BGS Metallic Minerals of Wales

This dataset provides digital spatial information on the location and distribution of metallic mineral occurrences in Wales at a scale of 1:50 000. While the broader term ‘mineral resources’ encompasses a wide range of geological materials, this dataset focuses solely on metallic minerals. These are defined in accordance with international mineral resource standards to include both geological characteristics and potential economic considerations. The dataset is based primarily on mapped geology, with limited assessment of economic viability, and is intended to show the distribution and extent of metallic mineral occurrences rather than potential extraction areas or mineral reserves. The Welsh Assembly Government recognised the importance of managing mineral resources at a national level to maintain an appropriate balance between mineral supply and demand. In response, the British Geological Survey (BGS) was commissioned in 2009 (contract 252/2009/09) to provide a comprehensive and accessible information base to support sustainable mineral resource management across the 25 Unitary and Mineral Planning Authorities of Wales. This work formed part of the National Minerals Map of Wales and Aggregate Safeguarding Map of Wales, funded through the Welsh Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund and co-funded by the BGS Sustainable Mineral Solutions project. This metallic minerals dataset is a thematic subset of the wider Welsh mineral resources dataset and was derived using the same methodology. Data production was completed in 2010, with minor revisions to geometry and attributes undertaken in 2020. The dataset enables users to visualise broad patterns in the distribution of metallic mineral occurrences across Wales and to consider their spatial relationship with other land-use designations, infrastructure, environmental constraints and conservation data. It is suitable for regional-scale planning and safeguarding assessments but does not indicate economically viable reserves, designate extraction areas, or confer planning status. Only onshore mainland occurrences are included. The data quality varies spatially and reflects the availability and resolution of underlying geological mapping. The presence of a metallic mineral occurrence does not imply current working, planning permission, or economic viability. Point data for metallic mineral occurrences have historically been included within related resource mapping; however, occurrence-level information is more comprehensively represented in other BGS datasets, such as the BGS BritPits database of mines and quarries. This dataset should therefore be used as a regional-scale spatial planning and safeguarding tool rather than as a definitive inventory of all recorded metallic mineral sites in Wales.

Date (Creation): 2010

Citation identifier: http://data.bgs.ac.uk/id/dataHolding/13608642

Point of contact

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
British Geological Survey	Enquiries	enquiries@bgs.ac.uk	Distributor
British Geological Survey	Enquiries	enquiries@bgs.ac.uk	Point of contact

Maintenance and update frequency: As needed

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Geology

BGS Thesaurus of Geosciences

Minerals
Digital data
Economic geology

dataCentre

data.gov.uk (non-INSPIRE)

Keywords

NERC_DDC

Access constraints: Other restrictions

Other constraints: license

Other constraints: Either : (i) the dataset has not been formally approved by BGS for access and use by external clients under license; and / or (ii) the dataset contains 3rd party data or information obtained by BGS under terms and conditions that must be consulted before the dataset can be provided to, or accessed by, BGS staff or external clients. Refer to the BGS staff member responsible for the creation of the dataset if further advice is required. He / she should be familiar with the composition of the dataset, particularly with regard to 3rd party IPR contained in it, and any resultant access restrictions. This staff member should revert to the IPR Section (IPR@bgs.ac.uk) for advice, should the position not be clear.

Use constraints: Other restrictions

Other constraints: The copyright of materials derived from the British Geological Survey's work is vested in the Natural Environment Research Council [NERC]. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, via the BGS Intellectual Property Rights Manager. Use by customers of information provided by the BGS, is at the customer's own risk. In view of the disparate sources of information at BGS's disposal, including such material donated to BGS, that BGS accepts in good faith as being accurate, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the quality or accuracy of the information supplied, or to the information's suitability for any use. NERC/BGS accepts no liability whatever in respect of loss, damage, injury or other occurence however caused.

Other constraints: The dataset is made available to external clients under BGS Digital Data Licence terms and conditions. Revert to the IPR Section ( iprdigital@bgs.ac.uk) if further advice is required with regard to permitted usage.

Spatial representation type: Vector

Denominator: 50000

Language: English

Topic category

Geoscientific information

Geographic identifier: WALES [id=170000]
British Geological Survey Gazetteer: Geographical hierarchy from Geosaurus 1979 creation

Geographic identifier: WLS
ISO 3166_1 alpha-3 2009 revision

Begin date: 2009

End date: 2010

Unique resource identifier: OSGB 1936 / British National Grid (EPSG::27700)

Distribution format

Name	Version
ESRI Shapefile (.shp)

Distributor contact

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
British Geological Survey	Enquiries	enquiries@bgs.ac.uk	Distributor

OnLine resource

Protocol	Linkage	Name
WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link	https://www.bgs.ac.uk/	BGS Homepage

Hierarchy level: Dataset

Other: dataset

Conformance result

Title: INSPIRE Implementing rules laying down technical arrangements for the interoperability and harmonisation of Geology

Date (Publication): 2011

Explanation: See the referenced specification

Pass: No

Conformance result

Title: Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services

Date (Publication): 2010-12-08

Explanation: See http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:323:0011:0102:EN:PDF

Pass: No

Statement: The dataset was produced using the following methodology, consistent with the wider Welsh mineral resources project: 1. Important mineral occurrences were selected using expert judgment and existing literature on the location of mines and mineralised areas 2. Draft maps were shared with stakeholders for comment. 3. Approved maps were collated and prepared in GIS for dataset creation. 4. Data for metallic mineral commodities were merged into a regional file.