Coal. The largest coal deposits in Russia and the world The largest coal deposits in the world

Today, coal is the most widely used. With its help, electrical energy, rare and scattered elements, graphite are obtained. Coal is an important raw material in the chemical and metallurgical industries. That is why the request "buy coal" is very common.

Russia boasts huge coal reserves, whose pools and deposits are dispersed throughout the country. They differ in geological structure, quality of coal, coal saturation and age of deposits. Depending on the structural features, the basins of Russia are classified into folded, transitional and platform ones.

Most of the deposits contain bituminous humus coals, among which the main place belongs to coking grades. Main basins: Donetsk, Pechora, South Yakutsk and Kuznetsk. Deposits of brown coal are found in the regions of Eastern Siberia and the Urals, as well as in the Moscow region basin.

Coal deposits are unequal in terms of the quality of the fossil, the volume of its reserves and the area occupied. In addition, they, like development companies, are located in different regions of the country. Today, coal is mined in ten coal basins. The largest deposits are Kuznetsk, Kansk-Achinsk, Gorlovsky basin and Eastern Donbass.

The Kuznetsk basin is the main coal base of the country and provides half of the total volume of extracted raw materials. Almost twelve percent of the mining is carried out by open pit mining. The Kansk-Achinsk basin supplies brown coal, which is considered the cheapest in the country. Due to its low quality, it is not very transportable, therefore, it mainly ensures the operation of powerful thermal power plants operating on the basis of the largest open pit mines. The Pechora basin provides four percent of the country's coal production. It is located far from industrial centers, mining is carried out only in mines.

Coal mining

Coal is mined in two main ways - closed and open. In the first case, these are mines or cuts. A mine is a complex mining enterprise for the extraction of coal by an underground method. On average, she has been working for about forty years. Coal is mined in layers, each of which is taken out for about ten years. After that, the horizon is reconstructed and a deeper layer is developed. The section involves the excavation of coal in ledges and successive strips. Coal mined in mines and cuts is sent directly to the consumer or to processing plants, where it is first sorted and then enriched.

The promising coal basins include the Lensky, Tunguska and Taimyr. They occupy significant areas in the sparsely populated areas of Siberia and the Far East. Today, coal production in the western regions is gradually declining, while in the eastern regions it is increasing. One of the oldest basins is the Donbass. The coal mined here is of high quality, which distinguishes it from the products of competitors.

Russia boasts the most generous 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 the rating of the coal basins of the world, fraught with colossal natural wealth, 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 leader in terms of the volume of coal deposits belongs to the Russian Tunguska basin, which covers an area of ​​​​more than a million square kilometers and covers the territories of the Irkutsk region, Yakutia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The block's reserves total 2.299 trillion tons of hard and brown coal. It is too early to talk about the full-scale development of the fields in the basin, since most of the zones of possible production are still poorly understood due to their location in hard-to-reach areas. In those areas that have already been explored, mining is carried out by open and underground methods.

Kayerkan coal mine, Krasnoyarsk Territory

Lena Basin, Russia (1.647 trillion tons)

In Yakutia and partly in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, there is the second largest coal basin in the world - 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 cuts. At the Sangar mine, which was closed in 1998, a fire broke out two years later, which has not been extinguished to this day.

Abandoned mine "Sangarskaya", Yakutia

Kansko-Achinsk basin, Russia (638 billion tons)

The third position in the ranking of the largest coal blocks in the world went 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 the 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 seams, the development of the sites is carried out in a quarry way.

Borodinsky coal mine, Krasnoyarsk Territory

Kuzbass, Russia (635 billion tons)

The Kuznetsk basin is one of the largest developed blocks in the country. The geological reserves of Kuzbass coal are estimated at 635 billion tons. The basin is located within the Kemerovo region and partly in the Altai region and Novosibirsk region, where sub-bituminous coal and anthracite are mined, respectively. In Kuzbass, the underground mining method is predominant, which makes it possible to extract better quality coal. Another 30% of the volume of fuel is mined in an open way. The rest of the coal - no more than 5% - is extracted hydraulically.

Mine "Bachatsky", Kemerovo Region

Illinois Basin, USA (365 billion tons)

The fifth in terms of coal reserves 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 territories of neighboring regions - Kentucky and Indiana. Geological coal reserves reach 365 billion tons, of which 18 billion tons are available for open mining. The average mining depth is within 150 meters. Up to 90% of the coal produced is produced by only two of the nine available seams - "Harrisburg" and "Herrin". Approximately the same amount of coal goes to the needs of the heat and power industry, the rest is 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 a 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, geological strata, the total weight of which is 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 mines in the fishing area is 940 meters (the Hugo mine).

Auguste Victoria Coal Mine Workers, 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 coal basin is located with reserves of 284 billion tons of fossil fuels. The area of ​​the basin reaches 180 thousand square kilometers. There are about three hundred coal mining areas in the block. 95% of the country's mines are concentrated in the Appalachians, as well as approximately 85% of the quarries. The coal-mining enterprises of the basin employ 78% of the industry's employees. Extraction of 45% of coal is carried out by an open method.

Removal of mountain peaks for coal mining, West Virginia, USA

Pechora Basin, Russia (265 billion tons)

The Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Komi have 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 areas of permafrost, in the forest-tundra and tundra. In addition, difficult production conditions are associated with the fact that the layers lie unevenly and are 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 plots reaches 900 meters.

Open-pit mine "Yunyaginsky", Vorkuta, Komi Republic

Taimyr Basin, Russia (217 billion tons)

Another Russian coal block entered the world's 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, part of the coal deposits is suitable for coking, and most 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 the development of the block are rather vague due to its remoteness from potential consumers.

Coal layers on the right bank of the Shrenk River, Taimyr Peninsula

Donbass - Ukraine, Russian Federation, DPR and LPR (141 billion tons)

The rating of the largest coal basins is Donbass 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 covered by an 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 Luhansk regions, respectively. The area of ​​the basin is 60 thousand square kilometers. All major grades of hard coal are distributed 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 minerals in a particular country. The total number of proven reserves at all deposits in the countries that are leaders in the coal mining industry is much 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 where they are located. For example, despite the fact that four of the largest basins in the world are located in Russia, the country is inferior to the United States in terms of proven reserves.

The ratings show the wealth of Russian mineral resources, but not the possibility of their development. In turn, production rates depend on other factors. For example, we recall that Pronedra wrote earlier that Russia in 2017 will increase coal exports. Decisions of this kind are made subject to a number of conditions that do not depend on the volume of reserves. We are talking about the complexity of working in the fields, the technologies used, economic feasibility, the policy of the authorities and the position of industry operators.

The coal mining industry is the largest segment of the fuel industry. Worldwide, it outnumbers 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 carried out both on the surface and underground.

If the deposits are located at a depth of no more than 100 meters, the work is carried out in a quarry way. Mines are used to develop deposits at great depths.

Classic coal mining methods

Working in coal mines and underground are the main methods of mining. Most of the work in Russia and in the world is carried out in an open way. This is due to financial benefits and high production rates.

The process is as follows:

• With the help of special equipment, the upper layer of the earth covering the deposit is removed. A few years ago, the depth of open works was limited to 30 meters, the latest technology has made it possible to increase it 3 times. If the top layer is soft and small, it is removed with an excavator. A thick and dense layer of earth is pre-crushed.
• Coal deposits are beaten off and taken away with the help of special equipment to the enterprise for further processing.
• The workers are restoring the natural relief in order to avoid harm to the environment.

The disadvantage of this method is that coal deposits located at a shallow depth contain impurities of dirt and other rocks.

Coal mined underground is considered cleaner and of better quality.

The main task of this method is to transport coal from great depths to the surface. For this, passages are created: an adit (horizontal) and a shaft (inclined or vertical).

In the tunnels, coal seams are cut by special combines and loaded onto a conveyor that lifts them to the surface.

The underground method allows you to extract a large amount of minerals, but it has significant drawbacks: high cost and increased danger to workers.

Unconventional methods of coal mining

These methods are effective, but do not have mass distribution - 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 depths. The coal seam is crushed and brought to the surface under strong water pressure.
• The energy of compressed air. It acts as both a destructive and lifting force, compressed air is under strong pressure.
• Vibroimpulse. The formations are destroyed under the influence of powerful vibrations generated by the equipment.

These methods were used 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 mining

According to the statistics of world energy, a ranking of countries that occupy leading positions in coal production in the world has been compiled:

1. India.
2. Australia.
3. Indonesia.
4. Russia.
5. Germany.
6. Poland.
7. Kazakhstan.

For many years, China has been the leader in terms of coal production. In China, only 1/7 of the available deposits are being developed, this is due to the fact that coal is not exported outside the country, and the existing reserves will last at least 70 years.

On the territory of the United States, the deposits are evenly scattered throughout 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 the coal produced 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 quality rating, 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 the produced was exported to other countries, now the country is gradually phasing out the use of oil, in connection with which the demand for coal for domestic consumption is growing.

Russia has 1/3 of the world's coal reserves, while not all the country's lands have yet been explored.

Germany, Poland and Kazakhstan are gradually reducing coal production due to the non-competitive cost of raw materials. Most of the coal is intended for domestic consumption.

The main places of coal mining in Russia

Let's figure it out. Coal mining in Russia is carried out mainly by open-pit mining. Deposits across the country are scattered unevenly - most of them are located in the eastern region.

The most significant coal deposits in Russia are:

• Kuznetsk (Kuzbass). It is considered the largest not only in Russia, but throughout the world, located in Western Siberia. Coking and hard coal is mined here.
• Kansko-Achinsk. Production is carried out here. The field is located along the Trans-Siberian Railway, occupying part of the territories of the Irkutsk and Kemerovo regions, the 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 Works are carried out in mines, which makes it possible to extract high-quality coal. It is located on the territories of the Komi Republic and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
• Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo coal basin. It is located on the territory of the Upper Sayan. Provides coal only to nearby enterprises and settlements.

To date, five 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 coal deposits in the world have already been explored, from an economic point of view, the most promising belong to 70 countries. The level of coal production is growing rapidly: technologies are being improved, equipment is being modernized. This increases the profitability of the industry.

Since I live in the land of miners, I could not help but be interested in the ways of extracting this mineral, which, by the way, are not so many. Taking this opportunity, I will try to briefly talk about the pros and cons of each of them.

Coal mining: mine method

Mining in this way provides a huge advantage, since the most valuable fuels lie at great depths. At the same time, coal practically does not contain waste rocks, which cannot be said about the open method, but about it a little later. So, in order to get to the deposits, they drill deep vertical tunnels. As soon as a reservoir is discovered, its horizontal development begins. Sometimes the depth reaches 1.5 km, for example, the Gvardeiskaya mine, which is located in the Donbass. However, this method has many disadvantages:

• the threat of flooding;
• since methane is an eternal companion of coal seams, this is fraught with suffocation of workers or undermining;
• the greater the depth, the higher the temperature, which means that there is a risk to people and equipment.

In the world, about 40% of world reserves are mined in this way.

Coal mining: open pit or quarry

In this case, there is no need not only for expensive drilling, but also for the construction of a number of ground communications. The bottom line is to undermine the waste rock, and then huge excavators, crushers and trucks come into play, which process the rock and take it to the dumps. This method carries less danger, but still some risks are associated with it. This is the threat of an unscheduled explosion, and the poisoning of workers with exhaust, and careless handling of hazardous equipment.

Hydraulic coal mining

In principle, this is the same mine, but there is one feature: the transportation of the fossil is carried out by a jet of water under enormous pressure. It turns out that groundwater is a headache for miners, it works for their benefit. Today, this method is considered one of the best, as it replaces the labor-intensive process of transportation. The disadvantages include the dependence of production on the type of rock, and the constant contact of water with the equipment.

coal called sedimentary rock formed during the decomposition of plant remains (tree ferns, horsetails and club mosses, as well as the first gymnosperms). The main reserves of hard coal currently mined were formed during the Paleozoic period, about 300-350 million years ago. Coal has been mined for several centuries and is one of the most important minerals. Used as solid fuel.

Coal consists of a mixture of high-molecular aromatic compounds (mainly carbon), as well as water and volatile substances with a small amount of impurities. Depending on the composition of coal, the amount of heat released during its combustion, as well as the amount of ash formed, also changes. The value of coal and its deposits depends on this ratio.

For the formation of a mineral, it was also necessary to fulfill the following condition: rotting plant material had to accumulate faster than its decomposition occurred. That is why coal was formed mainly on ancient peatlands, where carbon compounds accumulated, and there was practically no access to oxygen. The source material for the emergence of coal is, in fact, peat itself, which was also used as a fuel for some time. Coal, on the other hand, was formed if peat layers were under other sediments. At the same time, peat was compressed, losing water as a result of which coal was formed.

Coal occurs when peat layers occur at a considerable depth, usually more than 3 km. At greater depths, anthracite is formed - the highest grade of hard coal. However, this does not mean that all coal deposits are located at great depths. Over time, under the influence of tectonic processes of various directions, some layers experienced uplift, as a result of which they turned out to be closer to the surface.

The method of coal mining also depends on the depth at which coal-bearing deposits are located. If coal lies at a depth of up to 100 meters, then mining is usually carried out in an open way. This is the name of the removal of the top above the deposit, in which the mineral is on the surface. For mining from great depths, the mine method is used, in which access to is carried out through the creation of special underground passages - mines. The deepest coal mines in Russia are about 1,200 meters below the surface.

The largest coal deposits in Russia

Elga field (Sakha)

This coal deposit, located in the south-east of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), 415 km east of the city of Neryungri, is the most promising for open-pit mining. The deposit area is 246 km2. The deposit is a gently sloping asymmetric fold.

The deposits of the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous are coal-bearing. The main coal seams are located in the deposits of the Neryungri (6 seams, 0.7-17 m thick) and Undyktan (18 seams, also 0.7-17 m thick) formations.

The coals here are mostly semi-glossy with a very high content of the most valuable component - vitrinite (78-98%), medium and high ash, low sulfur, low phosphorus, good sintering, with a high calorific value. Elga coal can be enriched using a special technology, which will make it possible to obtain a product of a higher quality that meets international standards. Thick, flat coal seams are covered by small deposits, which is very important for open pit mining.

Elegest deposit (Tuva)

Located in the Republic of Tuva. This field has reserves of about 20 billion tons. Most of the reserves (about 80%) are located in a single layer 6.4 m thick. The development of this deposit is currently ongoing, so coal mining here should reach its maximum capacity around 2012.

Large coal deposits (thousands of km2 in area) are called coal basins. Typically, such deposits are located in some large tectonic structure (for example, a trough). However, not all deposits located close to each other are usually combined into basins, and sometimes they are considered as separate deposits. This usually happens according to historically established ideas (deposits were discovered in different periods).

Minusinsk coal basin is located in the Republic of Khakassia. Coal mining began here in 1904. The largest deposits include Chernogorskoye and Izykhskoye. According to geologists, the coal reserves in this area amount to 2.7 billion tons. Stone long-flame coals with a high calorific value predominate in the basin. The coals are classified as medium ash. The maximum ash content is typical for the coals of the Izykh deposit, the minimum - for the coals of the Beyskoye deposit. Coal mining in the basin is carried out in different ways: there are both cuts and mines.

Kuznetsk coal basin (Kuzbass) one of the largest coal deposits in the world. Kuzbass is located in the south in a shallow basin between the mountain ranges, Mountain Shoria and. This is the territory of the Kemerovo region. The abbreviation "Kuzbass" is the second name of the region. The first deposit in the Kemerovo region was discovered back in 1721, and in 1842 the term "Kuznetsk coal basin" was introduced by the geologist Chikhachev.

Mining here is also carried out in different ways. There are 58 mines and more than 30 cuts on the territory of the basin. In terms of quality, "" coals are diverse and are among the best coals.

The coal-bearing stratum of the Kuznetsk coal basin consists of approximately 260 coal seams of various thicknesses, unevenly distributed along the section. The predominant thickness of coal seams is from 1.3 to 4.0 m, but there are also thicker seams of 9-15 and even 20 m, and in some places up to 30 m.

The maximum depth of coal mines does not exceed 500 m (average depth is about 200 m). The average thickness of the developed coal seams is 2.1 m, but up to 25% of mine coal production falls on seams over 6.5 m.