GEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF HEAVY INDUSTRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005100790009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2007
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 25, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/07/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005100790009-3
COUNTRY Hungary
SUBJECT Geological Department of the Ministry
of Heavy Industry
SECRET - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
This material contains Information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
ing of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 793
and 794. the transmission or revelation of which In
any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law.
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES 6
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
1. Location.
The Geological Department of the Ministry of Heavy Industry has its offices
at Vorosilov ut 11I, Budapest XIV. It is the only department of the Ministry
of Heavy Industry which is outside the ministry building in Marks utca,
Budapest V.
2. Chief Personalities.
The head of department
Lajos ended alParty?University The tand is
Csasztni, a former r oil
a one year scholarship to Moscow.
3. Functions.
The department directs all geological research in Hungary, with the exception
of research carried out by Soviet-controlled firms. These subaait reports to
information cannot be
th
e
the department as a matter of courtesy but, since
checked by the department, its reliability is open to doubt.
Subdepartments.
a. Geophysical Subdepartment, controlling the Geophysical Institute.
b. Geological Subdepartment, controlling the Geological Institute.
c. Raw Materials Subdepartment.
d. Deep Drilling Industrial Subdepartment.
e. Personnel Subdepartment.
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f. Finance Subdepartment.
5. Geophysical Subdepartment.
a. The administration section, which looks after the Geophysical Institute,
is staffed by a geophysicist and typist only. The head is I,Aszlo Facsinai,
b. Geophysical Institute.
This is housed in another building on Vorosilov ut. Its head is Professor
Dombai (fnu). It has sufficient funds, and is being expanded, but it does
not assist heavy industry as much as it-might because of inexperienced
staff. It consists of the following sections:
(1) Gravitational Section.
Its function is to determine the type of minerals under the surface
by studying the force of gravity in different areas. Maps are used,
with a 2 km. grid, showing the gravitational pull. The instruments
used are up-to-date; they were developed by a Hungarian.
(2) Electrical Resistance Section.
(a) This section works on the location of ores by studying the
degrees of resistance to electric currents sent down into the
earth. The instruments used, both for surface and deep
detection, are not so up-to-date as those used by the Gravita-
tional Section.
(b) The main working areas are: Valence hills, Mecsek hills,
Rudab,nya, Recsk and the Bakony mountains.
(3) Magnetic Section.
A compass type of instrument is used which, by the deviation of the
needle, helps to determine the location of ores.
(4) Radioactivity Section.
This section searches for uranium with Geiger counters. The main
working area is in the Valence Hills in the proximity of the coal
a.ama .
(5) Seismographic Section.
This section attempts to determine seams of different minerals
the use of seismographic instruments. Only three instruments
are available, and these, due to a number of
faults, have at times given incorrect results.
6. Geological Subdepartment.
a. The administrative section, rich looks after the Geological Institute,
is headed by Ferenc Hegedus, who has one or two assistants.
b. Geological Institute.
(1) The Geological Institute is located.at Vorosilov ut 14. Its head
is Dr. Jend Noszky, a qualified geologist. His Deputy is.Ede Nausch,
a former coal miner, who is a Party man.
(2) Up until April 19511.) the staff of the institute numbered 310. At
that time about 100 were sent off on wr,rk in the provinces. The
present strength is about 220, of whoa about 100 are fully qualified
geologists.
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The annual grant to the institute is 9 to 10 million forints.
There are the following sections:
(a)
Records Office.
Strength: Head and 4-5 assistants.
Purpose: To collect and record geological information from
outside sources.
(b) Geological Mapping Section.
Strength: Head and 3 assistants. The staff of this section
was cut in the spring of 19514.
Work: Geological maps covering the thole country (1:25,000)
are being done. Ten have not yet been completed.
Geological maps 1:10,000 and 1:5,000 (Topographical)
are being drawn for the Mecsek Hills and the Btfrzstlny
and Velence hills areas. Die to lack of instruments
and money the larger scale maps are not as accurate
as they should be.
(c) Non-Ferrous Metal Research Section.
Strength: 5 or 6.
Task: Direction of prospecting in the BBrzsdny and Velence
mountain areas.
Velence Hills: This area consists of a large mass
ch contains ores on the edges. Tunnels have been
dug during the last three years but the operation
has not proved very successful. Only a small quan-
tity of iron ore and one seam (1-2m wide) of fluorite
have been found.
Bgrzsdny Hills at GyHn soroszi, where volcanic
rock baa been found.. It. is no known what ores it
contains.
Cser3z9S;Tomaj (Lake Balato4): Pirites were found
here In 1953., but the ore contaiped only 10% metal
and this was not worth exploiting.
(d) Iron Ore Research Section.
Strengths 4 or 5.
Tasks Direction of iron ore prospecting in Recsk, Ruda-
banya and Mecsek.
Ruda=600or lidrilling operations here in 1953,
"C lius (or Mazalan-Madryl)
drills were used.. Operations were unsuccessful as
the technique used on this ground was wrong. Due
to lack of funds only 5 or 6 drills are being used
on work this year.
Mecsek: In 1953, teams were looking for FeCO~ but
were not successful. The section also prospe ted
for manganese ore in the Eger area, working by
means of subsidiary tunnels. They found a seam
only .05 to .5 m thick, which contained only 6-10%
manganese and was not worth exploiting.
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(a) Hard Coal Research Section.
Strength: 4.
Task: To explore the area west of the Danube and Budapest
for a strata of the eocene period.
(f) Mineral Raw Material Research Section.
Strength: Approximately 3.
Task: To prospect for fine resistant clay, kaolin and sand
required for glass purposes.
(g) Hydrological Section.
Strength: 8 - 10.
Task: To supervise drilling for water and artesian wells.
In charge of water supplies for the whole country.
Advises on water supplies for new building projects.
(h) "Karst" Hydrological Section.
Still being organized. IIntended strength: 23.
Task: To study the problem of "Karst" water entering mines
in the Dorog and Tatabhnya areas.
(i) Museum and Palaeontological Section.
Strength: 8 - 10.
Task: To look after the geological museum and to collate
and investigate palaeontological information.
(j) Geochemical Section.
Strength: 12 - 16.
Task: To analyze minerals. They have one spectroscope
at their disposal.
(k) Qre Analysis Section.
This consists of:
-(1)
Deep Drillings Laboratory.
Strength: 12.
Task: To analyze samples of earth from deep drillings
all over Hungary. In June 1951 work was being
done on samples from the Komlo area, including
coal, and on Diatoma,+a porous substance used
in the manufacture of gun powder.
(2) Sedimentary Minerals Laboratory.
Strength: 12.
Tasks Research into sedimentary minerals in connection
with physiochemical and "Termikus" differential
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Strength:
Pollen Analysis Laboratory.
Strength: 4.
Task: The microscopic study of "Spbrak" and "Pollenek"
(old plants, etc.) and the recording of relevant
data. The latest work was on the Jurassic
period anthracite in the Mecsek mountains.
Micropalaeontology Subsection.
Strength: 4.
Task: The microscopic study of layers of seams
(Foraminifera and Ostrakoda). Exploitation
of the results.
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(5) Petrographical Subsection.
7.
(1)
(m )
(3)
(4)
4.
Task: Examination of minerals by means of light and
microscopic methods.
Technical Library.
Strength: 15 - 20 draughtsmen and topographists.
Technical Geological Research Team.
Strength: 5.
Tasks To complete a geological survey in connection with
the Budapest subway.
(n) Manganese Ore Research Team.
Strength: 5.
Task: Prospecting for manganese ore between Zirc and Ocs,
particularly near the Urkut and Epleny manganese
mines. In 1953 (with a reinforced team) an estimated
300,000 tons of oxydized manganese ore were discovered
at Ep16ny; 500,000 tons more than the estimated *
million tons of manganese ore at Urkut were revealed;
and an estimated 40 million tons of manganese carbonate
ore (Yna03) were located in the Urkut area, whitish-
grey in color, and of a type previously believed to
be available only in the USSR.
c. In 1954 it was rumored that the Geological Institute would shortly be
reorganized: Most of the staff would be transferred to newly set up
geological departments of the Ore Mining and Mineral Mining Departments
of the Ministry of Heavy Industry, and the institute would concern itself
only with map making and theory.
Deep Industrial Drilling Subdepartment.
a. This subdepartment controls some nine deep drilling teams throughout the
country, ih ich operate on an ad hoc basis. One in the VSrpalota area
consisted of a geologist and three assistants, ten technicians and some
administrative staff. It had 40 small drills, mostly "Craelius ".
Another, in the Koml6 coal-bearing area, had 25 drills with a maximum
depth capacity of 1,000 m; they were old "Utveiyukodok" and new Soviet
rotary mabhines. _
b. The situation with regard to deep drill.:'Ang machinery is bad. The older
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machines are almost entirely ruined, and the "MY" diesel-driven drills,
developed and produced in Hungary, have proved unsatisfactory and are
being given up; the material used was faulty, and the construction was
poor,
c. Another di.fficulty is the lack of drilling tips or bits. There is not
a single diamond tip in the whole country. Machines often stand idle
because there is no double walled korona sic. Korona means crown in
English) within 200 km.
d. Drilling teams are also very short of transport, and the few vehicles
available are usually undergoing repair. This means that the work of
the drillers cannot be properly supervised and mistakes are frequent.
8. Raw Materials Subdepartment.
This merely keeps records of raw materials available.
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