Hard (bituminous) coal resources in Poland – expectations and reality

Abstract

AbstractThere are numerous enthusiastic opinions on UCG possibilities. UCG is presented often as suitable for the utilization of coal resources which are inaccessible or difficult for conventional mining. Application of UCG coal basins in Poland is limited by their specific geological features. The most important are: hydrogeological and tectonic restraints, the occurrence of numerous coal seams with which gasification will interact, and the predominance of thin coal seams, less than 1.5 m thick. The detailed evaluation of hard (bituminous) coal resources in Poland explored up to 1.000 m depth, and careful selection of possible UCG sites has demonstrated that only about 10% of it may be gasified underground. Reasonable resource utilization is a serious problem in the multi-seam coal deposits. Coal resources are a nonrenewable part of the environment. Therefore, reasonable resources utilization is defined as their best possible recovery (considering acceptable costs). At the recent state of knowledge on UCG, its application in Poland, contrary to the former expectations, is seriously restrained.