Despite the fact that today they are increasingly used alternative sources energy, mining coal is relevant area industry. One of the most important areas of application of this type of fuel is the operation of power plants. Coal deposits are located in various countries of the world, and 50 of them are active.
World coal deposits
The largest amount of coal is mined in the United States in deposits in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, Illinois and Alabama, Colorado, Wyoming and Texas. Stone and brown coal, as well as anthracites. Russia takes second place in the extraction of these minerals.
China is in third place in coal production. The largest Chinese deposits are located in the Shanxing coal basin, in the Great Chinese Plain, Datong, Yangtze, etc. A lot of coal is also mined in Australia - in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, near the city of Newcastle. India is a major coal producer, and the deposits are located in the northeast of the country.
In the deposits of Saarland and Saxony, Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg in Germany, hard and brown coal have been mined for more than 150 years. There are three coal basins in Ukraine: Dnieper, Donetsk, Lvov-Volyn. Anthracite, gas coal and coking coal are mined here. Quite large-scale coal deposits are located in Canada and Uzbekistan, Colombia and Turkey, North Korea and Thailand, Kazakhstan and Poland, the Czech Republic and South Africa.
Coal deposits in Russia
A third of the world's coal reserves are located on the territory of the Russian Federation. The largest number of deposits is located in the eastern part of the country, in Siberia. The largest Russian coal deposits are as follows:
- Kuznetskoye - a significant part of the basin lies in the Kemerovo region, where about 80% of coking coal and 56% of hard coal are mined;
- Kansk-Achinsk basin – 12% of brown coal is mined;
- Tunguska basin - located in part of Eastern Siberia, anthracite, brown and hard coal are mined;
- The Pechora basin is rich in coking coal;
- The Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo basin is a source of coal for Irkutsk enterprises.
Coal mining is a very promising sector of the economy today. Experts say that humanity is consuming coal too intensively, so there is a threat that the world's reserves may soon be used up, but some countries have significant reserves of this mineral. Its consumption depends on the application, and if you reduce the consumption of coal, it will last for a longer time.
Russia boasts the most abundant coal deposits, but they are often located in hard-to-reach regions, which complicates their development. In addition, not all deposits are recoverable for geological reasons. We bring to your attention a rating of the world's coal basins, which contain colossal natural resources, most of which will remain in the bowels of the earth without being extracted to the surface.
Tunguska basin, Russia (coal reserves - 2.299 trillion tons)
The undisputed world leadership in terms of the volume of coal deposits belongs to the Russian Tunguska basin, which occupies an area of more than a million square kilometers and covers the territories of the Irkutsk region, Yakutia and Krasnoyarsk Territory. The block's reserves amount to 2.299 trillion tons of hard and brown coal. It is premature to talk about full-scale development of the basin's fields, since most of the possible production zones have not yet been studied enough due to their location in hard-to-reach areas. In those areas that have already been explored, mining is carried out using open and underground methods.
Kayerkansky coal mine, Krasnoyarsk region
Lena Basin, Russia (1.647 trillion tons)
In Yakutia and partly in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the second largest coal basin in the world is located - Lensky - with reserves of 1.647 trillion tons of brown and hard coal. The main part of the block is located in the Lena River basin, in the region of the Central Yakut Lowland. The area of the coal basin reaches 750 thousand square kilometers. Like the Tunguska basin, the Lena block has been insufficiently studied due to the inaccessibility of the area. Extraction is carried out in mines and open pits. At the Sangarskaya mine, which was closed in 1998, a fire started two years later, which has not yet been extinguished.
Abandoned mine "Sangarskaya", Yakutia
Kansk-Achinsk basin, Russia (638 billion tons)
The third position in the ranking of the largest coal blocks in the world goes to the Kansk-Achinsk basin, whose reserves amount to 638 billion tons of coal, mostly brown. The length of the basin is about 800 kilometers along Trans-Siberian Railway. The block is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Irkutsk and Kemerovo regions. About three dozen deposits have been discovered on its territory. The basin is characterized by normal geological conditions for development. Due to the shallow occurrence of the layers, the development of the areas is carried out using a quarry method.
Coal mine "Borodinsky", Krasnoyarsk region
Kuzbass, Russia (635 billion tons)
The Kuznetsk basin is one of the largest developed blocks in the country. Geological coal reserves of Kuzbass are estimated at 635 billion tons. The basin is located within the Kemerovo region and partly in the Altai region and Novosibirsk region, where subbituminous coal and anthracite are mined, respectively. In Kuzbass, the predominant method of mining is the underground one, which allows for the extraction of higher quality coal. Another 30% of the fuel volume is extracted open method. The rest of the coal - no more than 5% - is extracted hydraulically.
Open pit "Bachatsky", Kemerovo region
Illinois Basin, USA (365 billion tons)
The fifth largest coal reserve in the world is the Illinois Basin, with an area of 122 thousand square kilometers, located in the state of the same name, as well as in the neighboring regions of Kentucky and Indiana. Geological coal reserves reach 365 billion tons, of which 18 billion tons are available for open-pit mining. The mining depth is average - within 150 meters. Up to 90% of the mined coal comes from only two of the nine existing seams - Harrisburg and Herrin. Approximately the same amount of coal is used for the needs of the thermal power industry, the remaining volumes are coked.
Crown III Coal Mine, Illinois, USA
Ruhr Basin, Germany (287 billion tons)
The famous German Ruhr block is located in the basin of the river of the same name, which is the right tributary of the Rhine. This is one of the oldest coal mining sites, known since the thirteenth century. Industrial reserves of hard coal lie on an area of 6.2 thousand square kilometers, at a depth of up to two kilometers, but in general the geological strata, total weight which are within 287 billion tons, reach six kilometers. About 65% of the deposits are coking coal. Mining is carried out exclusively underground. The maximum depth of the mines in the fishing area is 940 meters (Hugo mine).
Workers at the Auguste Victoria coal mine, Marl, Germany
Appalachian Basin, USA (284 billion tons)
In the eastern part of the United States, in the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama, the Appalachian stone coal basin with reserves of 284 billion tons of fossil fuels. The basin area reaches 180 thousand square kilometers. There are about three hundred coal mining areas in the block. Appalachia contains 95% of the country's mines, as well as approximately 85% of the quarries. 78% of industry workers are employed at coal mining enterprises in the basin. 45% of coal is mined using open pit mining.
Mountaintop removal for coal mining, West Virginia, USA
Pechora Basin, Russia (265 billion tons)
In the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Komi there is the eighth largest coal basin in the world with an area of 90 square kilometers - Pechora. The coal deposits of this block amount to 265 billion tons. Fishing is carried out in permafrost areas, forest-tundra and tundra. In addition, difficult production conditions are associated with the fact that the layers are uneven and characterized by a high level of methane content. Working in mines is dangerous due to high concentrations of gas and dust. Most of the mines were built directly in Inta and Vorkuta. The depth of development of the sites reaches 900 meters.
Yunyaginsky open-pit mine, Vorkuta, Komi Republic
Taimyr Basin, Russia (217 billion tons)
Another Russian coal block entered the global top ten - the Taimyr basin, which is located on the territory of the peninsula of the same name and covers an area of 80 thousand square kilometers. The structure of the seams is complex, some of the coal deposits are suitable for coking, and the majority of the reserves are energy grades. Despite the significant volumes of fuel reserves - 217 billion tons - the basin's deposits are currently not being developed. The prospects for developing the block are quite vague due to its remoteness from potential consumers.
Layers of coal along the right bank of the Shrenk River, Taimyr Peninsula
Donbass - Ukraine, Russian Federation, DPR and LPR (141 billion tons)
The Donbass region closes the ranking of the largest coal basins with a volume of deposits of 141 billion tons, which covers the territory of the Russian Rostov region and a number of regions of Ukraine. On the Ukrainian side, part of the administrative territory in the basin zone is engulfed in armed conflict, is not controlled by the Kyiv authorities, while being under the control of the unrecognized republics - the DPR and LPR in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, respectively. The area of the basin is 60 thousand square kilometers. All major grades of coal are common in the block. Donbass has been intensively developed for a long time - since the end of the 19th century.
Mine "Obukhovskaya", Zverevo, Rostov region
The above rating in no way reflects the real situation with field development indicators, but only shows the scale of the world's largest geological reserves without reference to the actual levels of exploration and extraction of mineral resources in a particular country. The total amount of proven reserves in all deposits in the states that are leaders in the coal mining industry is significantly less than the volume of geological deposits even in one large basin.
From the above diagram it is obvious that there is no relationship not only between the volumes of proven and total geological reserves. There is also no connection between the size of the largest basins and the proven amount of coal in the countries in which they are located. For example, despite the fact that Russia has four of the largest basins in the world, the country is inferior to the United States in terms of the volume of proven reserves.
The ratings show the wealth of Russian mineral resources, but not the possibility of their development. In turn, production indicators depend on other factors. For example, let us recall that Pronedra wrote earlier that Russia will increase coal exports in 2017. Decisions of this kind are made taking into account a number of conditions that do not depend on the volume of reserves. We are talking about the complexity of working in fields, the technologies used, economic feasibility, government policies and the position of industry operators.
Coal industry engages in the extraction and primary processing (enrichment) of hard and brown coal and is the largest industry in terms of the number of workers and the cost of production fixed assets.
Coal of Russia
Russia has a variety of types of coal - brown, hard, anthracite - and occupies one of the leading places in the world in terms of reserves. The total geological reserves of coal are 6421 billion tons, of which 5334 billion tons are standard. Over 2/3 of the total reserves are comprised of hard coals. Technological fuel - coking coals - make up 1/10 of the total amount of hard coals.
Coal distribution across the country's territory unevenly. 95% reserves account for eastern regions, of which more than 60% go to Siberia. The bulk of general geological coal reserves are concentrated in the Tunguska and Lena basins. The Kansk-Achinsk and Kuznetsk basins are distinguished by industrial coal reserves.
Coal mining in Russia
In terms of coal production, Russia ranks fifth in the world (after China, the USA, India and Australia), 3/4 of the mined coal is used for energy and heat production, 1/4 - in metallurgy and chemical industry. A small part is exported, mainly to Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Open pit coal mining in Russia is 2/3 of the total volume. This extraction method is considered the most productive and cheapest. However, this does not take into account the severe disturbances of nature associated with it - the creation of deep quarries and extensive dumps of overburden. Mine mining is more expensive and has a high accident rate, which is largely determined by the deterioration of mining equipment (40% of it is outdated and requires urgent modernization).
Coal basins of Russia
The role of a particular coal basin in the territorial division of labor depends on the quality of coal, the size of reserves, technical and economic indicators of production, the degree of preparedness of reserves for industrial exploitation, the size of production, and the characteristics of the transport and geographical location. Based on the totality of these conditions, the following stand out: inter-district coal bases— Kuznetsk and Kansk-Achinsk basins, which together account for 70% of coal production in Russia, as well as the Pechora, Donetsk, Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo and South Yakutsk basins.
Kuznetsk basin, located in the south Western Siberia in the Kemerovo region, is the main coal base of the country and provides half of all-Russian coal production. Coal lies here high quality, including coking. Almost 12% of mining is carried out by open pit mining. The main centers are Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo, Prokopyevsk, Anzhero-Sudzhensk, Belovo, Leninsk-Kuznetsky.
Kansk-Achinsk basin located in the south of Eastern Siberia in the Krasnoyarsk Territory along the Trans-Siberian Railway and accounts for 12% of coal production in Russia. Brown coal from this basin is the cheapest in the country, as it is mined by open-pit mining. Due to its low quality, coal is poorly transportable and therefore powerful thermal power plants operate on the basis of the largest open-pit mines (Irsha-Borodinsky, Nazarovsky, Berezovsky).
Pechora basin is the largest in the European part and accounts for 4% of the country's coal production. It is removed from the most important industrial centers and is located in the Arctic, mining is carried out only by the mine method. In the northern part of the basin (Vorkutinskoye, Vorgashorskoye deposits) coking coals are mined, in the southern part (Intinskoye deposit) - mainly energy coals. The main consumers of Pechora coal are the Cherepovets Metallurgical Plant, enterprises in the North-West, Center and Central Black Earth Region.
Donetsk basin in the Rostov region is the eastern part of the coal basin located in Ukraine. This is one of the oldest coal mining areas. The mine method of extraction led to the high cost of coal. Coal production is declining every year and in 2007 the basin provided only 2.4% of all-Russian production.
Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo basin in the Irkutsk region ensures low cost of coal, since mining is carried out by open-pit mining and produces 3.4% of coal in the country. Due to the great distance from large consumers, it is used at local power plants.
South Yakutsk basin(3.9% of all-Russian production) is at Far East. It has significant reserves of energy and technological fuel, and all production is carried out by open-pit mining.
Promising coal basins include the Lensky, Tungussky and Taimyrsky, located beyond the Yenisei north of the 60th parallel. They occupy vast spaces in poorly developed and sparsely populated areas of Eastern Siberia and the Far East.
In parallel with the creation coal bases In the 1930s, local coal basins were widely developed, which made it possible to bring coal production closer to the areas of its consumption. At the same time, in the western regions of Russia, coal production is declining (Moscow basin), and in the eastern regions it is increasing sharply (deposits of the Novosibirsk region, Trans-Baikal Territory, Primorye.
The coal mining industry is the largest segment fuel industry. Throughout the world, it surpasses any other in terms of the number of workers and the amount of equipment.
What is the coal industry
The coal mining industry involves the extraction of coal and its subsequent processing. Work is being carried out both on the surface and underground.
If the deposits are located at a depth of no more than 100 meters, work is carried out using the quarry method. Mines are used to develop deposits at great depths.
Classic methods of coal mining
Working in open-pit coal mines and underground are the main methods of mining. Most of the work in Russia and in the world is carried out using open-pit mining. This is due to financial benefits and high speed production
The process is as follows:
- Using special equipment, the top layer of earth covering the deposit is removed. A few years ago the depth open works was limited to 30 meters, latest technologies allowed to increase it 3 times. If the top layer is soft and small, it is removed using an excavator. A thick and dense layer of earth is pre-crushed.
- Coal deposits are broken off and taken away using special equipment to the enterprise for further processing.
- Workers are restoring the natural topography to avoid harm to the environment.
Flaw this method lies in the fact that coal deposits located at shallow depths contain impurities of dirt and other rocks.
Coal mined underground is considered cleaner and of higher quality.
The main objective of this method is to transport coal from great depths to the surface. For this purpose, passages are created: an adit (horizontal) and a shaft (inclined or vertical).
In the tunnels, special combines are used to cut layers of coal and load them onto a conveyor that lifts them to the surface.
The underground method allows you to extract large number fossil, but it has significant disadvantages: high cost and increased danger for workers.
Unconventional methods of coal mining
These methods are effective, but are not widespread - on at the moment There are no technologies that allow you to clearly establish the process:
- Hydraulic. Mining is carried out in a mine at great depth. The coal seam is crushed and delivered to the surface under strong water pressure.
- Compressed air energy. It is both destructive and lifting force, the compressed air is under high pressure.
- Vibration pulse. The layers are destroyed under the influence of powerful vibrations generated by the equipment.
These methods were used back in the Soviet Union, but did not become popular due to the need for large financial investments. Only a few coal mining companies continue to use unconventional methods.
Their main advantage is the absence of workers in potentially life-threatening areas.
Leading countries in coal production
According to world energy statistics, a ranking of countries occupying leading positions in coal production in the world has been compiled:
- India.
- Australia.
- Indonesia.
- Russia.
- Germany.
- Poland.
- Kazakhstan.
For many years, China has been the leader in coal production. In China, only 1/7 of the existing deposits are being developed, this is due to the fact that coal is not exported outside the country, and the existing reserves will last for at least 70 years.
In the United States, deposits are evenly scattered across the country. They will provide the country with their reserves for at least 300 years.
Coal deposits in India are very rich, but almost all of what is mined is used in the energy industry, since the available reserves are of very low quality. Despite the fact that India occupies one of the leading positions, artisanal methods of coal mining are progressing in this country.
Australia's coal reserves will last approximately 240 years. The mined coal has the highest score quality, a significant part of it is intended for export.
In Indonesia, the level of coal production is growing every year. A few years ago, most of what was produced was exported to other countries; now the country is gradually abandoning the use of oil, and therefore the demand for coal for domestic consumption is growing.
Russia has 1/3 of the world's coal reserves, but not all of the country's lands have been explored yet.
Germany, Poland and Kazakhstan are gradually reducing their coal production volumes due to the uncompetitive cost of raw materials. Most of the coal is intended for domestic consumption.
Main coal mining sites in Russia
Let's figure it out. Coal mining in Russia is carried out mainly by open-pit mining. The deposits are scattered unevenly throughout the country - most of them are located in the eastern region.
The most significant coal deposits in Russia are:
- Kuznetskoe (Kuzbass). It is considered the largest not only in Russia, but throughout the world; it is located in Western Siberia. Coking and hard coal are mined here.
- Kansko-Achinskoe. Mining is carried out here. The deposit is located along the Trans-Siberian Railway, occupying part of the territories of the Irkutsk and Kemerovo regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory.
- Tunguska coal basin. Represented by brown and hard coal. It covers part of the territory of the Republic of Sakha and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
- Pechora coal basin. Mining is carried out at this deposit. Work is carried out in mines, which allows the extraction of high-quality coal. Located in the territories of the Komi Republic and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
- Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo coal basin. Located on the territory of the Upper Sayan. Provides coal only to nearby enterprises and settlements.
Today, 5 more deposits are being developed that can increase the annual volume of coal production in Russia by 70 million tons.
Prospects for the coal mining industry
Most of the world's coal deposits have already been explored; from an economic point of view, the most promising ones belong to 70 countries. The level of coal production is growing rapidly: technologies are being improved and equipment is being modernized. Due to this, the profitability of the industry increases.
One of the largest sectors of the fuel and energy complex is the coal industry.
Back in the era of the USSR, Russia became a recognized leader in the field of coal mining and processing. Coal deposits here account for approximately 1/3 of the world's reserves, including brown and hard coal, and anthracite.
Russian Federation ranks sixth in the world in terms of coal production, 2/3 of which is used to produce energy and heat, 1/3 in the chemical industry, a small part is transported to Japan and South Korea. On average, more than 300 million tons per year are mined in Russian coal basins.
Characteristics of deposits
If you look at the map of Russia, over 90% of the deposits are located in the eastern part of the country, mainly in Siberia.
If we compare the volume of coal mined, its total quantity, technical and geographical conditions, then the most significant of them can be called the Kuznetsk, Tunguska, Pechora and Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo basins.
, otherwise known as Kuzbass, is the largest coal basin in Russia, and the largest in the world.
It is located in Western Siberia in a shallow intermountain basin. A large part of the basin belongs to the lands of the Kemerovo region.
A significant disadvantage is the geographic distance from the main fuel consumers - Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and the central regions of the country. 56% of hard coal and about 80% of coking coal are mined here, approximately 200 million tons per year. Open mining type.
Kansk-Achinsk coal basin
It is spread along the Trans-Siberian Railway through the territory of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Kemerovo and Irkutsk regions. 12% of all Russian brown coal belongs to this basin; in 2012 its quantity amounted to 42 million tons.
According to information provided by geological exploration in 1979, total coal reserves are 638 billion tons.
It should be noted that the local one is the cheapest due to its open-pit mining, has low transportability and is used to provide energy to local enterprises.
Tunguska coal basin
One of the largest and most promising basins in Russia, it occupies the territories of Yakutia, Krasnoyarsk Territory and Irkutsk Region.
If you look at the map, you can see that this is more than half of Eastern Siberia.
Local coal reserves amount to about 2345 billion tons. Hard and brown coal and a small amount of anthracite occur here.
Currently, work in the basin is poorly carried out (due to poor exploration of the field and the harsh climate). About 35.3 million tons are mined underground each year.
Pechora basin
Located on the western slope of the Pai-Khoi ridge, it is part of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Komi Republic. The main deposits are Vorkutinskoye, Vorgashorskoye, Intinskoye.
Deposits mostly are represented by high quality coking coal, which is produced exclusively by the mine method.
12.6 million tons of coal are mined per year, which is 4% of the total volume. Consumers solid fuel– enterprises of the northern European part of Russia, in particular the Cherepovets Metallurgical Plant.
Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo basin
It stretches along the Upper Sayan from Nizhneudinsk to Lake Baikal. It is divided into the Baikal and Sayan branches. The production volume is 3.4%, the mining method is open. The deposit is remote from large consumers, delivery is difficult, so local coal is used mainly at Irkutsk enterprises. The reserve is about 7.5 billion tons of coal.
Industry problems
Nowadays, active coal mining is carried out in the Kuznetsk, Kansko-Achinsk, Pechora and Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo basins, and the development of the Tunguska basin is planned. The main mining method is open, this choice is due to its relative cheapness and safety for workers. The disadvantage of this method is that the quality of the coal suffers greatly.
The main problem faced by the above basins is the difficulty of delivering fuel to remote regions; in this regard, it is necessary to modernize Siberian railway tracks. Despite this, the coal industry is one of the most promising industries Russian economy(according to preliminary estimates, Russian coal deposits should last more than 500 years).
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