The largest coal basins in Russia: characteristics and volumes of coal mining

The most widespread energy resource in the world is coal. It became the first type of fossil fuel that a person began to use. Today in Russia there are several large mining and processing plants. Further in the article, a description of the coal basins of Russia will be given.

General information

Recently, oil and gas and coal basins in Russia have been actively developed . The Russian Federation has huge reserves of raw materials. However, climate conditions do not always allow production to be carried out in the required amount. Coal is presented in the form of petrified remains of freshwater plants of antiquity. This fuel fossil can be of two types. Classification of coal is carried out in accordance with its calorific value. The highest are the anthracites, the lowest is lignite. High-calorific coal is used in ferrous metallurgy, and low-calorie coal is used in power engineering.

Development of industry

In the late 1980s, total energy consumption increased. The most intensive pace was noted in the use of coal. So, from 1984 to 1994 it was 0.9%. In the last decade, the consumption of this combustible fossil has grown even more - up to 2.7%. According to forecasts, the coal reserves in the world should be enough for 120 years. The share of the Russian Federation from the total industrial volume is 23%. Domestic mining and processing complexes form today a separate economic branch, to the full extent the market segment. Almost all organizations and enterprises involved in this area have a private property category.

Volumes of fuel in the Russian Federation

The main coal basins in Russia contain about 4 trillion tons of projected reserves. They make up about 30% of the world's volume. This is the highest rate among all countries on the planet. Coal pools of Russia contain in their bowels huge reserves of fossil. Due to this, the country occupies a leading position in the development and sale of fuel. Since 2009, a consistently high volume of exports has been established. According to the Federal Customs Service, it is no less than 8.5-9 million tons. The total export volume of coal in 2009 is 103 million tons. Fuel is consumed in all regions of the country. Coal basins of Russia are in 26 subjects. Some of them have been developed since Soviet times. Further, a brief description of the coal basins in Russia will be given.

The first deposits

Of particular importance in industry are the Kuznetsk and Pechora coal basins of Russia. The first was opened in 1721. However, its extensive development began in 1920. In 1934, the Pechora Basin was opened. The Kuznetsk deposit is located in the Western part of Siberia, in the Kemerovo region. The Pechora basin is located in the Komi Republic and the Nenets Autonomous District. The area of the first - 26, and the second - 90 thousand km ² . These largest coal basins in Russia provide the bulk of the country's industrial output. Two more large deposits are being developed on the territory of the Russian Federation . The Kansk-Achinsk and South Yakutian coal basins of Russia are distinguished by different production conditions. If the first deposit is located in a favorable area, then the second one is located in severe climatic conditions, which makes it very difficult to develop. Nevertheless, the share that accounts for these coal basins in Russia is quite high. The area of the open part of the Kansko-Achinsk deposit is 45 thousand km ² , the total area of the South Yakutia is 25 thousand km ² . Coal basins of Russia are developed by a mine or an open method. The choice depends on climatic conditions, remoteness from settlements with developed infrastructure. So, the Pechora basin is located beyond the Arctic Circle. This remoteness, together with a harsh climate, has a significant effect on the cost of raw materials. The development of the South Yakut basin is also difficult.

Kuznetsk deposit

This pool stretches for 800 km along the Trans-Siberian Railway. This deposit is one of the leading places in the world for fuel reserves. Its share in the Russian industry is about 60%. The deposit is located in favorable climatic and mining-geological conditions. This, in turn, provides a fairly low cost of coal. Fossils of the Kuznetsk deposit are characterized by low ash content (4.6%), high (8.6 kcal) caloric content, low phosphorus and sulfur content. Specific heat is 6-8.5 thousand kcal / kg. In the basin, significant reserves of coking coal are concentrated . Their volume is about 643 billion tons. The development is carried out by mining and open methods.

Pechora basin

In it 9 industrial areas are allocated. The most studied and mastered are: Halmeriunsky, Vorkuta, Vorga-Shorsky and Intinsky. Potential coal reserves in the basin are about 213 billion tons, 8.7 billion are on balance. The extraction is carried out mainly by a closed method. This is due to unfavorable climatic conditions. However, the mine method ensures high quality of extracted raw materials.

Kansko-Achinskoye field

Its width varies from 50 to 250 km. The pool is divided into two parts: western and eastern. The total geological reserve is in the range of 600 billion tons. About 140 billion are suitable for development by the open method. The coal mine stratum is composed of sediments of the Jurassic period. The main industrial value is the layer Powerful. It lies in the upper horizon. Coals predominantly have a humus composition. The moisture content in the lignites is 21-44%, sulfur - 0.2-0.8%. Ash content of fuel is 7-14%. The layers are located close to the surface, horizontally. The Kansko-Achinskoye field is developed in an open way. This is facilitated by favorable mining and geological conditions, large thickness of the main layer over a large area.

Yuzhno-Yakutsk field

It is located in the Aldan Highlands. Its length is about 750 km. The composition of the basin is divided into 5 coal-bearing areas: Gonamsky, Usman, Tokyo, Ytymdzhinsky, Aldan-Chulmansky. The total reserves are about 24.17 billion tons. Here there are semi-shiny and shiny coals. The moisture content in them is 0.7-1.4%, sulfur is 0.3-0.4%. The ash content of fossils is in the range of 10-18%. The total forecasted resources and conditioning reserves, taking into account the Khabarovsk east part, are about 41.4 billion tons. The development of the basin is hampered not only by the harsh climate, but also by the lack of the necessary transport communication. In connection with this, the cost of raw materials is relatively high.

Finally

The coal basins of Russia are of paramount importance for the country's economy as a whole and for the development of industry in particular. Among the main tasks of the government is the question of improving the material and technical support of hard-to-reach areas with large supplies of raw materials. The development of deposits has great practical importance. When creating the necessary conditions for production, processing and transportation, specialists will be recruited, and more intensive development of remote territories will begin. Financing takes a special place in the implementation of these tasks. In particular, the prospective direction of the state is the attraction of foreign and domestic investors to the largest coal basins in Russia. In this connection, currently effective state programs are being developed, the implementation of which will allow the country to maintain its leading position in the global coal mining industry.