Pechora coal basin

At the disposal of Russia are huge resources. Thus, coal proved reserves amount to about eleven percent, and industrial resources (about four billion tons) - the largest in the world - about thirty percent of the world. The balance reserves are more than three hundred billion tons.

The main coal basins that have inter-regional importance are: South Yakutia, eastern Donbass, Kuznetsk and Pechora coal basins. It should be noted that the South Yakut deposit is dominated by high-quality coking fossil reserves.

Characteristics of the Pechora coal basin

Most of the territory is in the northern regions, beyond the Arctic Circle. This factor greatly influences the price of fossils, increasing their cost price.

The geographical location of the Pechora Coal Basin makes the extraction of fossils somewhat difficult. It should be said that these reserves occupy the territory of the Arkhangelsk region, in particular the Nenets Okrug, the Komi Republic. Thus, most of the deposit is located in the extreme north-east of Russia in the European part.

Pechora coal basin has predictive resources, the size of which is estimated at three hundred forty-one billion tons. Out of this amount, two hundred and thirty-four billion tons are the condition, and about nine billion tons are explored reserves.

Most of the fossils are concentrated in the Vorgashor, Vorkuta and Usinsk deposits. Of all the explored reserves of about forty percent is coking coal. The greatest value is the fossil that can be used for the production of high quality coke, which is more than twenty four billion tons in the conditioning resources.

Pechora coal basin is developed only by underground mine method. The volume of production in 2000 was about nineteen million tons. By 2003, the extraction of fossils in this area amounted to about eight percent of the total volume in Russia. At the same time, it should be said that a rather complicated geological situation, weak technical equipment and insufficient social infrastructure in the area lead to the closure of some mining enterprises. At the moment, three deposits are under development, and twelve mines are in operation. The total capacity of the mine production is twenty six million tons. In addition, there are five concentrator factories.

Extraction of fossils is carried out in rather difficult conditions. The mines are dangerous for mountain impacts and gas explosions. On average, the thickness of reservoirs developed in the Pechora Basin is about 2.3-3 m. The development of deposits is carried out to a depth of two hundred to eight hundred meters, the average depth is about five hundred meters. The territory is characterized by a gentle bedding of the seams. The mines located in the Pechora Coal Basin are part of OAO Intaugol, Vorkutaugol, joint-stock companies Shakhta Zapadnaya and Vorgashorskaya Mine. Mining is carried out by coal grades D, GZHO and Zh. The caloric coefficient of fossil mines Vorgashorskaya is 0.82, Vorkutaugol is 0.74, mines from OJSC Intaugol are 0.6. Mining resources throughout the territory are characterized by low sulfur content.

Regional markets for the sale of minerals are in the economic regions of the North-West, Urals, Central, Central Black Earth and North. Forty-five per cent of the Pechora coal basin is provided by the Kaliningrad region and the North-West region, twenty per cent by the Central Chernozem and Volga-Vyatka regions.