Substandard combustible minerals of Ukraine and principles of their ecological conversion

Abstract

In the general case, substandard combustible minerals include on-balance and off-balance reserves of primary energy materials - coal and peat deposits (solid combustible minerals) and oil and natural gas deposits (liquid and gaseous combustible minerals), which by physico-chemical, energy or geological-spatial conditions do not meet the economic criteria for extraction and use of traditional technological methods, as well as the potential of methane from coal deposits, arrays of man-made carbon-containing materials such as waste from coal mining, coal beneficiation, refining, etc. Review of the available reserves in terms of the use of modern technologies of environmentally friendly conversion can significantly expand the opportunities for the development of all types of combustible minerals in Ukraine. The paper considers the geological zoning of oil and gas fields and deposits of solid combustible minerals, as well as their reserves and production. It is shown that the reserves of the main primary energy resources in Ukraine many times exceeds the extraction and has significant opportunities to increase due to the use of substandard combustible minerals. The principles of ecologically safe conversion of substandard combustible minerals in terrestrial and underground conditions are presented. The importance of energy utilization of methane from coal deposits, arrays of such man-made carbon-containing materials as coal mining waste, coal beneficiation, oil refining, etc. was noted. The main mining-geological and technological criteria that contribute to the development of coal seams by underground gasification are given, as well as deposits and areas of coal basins of Ukraine that are suitable for underground gasification.