(Facility) Oradea Alumina Refinery

Plant in Bihor, Romania with commodities Aluminum, Gallium, Vanadium
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Mineral rights holdings
  9. Land status
  10. Ownership information
  11. Production statistics
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10157878
MAS/MILS ID 4850150003
Record type Site
Current site name (Facility) Oradea Alumina Refinery
Alternate or previous names Crisana Alumina Refinery

Comments on the site names

  • THE ORADEA ALUMINA REFINERY CAN ALSO BE FOUND UNDER THE NAME "CRISANA ALUMINA REFINERY" IN CERTAIN DOCUMENTATION.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Town
Geographic coordinates: 21.93529, 47.0653 (WGS84)
Elevation 200
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Bihor(province)

Romania(country)

Geographic areas

Country State
Romania Bihor

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Aluminum Critical Primary
Gallium Critical Secondary
Vanadium Critical Secondary

Nearby scientific data

Town (1) 21.93529, 47.0653

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Processing Plant
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1965
Plant type Refiner
Plant subcategory Bayer

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown
Type of mineral rights Unknown
Type of mineral rights Unknown

Land status

Ownership category Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Government Of Romania
    Interest 100
    Home office Romania
    Year 1990
  • Type Operator
    Owner Department Of Non-Ferrous Metals
    Home office Romania
    Year 1990

Comments on the ownership information

  • AS OF 1990, THE ORADEA REFINERY WAS ENTIRELY OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF ROMANIA. THE REFINING OPERATIONS ARE CONTROLLED AND MONITORED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF NON-FERROUS METALS.

Production statistics

  • Year 1984
    Description Metallurgical Alumina 240000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Aluminum Aluminum 240000mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Metallurgical Alumina 240000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Aluminum Aluminum 240000mt
  • Year 1986
    Description Metallurgical Alumina 240000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Aluminum Aluminum 240000mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Vanadium 8000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Vanadium Vanadium 8000mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Gallium 1500 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Gallium Gallium 1500mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Metallurgical Alumina 240000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Aluminum Aluminum 240000mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Vanadium 8000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Vanadium Vanadium 8000mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Gallium 1500 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Gallium Gallium 1500mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Metallurgical Alumina 240000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Aluminum Aluminum 240000mt
  • Year 1989
    Description Vanadium 8000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Vanadium Vanadium 8000mt
  • Year 1989
    Description Gallium 1500 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Gallium Gallium 1500mt
  • Year 1989
    Description Metallurgical Alumina 240000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Aluminum Aluminum 240000mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Gallium 1500 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Gallium Gallium 1500mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Metallurgical Alumina 240000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Aluminum Aluminum 240000mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Vanadium 8000 Metric Tons
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Vanadium Vanadium 8000mt

Comments on the production information

  • AS OF 1990, THE THREE PRODUCTS AT THE ORADEA REFINERY WERE ALUMINA (METALLURGICAL, HYDRATE, AND REFRACTORY GRADES), GALLIUM, AND VANADIUM. AS OF 1990, THE QUALITY OF THE REFINED ALUMINA FROM THE ORADEA REFINERY WAS CONSIDERED TO BE FLOURY. PRIOR TO 1990, THE BAUXITE IMPORTS WERE HANDLED BY MINERALIMPORTEXPORT. CURRENTLY, THE IMPORTS ARE HANDLED BY METANEF.
  • THE REFINERY HAS BEEN GREATLY UNDER-UTILIZED IN THE PAST DUE TO SHORTAGES OF BAUXITE PRODUCTION. IN 1990, THE DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN PRIMARY ALUMINUM PRODUCTION CAUSED A FURTHER DECLINE IN THE DEMAND FOR ALUMINA. ORADEA WANTS TO INCREASE THIS FIGURE IN ORDER TO COMPENSATE FOR THEIR LOSES IN THE ALUMINUM PRODUCTION. THE CAPACITY OF THE ORADEA REFINERY IS BELIEVED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 240,000 METRIC TONS OF ALUMINA. ACTUAL PRODUCTION FOR YEARS 1984-1990 WAS 240,000 METRIC TONS OF ALUMINA PER YEAR. FOR YEARS 1984-1990, THE REFINERY ALSO PRODUCED 1,500 METRIC TONS OF GALLIUM PER YEAR AND 8,000 METRIC TONS OF VANADIUM PER YEAR. AS OF 1991, THE ORADEA REFINERY USED AN UNSPECIFIED BAYER PROCESS FOR ALL ALUMINA PRODUCTION. GALLIUM IS RECOVERED BY ELECTROLYSIS USING A SOLID CATHODE. THE POWER NEEDED TO RUN THE OPERATIONS AT THE ORADEA REFINERY IS RECEIVED FROM THE NATIONAL GRID POWER SUPPLY. THE COAL POWER STATION ADJACENT TO THE REFINERY IS LINKED TO THE GRID. THE POWER CONSUMPTION FOR THE ORADEA REFINERY AS OF 1990 WAS DETERMINED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 300 TO 350 KWH PER TON. STEAM CONSUMPTION IS 4,000 TO 6,000 TONS PER TON OF ALUMINA. THE ORADEA REFINERY PRODUCES UP TO 30,000 TONS PER YEAR OF HYDRATED ALUMINA. THE HYDRATED ALUMINA IS USED AS A FLOCCULANT IN THE DOMESTIC WATER TREATMENT INDUSTRY. AS 0F 1990, THE LEVEL OF INTEGRATION FOR BAUXITE WAS ABOUT 90% AND ALUMINA WAS CONSIDERED NIL.

Comments on the workings information

  • RED MUD DISPOSAL IS PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE THE SLIMES DAM IS VERY CLOSE TO THE HUNGARIAN BORDER AND IS CAUSING CONCERN IN THAT COUNTRY ABOUT GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION.

Comments on other economic factors

  • AS OF 1990, ALL OF THE ALUMINA IS SUPPLIED TO THE SLATINA SMELTER. UP TO 30,000 METRIC TONS PER YEAR OF HYDRATE AND REFRACTORY ALUMINA ARE USED FOR DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION.
  • THE ORADEA REFINERY PLANT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1965.
  • THE TECHNOLOGY USED AT THE ORADEA REFINERY IS MANUFACTURED AT LENINGRAD BY VAMI. THE OPERATING PROCESS IS AUTOMATED AND COMPUTER CONTROLLED. GALLIUM IS RECOVERED BY ELECTROLYSIS USING A SOLID CATHODE. THE TECHNOLOGY FOR GALLIUM RECOVERY WAS DEVELOPED IN ROMANIA BY THE STATE-CONTROLLED RESEARCH, ENGINEERING, AND DESIGN INSTITUTE FOR THE INORGANIC AND NON-FERROUS METALS INDUSTRY (KNOWN IN ROMANIA AS I.A.M.N.). THIS ORGANIZATION IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH ICI ON A NEW METHOD FOR GALLIUM RECOVERY USING SOLVENT EXTRACTION TECHNIQUES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    ROMANIAN MINING RECONSTRUCTION, MINING JOURNAL, LONDON,

  • Production

    AUGUST 9, 1991.

  • Production

    THE MINING AND METALLURGICAL INDUSTRIES IN EASTERN

  • Production

    EUROPE, VOL. 1, VOL. 2, VOL. 3, CERNA, JULY 1991.

  • Deposit

    THE TIMES ATLAS OF THE WORLD, THE TIMES BOOK COMPANY,

  • Deposit

    1983.

  • Deposit

    ATLAS OF EASTERN EUROPE, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY,

  • Deposit

    AUGUST 1990.

  • Deposit

    DEVELOPMENT TRENDS OF THE NON-FERROUS METAL INDUSTRY

  • Deposit

    IN EASTERN EUROPE, METALLGESELLSCHAFT AG, DECEMBER 1991.

  • Deposit

    ROMANIA, MINING JOURNAL LIMITED, 1991, PP.137-142.

  • Production

    HURLBUT, CORNELIUS S., DANA'S MANUAL OF MINERALOGY,

  • Production

    EIGHTEENTH EDITION, 1971.

  • Production

    MINERAL FACTS AND PROBLEMS, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF

  • Production

    THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF MINES BULLETIN 675, EDITION 1985.

  • Deposit

    COMMODITIES RESEARCH UNIT LIMITED, THE BASE METAL

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE, NOVEMBER 1990.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 24-SEP-96 Wilburn, David R. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.