OKD after 1990

As a result of state-planned economy, with the district meeting the high long-term mining requirements beyond the framework of its capacities, and insufficient investments into development, at the beginning of the 90's OKD found itself in an onerous economic situation. The necessity for transformation of the undertaking was augmented by the transition to free market economy in 1989.

On December 31, 1990 the state-owned OKD undertaking was dissolved without liquidation and as its legal successor a joint-stock company of Ostravsko-karvinské doly OKD with the exclusive capital participation by the state was established on January 1, 1991. Subsequently, OKD, a.s. started the restructuring process: mining and surface activities were combined into larger organizational entities and internal organizational units as well as OKD subsidiaries being formed.

The essential steps in restructuring of the enterprise was the swift closure of Ostrava mines, subsequent lowering of manpower, and the gradual privatization of the company. During 1990 - 2001 mining ceased in 14 face working areas in the Ostrava and Petřvald part of the district in an area of 180.0 km².

In 1998 there was a change in the proprietary structure of OKD. The state lost its majority share and KARBON INVEST, a.s. became the majority shareholder. In autumn of 2005 this company purchased the state share and became the main shareholder of the OKD company (95.89 % share of stocks). In the same year the majority share in the KARBON INVEST, a. s. combine was acquired by RPG Industries Ltd., located in Cyprus, which is owned by a group of international institutional and private investors headed by the Czech financier Zdeněk Bakala. At the end of 2005 the ČMD mining company was subsumed into OKD.

In December 2005 the OKD board of directors approved the proposal to divide the company. This process was concluded by dissolution of the previous OKD company by means of deletion from the commercial register and by formation of several independent entities as legal successors. The main (mining) activity was passed over to the succession joint-stock company of OKD, a. s. (with a new company ID and tax ID). Other activities which are not directly related to the basic mining activity were hived off to separate companies within the framework of the company division.