Problems of mining and geological support for the development of the coal mining industry of Donbass. Increasing the efficiency of the geological exploration process in the Donetsk coal basin and geological support for its further development

General formulation of the problem

Currently, coal is, and for a long-term perspective, will be the only energy source that is potentially sufficient to meet almost the needs of the economy, which determines its leading role in the energy security of the state.

The development of the main energy base of the European part of Russia and Ukraine - the Donetsk basin is due to a complex of geological support for the restructuring of the coal mining industry - the selection of efficiently operating enterprises and coal seams, the provision of a change in retiring capacities and the creation of an effective work plan for the near and far future.

A common feature of the coal mining industry of the Donets Basin as a whole is its 23 geological and industrial areas - relatively low coal content, extremely low technological efficiency of coal seams and, accordingly, mine fields with sufficient geological resources.

Comparative analysis of coal pool resources

The resources of coal deposits of the Ukrainian part of the Donetsk basin were 101.2 billion tons as of 01.01.1997, balance reserves 53 billion tons (52.4% of geological), including coking 16.8 billion tons - 31.5% and anthracite - 8.33 billion tons - 15.7%. The distribution of balance reserves by the thickness of coal seams in the fields of operating mines on average in the basin is: in inefficient layers up to 0.8 m - 42.5%, conditionally effective more than 0.8 m - 57.5%, including effective more than 1, 0 m - 34,2%, or highly effective more than 1,2 m - 16,4%. Coal basins are represented by various stages of change: energy transition from brown to stone, energy moderate, medium and high rank changes, technological average rank and anthracite. Ash content of coal is predominantly average - 8-15%, heat of combustion - 30.1-36.0 MJ / kg, with high deficiency - average 1.5-2.5% and high more than 3.5% granularity. As of 01.01.97, 242 mines worked in the basin, coal mining amounted to 70.9 million tons in 1997. The reserve for new construction was 49 explored sites for an estimated capacity of 98.4 million tons per year, of which 22 coking coals for 35.4 million tons and 63 sites for the reconstruction of existing mines. The reserves were counted to the depth of 1200-1500 m, and in some areas to 1600-1800 m.

The resources of the Russian part of the Donetsk basin (Rostov region) as of 01.01.1995 amounted to 22.66 billion tons, including balance reserves - 7.87 billion tons (34.73% of geological), relatively few coking - 0.288 billion tons. t (4.4% of balance), anthracite 6.8 billion tons (86.42% of balance). The ratio of reserves in terms of efficiency corresponds to the total Donets distribution: in inefficient seams with a capacity of less than 0.7 m, 23% of the reserves, and in the most effective capacity of more than 1.2 m is only 15.5% (the share in production is more than 50%).

In the basin, at the beginning of the restructuring, 26 Gukovugol mines and 29 Rostovugol mines operated with a total production of up to 35 million tons, the reserve of explored areas was 12 schools. for a capacity of 1.2-2.1 million tons each, depths of 600-1100 m, - 15 sites, in addition, previously studied prospective 21 sites.

As a result of the radical revision of the coal mining economy that took place in recent years, the prepared reserve fund has been largely disqualified. The main drawback of the explored fund: - "a"is its rigidity according to the parameters of the proposed mine - capacity, service life, up to 80% of ineffective coal seams involved in mining, the prevailing depths of working in the Eastern Donbass are 800-1000 m; - "b"is tied to operating mines without regard to their prospects.

Resources of hydrocarbon gases in coal seams and coal-bearing thickness of the Donbass, according to the average estimate of VNIGRI coal, are 645.3 billion m3 of them within the mines 292.7 billion m3. The main disadvantage of the methane resource accounting system is their averaging over the mine strata within the gas zoning and the limited differentiation taking into account the effect of natural resources on extraction from geological factors - the form of finding, type of fluids, normal pressures and AVPDs, types of migration, shielding, types of coal methane traps.

Factors of development of coal mining

Factors for the development of coal mining are taken into account when assessing the resource base. These are current short-term and long-term factors. For each time step, different tasks are set and different methods of their implementation are applied. Priority tasks include the geological justification of the ranking of mines in terms of prospects: promising - not requiring state support, limited prospective - in need of government support, unpromising - planned for closure; ensuring the development of effective coal seams to compensate for the fall in coal mining on inefficient decommissioned coal seams, ensuring the closure of mines with the least environmental and geological harmful consequences.

In the short term, the task is to replace the retiring capacities of the closed mines for short periods (10-15 years) by developing plots for small non-typical mines with effective shallow coal seams (up to 300 m). According to its branded composition, this is a variety of coals in seams with a thickness of more than 1 m of a shallow or inclined bedding. The stocks of these non-typical sites ensure the production of small mines with a capacity of up to 100-150 thousand tons per year with minimal investments in infrastructure, testing and opening. Requirements for non-typical mines: minimum infrastructure, depth of laying no more than 300 m, 1-2 worked out coal seams, maximum extraction, minimum reserve of ventilation, availability of transport conditions, provision of 10-15 years with the service life of the support, , eliminating the need for reconstruction or requiring little modernization.

The task of further prospects for a period of more than 15 years, that is, until 2012-2015. will be the preparation of mines from the reserve of reconnoitered areas, but the reserves of power coals will be opened in areas that have not yet been developed with high infrastructure costs, but with surface treatment. These are areas of the northern, northeastern and western Donbass, and for technological coals and anthracites these are areas in developed areas with minimal infrastructure costs, but the need for expensive opening by a system of deep trunks.

The tasks of geological research and geological exploration

The tasks of geological research and geological exploration related to the restructuring and further development of the Donbass coal industry include: