Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA)
The General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA - Maden Teknik Arama Genel Mudurlugu) was founded in June 22, 1935 according to law no: 2804 approved in June 14, 1935 by the Parliament and published in the Official Gazette in June 22, 1935. With the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, in an effort to improve mining sector and exploit mineral resources by the government, “Oil Exploration and Exploitation” and “Gold Exploration and Exploitation” were founded as two independent organizations under the ministry of Economy in 1933.
The institute, was entrusted with the task of exploring mineral resources and location of quarries, finding them and determine the suitibility of its exploiting by carrying out required surveys, chemical and technological analysis, and also train and provide qualified staff for the sector.
The institute of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) first in an apartment, opposite the Ankara Courthall, with 5 units which are, Accountancy, labs, Coal, Oil and Metals with a few personnel each, and then moved to Akköprü facilities. Until 1939, Metal, Oil and Coal groups performed their works. Then, Associated Technical Works Division (YTIK) was founded to deal with maps, pictures etc. After a while, with the participation of geologists and prospectors, Field exploration and Survey group (SAM) was founded. Metal and Coal groups were united as Minreral Research Group (MAG) and carried out exploration and survey.
In 1940, Geological Survey and Prospection (JEP) and Analysis and Experiment (JEP) were also added to MTA. In SAM Group, instead of Geology and Prospection, drilling gained importance and splitting operation also involved in this group and Technical Operation Group was founded. Then in 1951, Mineral Survey Department, in 1954 Geology Department were founded.
With the rapid development of MTA Institute, Akköprü Facilities failed to meet reqirements, MTA moved to its current place, Balgat Campus in 1967. Mineral Survey Branch divided into separate divisions as Geophysics Division, Radioactive Minerals, Coal Division and Industrial Raw Materials. Geology Division separated into Oil and Geothermal Energy, and TTL Division separated into Technology Division. In, 1969, Plan and Project Division, In 1972, Machinery Supply Division were founded. Divisions were changed to Departments with decree no: 7/11801 in May 31, 1976. With the same decree, Feasibility Survey Unit was separated from Planning and Coordination and changed into a Department. In addition, 12 District Offices were founded in order to help field studies. The Institute was changed to “Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate” with the provisional clause no: 5 of the statutory decree no: 186 in Dec, 13, 1983.
MTA has performed survey all around Turkey. During field studies, lots of mineral resources and ore deposits were discovered and their reserves were improved. Therefore It greatly contributed to the economy of Turkey and Earthsciences. Between the years of 1935 and 1950, oil gained fundemental importance and drilling and survey were performed around Trakya, Iskenderun, Adana and Southeast Anatolia Region. Oil was discovered in Raman and Garzan locations and their reserves were determined. Then, Turkish Petroleum Corporation was founded to build oil refinery with the capasity of 6250 barrels daily in Batman. In those years, MTA worked under very difficult conditions. In the first years, due to the lack of roads, horses and mules were used, and also tents and village houses were used to accommodate the personnel.
Later on, mineral exploration was carried out throughout the country, raw material sources, which are the basic imput of many establishments, were discovered by the meticulous work of MTA. MTA contributed to the exploration of raw materials used by organizations with global competitive power such as iron-steel, aluminium, ferro-chrome, glass ceramic, paper, cement etc. Besides mineral exploration, MTA has also pioneered in geological research of Turkey, and brought a wealth of knowledge to earthsciences.
Contemporary level drilling works for the investigation of underground riches in our country started with the establishment of MTA in 1935. MTA, drilling exploration in every region of Turkey since the establishment is engaged. Drilling exploration works are carried out by our General Directorate Drilling Department. The Drilling Department, which was originally included in the Petroleum Exploration Group, was organized in 1957 as the Department of Technical Surgery and the Department of Drilling in 1976.
Within the scope of the duties of the General Directorate of Drilling Department, summarized in the founding law number 2804, "To search the mines of our country suitable for operation, to determine the quality and reserves of the founders, and also to carry out infrastructure works that will serve the mining sector"; In addition to drilling works aimed at searching natural resources such as metallic mineral, industrial raw materials, coal, radioactive raw material, geothermal energy, groundwater, tilt measurement, drilling well cleaning and geothermal energy well tests.
Our General Directorate aimed to meet the raw material needs of industrial institutions in the short and long term, to find new raw material resources, to prepare new opportunities in parallel with industrial developments, to develop existing ones that will assist in the solution of energy bottlenecks, to find new energy raw material resources and to evaluate them quickly. For the realization of all these purposes, the most recent and realistic stage of the field work is drilling exploration.
MTA has become a pioneering institution that has a very important role in the spread and development of drilling. This institution, besides being the first institution to conduct geothermal drilling works in the country; it is also the referee in mineral exploration. MTA is still the biggest mineral and thermal water exploration company of the country. By contributing well tests to the geothermal sector, it contributes to the renewability, sustainability and protection of the site. Depending on the increases in drillings in recent years; Since 2008, it has renewed its machine fleet by purchasing 29 drilling machines with a depth capacity of 750-3.000 meters.
With the increasing budget of our department, the renewed machinery and newly purchased personnel, the drilling capacity has been increased to 200,000 meters, the depth capacity has been increased to 2,000 meters in core drilling and 3,000 meters in geothermal drilling.
Drilling Department has started to make paid drilling to public and private institutions and individuals as far as possible since 1983. With these studies, it evaluates the drilling capacity and contributes to the budget of our organization. Drilling Department has performed a total of 5,946,227 meters of drilling until the end of 2019: metallic mineral, industrial raw materials, coal, uranium, petroleum, geothermal, cold water and other drilling. In addition, since 2005, drilling to the private sector has been started by tender and a total of 10,297,680 meters has been reached by purchasing drilling services of 4,351,453 meters.
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