Places and methods of coal mining. Minerals: Coal

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 world's coal basins, 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)

Indisputable world leadership according to the criterion of the volume of coal deposits, it 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. On its territory are open about three dozen deposits. 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 extracted 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 coal lie on an area of ​​6.2 thousand square kilometers, at a depth of up to two kilometers, however, in general, geological strata, total weight 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)

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 areas of permafrost, in the forest-tundra and tundra. In addition, severe production conditions are associated with the fact that the layers lie unevenly and are characterized by high level 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 the 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 help special equipment the upper layer of earth covering the deposit is removed. A few years ago the depth open works was limited to 30 meters, Newest technologies allowed to increase it by 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.
• Workers restore natural relief to avoid damage 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 a mass distribution - on this 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 uplifting force, compressed air is under intense 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 abandoning 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.

Coal is one of the most famous fuel resources. The ancient Greeks were the first to learn about the combustible properties of this mineral. How coal is mined modern world? Which countries are leading in its production? And what are the prospects coal industry soon?

What is charcoal and how is it used?

Coal is a solid and combustible mineral, a rock of dark gray or black color with a slight metallic sheen. “This substance flares up and burns like charcoal” - this is how Theophrastus of Eres, a student of Aristotle, described the breed. Coal was actively used by the ancient Romans to heat their homes. And the Chinese learned how to make coke from it back in the 1st century BC.

How was coal formed? In ancient geological eras, large areas of the earth's surface were covered with dense forests. Over time, the climate changed, and all this wood pulp was buried under the earth. Under conditions of high temperature and pressure, the dead vegetation turned first into peat and then into coal. Thus, powerful layers enriched with carbon appeared underground. The most active coal was formed in the Carboniferous, Permian and Jurassic periods.

Coal is used as an energy fuel. It is on this resource that most of all thermal power plants operate. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the active mining of coal became one of the decisive factors in the industrial revolution that took place in Europe. Today, coal is widely used in ferrous metallurgy, as well as in the production of so-called liquid fuels (by liquefaction).

Based on the amount of carbon in the composition of the rock, there are three main types of coal:

• brown coal (65-75% carbon);
• hard coal (75-95%);
• anthracite (over 95%).

Coal mining

To date, the total volume of industrial coal reserves on our planet reaches one trillion tons. Thus, this fuel resource will be enough for mankind for another long years(as opposed to the same oil or natural gas).

Coal mining is carried out by two methods:

• open;
• closed.

The first method involves the extraction of rock from the bowels of the earth in quarries (coal cuts), and the second - in closed mines. The depth of the latter varies widely from several hundred meters to one and a half kilometers. Each of these coal mining methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. So, the open method is much cheaper and safer than the underground one. On the other hand, mines cause much less harm to the environment and natural landscapes than quarries.

It should be noted that coal mining technologies do not stand in one place. If a hundred years ago primitive carts, picks and shovels were used to mine coal seams, now the latest technical machines and equipment (jackhammers, harvesters, augers, etc.) are used for the same purposes. In addition, developed and improved completely new way extraction - hydraulic. Its essence is as follows: a powerful jet of water crushes a layer of coal and carries it into a special chamber. From there, the rock is delivered directly to the factory for further enrichment and processing.

Geography of world coal mining

Coal deposits are located in the world more or less evenly. Deposits of this resource are present on all continents of the planet. Nevertheless, about 80% of all deposits are located in North America and in post-Soviet countries. At the same time, one sixth of the world's coal reserves are contained in the subsoil of Russia.

The largest coal basins of the planet are Pennsylvania and Appalachian (USA), Henshui and Fushun (China), Karaganda (Kazakhstan), Donetsk (Ukraine), Upper Silesian (Poland), Ruhr (Germany).

As of 2014, the top five leading hard coal producing countries in the world are as follows (in parentheses is the percentage of global coal production):

1. China (46%).
2. USA (11%).
3. India (7.6%).
4. Australia (6.0%).
5. Indonesia (5.3%).

Problems and prospects of the coal industry

The main problem of the coal mining industry, of course, is environmental. Fossil coal contains mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals. When extracting rock from the ground, all this gets into the soil, atmospheric air, surface and groundwater.

In addition to the damage caused to the environment, the coal industry is also associated with huge risks to human life and health. First of all, it concerns the miners. Excessive dust content in the air in closed mines can lead to serious diseases such as silicosis or pneumoconiosis. We should not forget about the large number of tragedies that annually claim the lives of hundreds of workers in the coal industry around the world.

But, despite all the problems and dangers, humanity is unlikely to be able to abandon this fuel resource in the near future. Especially against the background of the rapid reduction of oil and gas reserves in the world. To date, the coal mining industry is dominated by an upward trend in anthracite production. In some countries (in particular, in Russia, Turkey, Romania) the production of brown coal is growing.

Coal mining in Russia

Russia was first introduced to this mineral by Peter the Great. While relaxing on the banks of the Kalmius River, the king was shown a piece of black rock that burned beautifully. “If not for us, then this mineral will be useful for our descendants,” the sovereign rightly summed up then. The formation of the Russian coal industry took place in the first half of the 19th century.

To date, the volume of coal production in Russia is over 300 million tons annually. In general, the country's bowels contain about 5% of the world's reserves of this fuel resource. The largest coal basins in Russia are Kansk-Achinsk, Pechora, Tunguska and Kuzbass. Over 90% of all deposits in the country are located in Siberia.

Coal is a type of fossil fuel formed from parts of ancient plants underground without oxygen. Today we will visit one of the oldest enterprises in Kuzbass, where coal mining operations have been carried out since 1917.

Welcome to the oldest enterprise in Kuzbass - Mine No. 12 LLC, located in a small mining town near Novokuznetsk - Kiselevsk.

Combine:

To form coal abundant accumulation of plant mass is necessary. It forms when rotting plant material accumulates faster than it can be bacterially decomposed. The ideal environment for this is created in swamps, where stagnant water, depleted in oxygen, prevents the vital activity of bacteria and thereby protects the plant mass from complete destruction.

In ancient peat bogs, starting from the Devonian period (about 416 million years ago), the same organic matter accumulated, from which fossil coals were formed without access to oxygen. Most commercial fossil coal deposits date from this period, although younger deposits also exist.

Coal cuts:

Coal mining methods depend on its depth. The development is carried out by an open method in coal mines, if the depth of the coal seam does not exceed 100 meters. There are also cases when it is advantageous to develop a coal deposit by an underground method. Mines are used to extract coal from great depths. The deepest mines in Russia extract coal from a level of just over 1,200 meters.

Loading:

Coal has its own label. Depending on the degree of conversion and the specific amount of carbon in coal, there are its four types: brown coals (lignites), hard coals, anthracites and graphites. In Western countries, there is a slightly different classification - lignites, sub-bituminous coals, bituminous coals, anthracites and graphites, respectively.

5.5% of the world's coal reserves are concentrated in Russia, which is more than 200 billion tons. Such a difference with the percentage of proven coal reserves (19%) is due to the fact that most of it is not suitable for development, as it is located in Siberia in the permafrost region. 70% falls on brown coal reserves.

The use of coal is varied. It is used as household, energy fuel, raw material for metallurgical and chemical industry, as well as for extracting rare and trace elements from it.

As for the Kuznetsk coal basin, Kuzbass is one of largest coal deposits in the world. Currently, the name "Kuzbass" is the second name of the Kemerovo region.

KOMATSU mining dump truck with a carrying capacity of 90 tons. But as the drivers say, it happens that they load more than 90

In total, we were in Kiselevsk for a week, most of the time we were filming. It can't get boring, it's really interesting.

When exposed to oxygen, coal ignites spontaneously. Well, or smokes, as in the photo:

Loading:

Bucket of a walking mining excavator:

Even at a career in regime time, everything looks prettier. But shooting is difficult, everything is in motion:

Walking excavator:

At night, throughout the quarry, you can see how coal burns in some areas:

Technique. Everyone has a plan that must be followed. Therefore, the movement in the quarry never stops.

Well, maybe at the end of the shift for half an hour or an hour

Bucket tracks:

One such wheel costs 700,000 rubles, so they try to clear the roads from sharp stones:

In the cab of the excavator:

50-ton BELAZ followed by 90-ton KOMATSU:

IN cab of a walking excavator. This is a whole room. There is a couch, a microwave, a samovar, a washbasin and a bunch of posters with naked girls on the walls:

And this is from his arrow. Height 27 meters:

The welder is repairing the ladle:

These machines drill the ground, and explosives are poured into the dug 12 meter holes, produce undermining of the rock. He does this so that the rock becomes looser, large strong layers are broken into small stones, which then become much easier to develop with an excavator:

Explosive. We were unable to film the explosion itself.

And now, when the coal is dug out, it is taken to the enrichment plant. Enrichment- a set of processes for the primary processing of raw materials, namely the separation of coal from waste rock and sorting:

Atmospheric inside:

A place where both coal and rock travel along a conveyor belt, and women (!) separate this rock from coal, collect it and throw it away. There are large enough pieces that women alone cannot cope and throw off pieces of the breed together. In the rest of the workshops, everything is automated:

Car dumper:

Coal warehouse:

Loading coal into wagons that will go to consumers. It was a report from Kuzbass.