Montenegro’s annual concession granting plan for 2026 includes provisions to begin detailed geological exploration and potential mining of copper ore near the village of Varine and barite in the Kovač region around Pljevlja, marking a significant step toward developing previously untapped mineral resources that are listed among the European Union’s critical raw materials.
The proposed plan envisages awarding a five-year concession for detailed geological exploration of the Varine copper deposit, located at roughly 1,250 meters above sea level near Kosanica. Historical geological surveys indicate that the Varine site contains approximately 7.3 million tonnes of copper ore in C1 and C2 reserve categories with an average copper content of 0.77 percent, as well as associated silver (about 9 g/t) and gold (around 0.3 g/t). There is also a larger estimated 24 million tonnes of prospective copper ore at lower confidence levels, pointing to significant resource potential pending further exploration.
While the copper deposit has not previously been exploited, officials argue that advancing exploration could more precisely define the resource base and its market value. Concession terms would require environmental impact assessments and continuous monitoring of air, water and soil quality before and during exploration, with initial operations expected to employ about 15 workers.
In parallel, the concession plan includes a 30-year concession for geological exploration and potential exploitation of barite in the wider Kovač barite-bearing region, which spans more than 230 square kilometres and includes several ore fields such as Potkovača, Plakala and Plani-Arslanovine. Barite was historically mined by hand in the area during the 1950s, and around 50,000 tonnes of high-quality barite were exported between 1948 and 1955. Current assessments suggest total barite reserves in the Potkovača deposit of nearly 293,000 tonnes with barium sulfate (BaSO₄) content ranging between 41 percent and over 93 percent depending on the ore body.
Under the proposed concession terms, at least 20 jobs are expected to be created, and the minimum concession fee would be set at 4 percent of annual revenues, with 70 percent of concession proceeds allocated to the Pljevlja municipal budget and 30 percent to the state budget. Environmental impact assessments and compliance with national legislation would also be prerequisites before any extraction activities could commence.
The inclusion of copper and barite in Montenegro’s 2026 concession plan reflects broader interest in developing critical minerals for industrial supply chains, while also raising questions about environmental safeguards, local employment impacts and long-term economic value for the Pljevlja region.
