On account of its small spatial distribution chalcedonite is a unique rock, which has multi-resource properties. It is useful for manufacturing perlite-like material, crystobalite, wollastonite and mullite. It was also found to be a valuable raw material for the production of pastes, scouring powders, grinder tools and also as good filler for the production of : paints, varnishes, enamel ware, lute and putty materials. Because of its mesoporous structure and due to extended outer surface of the grains, chalcedonite is utilized in water treatment technology, mostly as an effective filtration material. A high usefulness of chalcedonite bed for manganese and iron removal from water shows mostly the presence of a low height of iron removal zone in the filter, and it is also manifested by a relatively short time of introduction into effective manganese(II) removal, as well as by good hydraulic properties of the material, which enable to achieve high mass capacities of the filter and to reach long filtration cycles. Chalcedonit is a very good carrier of manganese oxides and its surface modification of leads to the creation of chemically active bed, which enables removal of manganese(II) from water with high efficiency and without the introduction process. Chalcedonite bed effective removes of ammonia nitrogen from the water in the process of nitrification and waste water treatment. Chalcedonite can be also taken into account as a sorbent for the removal of oil spills.

Hydraulic fracturing of rocks boosts the production rate by increasing the fracture-face surface area through the use of a pressurized liquid. Complex stress distribution and magnitude are the main factors that hinder the use of information gathered from in situ hydraulic fracturing in other locations. Laboratory tests are a good method for precisely determining the characteristics of these processes. One of the most important parameters is breakdown pressure, defined as the wellbore pressure necessary to induce a hydraulic fracture. Therefore, the main purpose of this investigation is to verify fracture resistance of rock samples fractured with the assistance of the most popular industry fluids. The experiments were carried out using a stand designed specifically for laboratory hydraulic fracturing. Repeatable results with a relative error within the range of 6-11% prove that the experimental methodology was correct. Moreover, the obtained results show that fracturing pressure depends significantly on fluid type. In the case of a water test, the fracturing pressure was 7.1±0.4 MPa. A similar result was achieved for slickwater, 7.5±0.7 MPa; however, a much lower value (4.7±0.5 MPa) was registered in the case of carbon dioxide.

W pracy analizowano wyniki pomiarów laboratoryjnych wykonanych na próbkach o zróżnicowanej litologii. Głównym celem było sprawdzenie, jak zmieniają się wartości prędkości fal sprężystych i dynamicznych modułów sprężystych w trójosiowym stanie naprężenia. Pomiary wykonano z wykorzystaniem nowatorskiego zestawu będącego na wyposażeniu Katedry Geofizyki, WGGiOŚ, AGH. Zestaw pomiarowy składa się z komory ciśnieniowej, prasy hydraulicznej i dźwigu oraz generatora fal sprężystych i specjalistycznego oprogramowania. Umożliwia pomiary prędkości fal podłużnych P i poprzecznych S wraz z pełną charakterystyką naprężeniowo-odkształceniową w trójosiowym stanie naprężenia. W pracy przedstawiono wyniki pomiarów uzyskane dla ciśnień okólnych odpowiednio dobranych dla głębokości występowania oraz wieku poszczególnych próbek. Pomiary wykonywano do momentu zniszczenia próbki. Wykonano analizę zmian prędkości przy stopniowym osiowym obciążaniu próbki. W efekcie uzyskano prędkości fal sprężystych oraz charakterystyki naprężeniowo-odkształceniowe. Uzyskano wyższe wartości prędkości fal sprężystych przy symulowanych ciśnieniach złożowych niż podczas pomiarów w warunkach atmosferycznych. Wyniki zestawiono z pozostałymi, dostępnymi rezultatami badań laboratoryjnych, np. porowatościami wyznaczonymi z eksperymentów NMR i porozymetrii rtęciowej. Równoczesne pomiary prędkości fal sprężystych P i S oraz charakterystyka naprężeniowo-odkształceniowa przy symulowanym ciśnieniu górotworu są efektywnym narzędziem do odtworzenia w laboratorium warunków złożowych i uzyskania wiarygodnych wartości dynamicznych i statycznych parametrów sprężystych i geomechanicznych.

It is shown that the predicted energy crisis in Kazakhstan makes the issue of small-scale energy and complementary civil society institutions more than relevant. This crisis, caused by the deterioration of heating networks built during the former USSR, can be more than large-scale, as evidenced by the events in the city of Ekibastuz, where a significant proportion of the population was left without heating in the winter of 2022/2023. It is proven that the development of small-scale power generation should be complex, i.e. in the foreseeable future, one should focus attention on a combination of renewable and traditional energy sources, which implies a gradual increase in the share of renewable energy. The expediency of using the concept of “energy freedom”, at least in relation to the Republic of Kazakhstan, is substantiated. It is shown that the goal of the development of small green energy should be precisely the achievement of energy freedom for households, oriented towards the institutions of civil society. This implies, inter alia, the development of a wide range of non-trivial technical solutions that provide, for example, direct heat generation without an intermediate stage of conversion into electrical current. A specific example is considered, demonstrating the adequacy of the proposed approach. It is also shown that the primary measures to ensure the energy freedom of households can be implemented even when using equipment available on the market. Specific calculations are presented which prove that the transition to decentralized heat supply is economically feasible using available equipment.

The Legnica deposit is one of the most prospective in the context of future lignite mining. Its extraction will be inseparable from the removal of the rocks of the overburden, the volume of which is very large. Due to the raw material properties, some of the rocks can be classified as accompanying minerals. The raw material identification of overburden sediments in the Legnica lignite deposit is insufficient. So far, they haven’t been the subject of detailed and comprehensive research to prove their usefulness. The article was a summary of the knowledge on this subject. The following should be included in the accompanying minerals: Quaternary sands and gravels, tertiary sands and clays (Poznan clays). They are present in two colour variants in the Legnica deposit - and fiery. The mineral composition of greenish-blue clays allows them to be included in illite-kaolinite- smectite varieties, in turn fiery clays as kaolinite-illite-smectite varieties. The tertiary clays are a very useful raw material for the production of building materials. In addition, they are potential mineral sorbents due to the nature of the association of clay minerals (occurrence of montmorillonite). They also show suitability for building waterproofing barriers. Quaternary gravels and sands, developed in the overburden Legnica deposit are differentiated raw materials. Some of them are raw materials for the construction industry. The glacial tills can be used as a component of ceramic mixtures. Tertiary sands can be used as a proppant material. The information on the raw material properties of these sediments will be one of the essential criteria for their treatment as accompanying minerals. Minerals accompanying those developed in the Legnica deposit should be exploited and deposited selectively. The creation of anthropogenic deposits accumulating these minerals will provide the possibility of their use for decades after the termination of operation.

In this study some of the experimental results of water shut-off treatments in oil and gas production wells were presented. The effect of water saturation of Miocene rocks of the Carpathian Foredeep on the relative permeability to gas was analyzed. Also, wide review of the worldwide publications from the point of view of the results obtained in water shut-off treatments in oil and gas formation was presented. Based on experimental results efficiency of relative permeability modification of sandstone from Szydłowiec to brine and nitrogen by four selected chemicals polymers and microgels was evaluated. Experimental results indicated that trend changes of permeability modification strongly depends on the fluid used in the RPM treatment. Moreover, efficiency of permeability modification to brine depends on flow rate of brine through the core - the lower brine flow rate the higher efficiency of the RPM treatment. RPM product number 1 caused significant loss of permeability to brine ca. 60% and slight permeability modification to gas ca. 18%. This permeability change to brine and gas was obtained by modification of formation wettability what affects well productivity. In the case of product number 2 which is based on microgels technology, also significant modification of selective permeability to brine was observed. Loss of permeability to brine was in the range of 65 to 90% while to gas ca. 50%.

Na Ziemi występują różnorodne minerały i skały, które zachwycają swoim pięknem i różnorodnością. Najczęściej spotykamy je w formie stałej lub też jako składniki mineralne rozpuszczone w wodzie.

The aim of the study is to determine the mercury content in hard coal, randomly taken from the USCB and in by-products of hard coal mining (fresh mining waste), i.e. aggregates (gangue) and hard coal sludge and mining waste from the Siersza dump (weathered waste). The 34 samples were intended for analysis. The total mercury content and the amount of mercury leaching from solid samples was determined. The percentage of the leaching form in the total element content, i.e. the level of mercury release from the material (leaching level), was also calculated. The amount of mercury leaching was determined by a static method using a batch test 1:10. The highest possibility of leaching mercury is characterized by weathered waste from the Siersza dump and slightly lower analyzed hard coal from the U pper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB). For hard coal samples, the total mercury content is between 0.0275–0.1236 mg/kg. However, the amount of mercury leaching from coal samples is 0.0008–0.0077 mg/kg. The aggregate is characterized by a higher total mercury content in the finest fraction 0–6 mm, within 0.1377–0.6107 mg/kg and much lower in the 80-120 mm fraction, within 0.0508–0.1274 mg/kg. The amount of elution is comparable in both fractions and amounts to 0.0008–0.0057 mg/kg. Coal sludge has a total mercury content of 0.0937–0.2047 mg/kg. L ow leaching values of 0.0014–0.0074 mg/ kg are also observed. Weathered mining waste has a total mercury content of 0.0622–0.2987 mg/kg. However, leaching values from weathered waste are much higher than from fresh mining waste. This value is 0.0058–0.0165 mg/kg. In the hard coal extracted from U SCB, the leaching level is 4.7% on average. Mining waste is characterized by a large variation in the proportion of mercury leaching form and the differences result from the seasoning time of the samples. Waste or by-products of hard coal production, such as aggregates and coal sludge, show a mercury washout form at an average level of 1.7%. The proportion of leachable form in weathered waste increased strongly to 7.3%. Elution characteristics vary for different groups of materials tested. Factors such as the type and origin of samples, their granulometric composition and the seasoning time of the material are of fundamental importance and demonstrated in the work.

In the process of extraction and enrichment of coal waste, considerable quantities of waste material are produced, mainly the gangue and coal sludge, considered as waste or raw material. The main directions of the management development of the waste rock are the production of aggregates, the production of energy products and the liquidation works in hard coal mines and the filling of excavations. The paper proposes the extension of these activities to the use of waste material. The possibility of using aggregates or extractive waste to fill open-pit excavations has been proposed, also in areas within the reach of groundwater and the possibility of building insulation layers of waste material and the production of mixtures of hard coal sludge and sewage sludge to produce material with good energy properties. The analysis was based on the author’s own research and literature data related to selected parameters of waste material. This paper presents our own preliminary studies on the amount of combustion heat and the calorific value of coal sludge combined with other wastes such as sewage sludge. The proposed methods and actions are part of the current directions of development, but they allow the extension of the scope of use of both extractive waste and products produced on the basis of gangue or coal sludge. Due to the frequent lack of the stable composition of these materials, their current properties should be assessed each time before attempting to use them. The fact that it is important to continue research to promote existing economic use and to seek new activities or methods has been concluded.

This paper concerns an approach to model the ledger-stand joints of modular scaffolds. Based on the analysis of the working range of the ledger (represented by a linear relationship between load and displacement), two models of the ledger-stand joint are analysed: first – with flexibility joints and second – with rigid joints and with a transition part of lower stiffness. Parameters are selected based on displacement measurements and numerical analyses of joints, then they are verified. On the basis of performed research, it can be stated that both methods of joint modelling recommended in this paper, can be applied in engineering practices.

The Tertiary lignite formations in the Bełchatów deposit, along with coal, are built of plastic, weakly compact and loose rocks. Their physical and mechanical parameters, don’t pose operational problems. However, varieties of a different lithological character and physical-mechanical properties rocks, causing difficulties when mining the overburden rocks, appear within them. These include: Mesozoic limestones, Tertiary sandstones and conglomerates, as well as Quaternary iron feldspar rocks. The article features a lithological characterization as well as values of basic physico-mechanical parameters. They form the basis of the geological engineering classification and decide about their difficult workability. The possibilities of their raw material utilization were also discussed.

This article presents the results of research on carbonate rock samples taken from Triassic sediments of the northern area of Chorzów City. The aim of the research was to identify the mineral phases of these rocks, especially carbonate phases. The rocks from the roof part of the Bundsandstein profile and floor part of the Muschelkalk profile - Gogolin Beds - are typical sediments from the northern part of Chorzów City. These rocks were mined in the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century. The article also presents the results of research on samples of carbonate rocks taken from investigated strata. It provides a Petrographic description, the results of microscopic analysis executed in polarized, transmitted light, X-ray analysis, and microprobe measurements using a scanning microscope. The results of these analyses showed that dolomites dominate in the Bunsandstein strata. Dolomites (The sampled rocks?) are composed mainly of dolomite, but sparry calcite was also identified. Moreover, quartz, clay minerals, muscovite and iron minerals were observed in the Bundsandstein rocks. The Muschelkalk sedimentsare mainly represented by limestone. In some areas, conglomerates were also found. The conglomerates are composed of carbonate rock boulders connected by carbonate cement. Two generations of calcite were observed while investigating the limestone. The first generation calcite is micritic, and the second generation calcite forms sparry crystals different in size and shape. In some areas of the sparry calcite it is possible to observe perfect rhobohedral cleavage. Moreover, dolomite, rhodohrosite, and noncarbonate minerals like quartz, muscovite, and clay minerals were identified. The results of microscopic analysis also showed that the limestone is different in texture. The limestone presents the following textures: biomorphic, detrical, sparry, microsparry and micritic.

The transitional siliceous rocks from the Belchatow lignite deposit belong to the deposits with heterogeneous petrographic composition. The research allows us to identify among others, opoka-rocks and gaizes. The mineralogical-chemical analysis proves that the main ingredients of the studied rocks commonly used as building material are minerals of the SiO₂ group. Laboratory tests show that the nature of siliceous mineral phases has several effects on the geomechanical parameters of the studied transitional rocks. They are a reduction in water content and rock porosity, which leads to the transition of opal type A to opal type crystobalit and trydymit and then to quartz or microquartz. Their density and strength parameters are increased.

The number 1 aim of the paper is to note theoretical explanations of three facts: the remarkably rapid acceleration of the rate of growth of the per capita domestic product (GDP) in a small part of the world economy in the early 19th century, a strong stability of the per capita GDP growth rates in countries of that part since then, and a very strong divergence in the per capita GDP growth among the less developed countries. The number 2 aim is to note the probable implications of these explanations for the likely rate of global economic growth during this and next centuries.