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Bilorichenska Coal Mine (Білоріченська) is an operating coal mine in Bilorichens'kyi, Lutuhyne, Luhansk, Ukraine.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Bilorichenska Coal Mine | Bilorichens'kyi, Lutuhyne, Luhansk, Ukraine | 48.455534, 39.071417 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating | – | 1957 | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 0.4[1] | 2022[1] | Underground | – | – | 600[2] | 1067* |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.6 | – | – | – | Bituminous[2] | Thermal | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Republic Fuel Company Vostokugol State Enterprise | Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Luhansk People's Republic | Russia |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the GEM April 2024 Global Coal Mine Tracker dataset.
Background
Bilorichenska coal mine (шахта Белореченская in Russian, Білоріченська in Ukrainian) is an underground coal mine in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine.
The mine ranks among the largest in Ukraine. Its design and engineering of the mine began in 1949. The project was named Bilorichenska after Belaya river. The mine was planned in the area where "a burning stone" in the chalk deposits was found in the 18th century. The building of the shaft started in December 1950 and construction of the surface structures started in September 1951. The mine was commissioned in 1957.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the production decreased rapidly due to lack of investments and technology. In 1996 coal production amounted to only 193 thousand of tons. By this time all the coal reserves of the coal beds Almaznyi and Kamenskiy series were exhausted.
In September 2002 a new shaft was put into exploitation, equipped with 3KD-90 heavy duty complex. Due to this, in 2003 for the first time in its history the mine acquired the capacity of 750 thousand tons. In 2008 the mine developed its first "1 million tons of coal" per year.
In August 2022, a new longwall was commissioned with reserves of about 1 million tonnes. The plan was to mine to reach daily production of 1,100 tonnes per day (that's about 0.4 Mt per annum).[3]
- Owner: Republic Fuel Company Vostokugol State Enterprise (ГУП ЛНР РТК Востокуголь)[4]
- Parent Company: Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Luhansk People's Republic
- Location: Bilorichens'kyi, Lutuhyne Raion, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine
- GPS Coordinates: 48.455534, 39.071417 (exact)
- Status: Operating
- Production Capacity: 1.1 Mt (2018)[5], 0.4 Mt (2022 estimate)[4]
- Workforce Size: 3000
- Mineable Reserves: 11.6 million tonnes
- Coal type: Bituminous[3]
- Mine Size:
- Mine Type: Underground[6]
- Start Year: 1957
- Source of Financing:
War in Ukraine
With the seizing of the territory by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, the mine has transitioned under the umbrella of Republic Fuel Company Vostokugol State Enterprise of the unrecognized Luhansk People's Republic.[3][4]
Many mines have been closed and flooded and closed since the start of the conflict. However Belorechenskaya appeared to continue operations. About 40% of miners were mobilized and the ones that stayed work in difficult conditions 12h shifts. [7]
In August 2022, a new longwall was commissioned with reserves of about 1 million tonnes. The plan was to mine to reach daily production of 1,100 tonnes per day (that's about 0.4 Mt per annum).[4]
Ownership
After the collapse of the Soviet Union the mine belonged to the state owned Luhanskvuhillya coal mining group. In 2001, the mine declared insolvency and the re-capitalization process started. In 2002 the mine obtained a strategic partner Valentin-Invest, a holding company of Ukrainian businessman Igor Martynenkov, who obtained the majority stake in the mine while the state-owned shares decreased to 25.83%. The recapitalization plan was approved by court in 2007. This decision was annulled by the High Commercial Court of Ukraine in 2010.[8]
In 2012 the court decided to return the mine into the state ownership.[9] On 14 September 2012, the Ukrainian state took control over the mine by force. Some media sources links this action to the participation of Igor Martynenkov at the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election running against the candidate of the Party of Regions.[10]
Production safety
At the mine territory a rescue-workers school was built, which later became a basis for the only mine rescue station in Ukraine. Besides, in 2004 the mine purchased 14 units “YUREK-6”, what made it possible to equip all the main and local conveyor lines with fire-fighting systems.
The mined coal rank is "G" – electric-power coke. As of 1 June 2011 reserves of the mine amounted to 11.6 million tons. There is an opportunity to cut further spare reserves, following which the mineable reserves could amount up to 70 million tons of coal.
Social responsibility
Bilorichenska mine has renovated a culture centre and a nursing school "Rosinka" (Dewdrop) of Belorechenskiy settlement and opened a museum of Bilorichenska mine. In August 2011 gas lines were led in the settlement. Water supply and sewerage of Belorechenskiy township are provided managed by the mine.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240207181520/https://lug-info.com/news/shahta-belorechenskaya-vvela-v-ekspluataciyu-novuyu-lavu-vostokugol. Archived from the original on 07 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240206182609/https://ria.ru/20220408/shakhta-1782570867.html. Archived from the original on 06 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Ситуацию в угольной компании "Востокугль" Владимир Путин обсудил с Леонидом Пасечником". www.tek-all.ru/. December 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Шахта "Белореченская" ввела в эксплуатацию новую лаву – "Востокуголь"". lug-info.com. August 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Зададим коксу, или Чем кормится Луганская Народная Республика". don24.ru. 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedMG - ↑ "Шахтеры из ЛНР рассказали об особенностях работы при военных действиях". ria.ru. April 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑
"ООО "Шахта Белореченская": банкротство как метод прихватизации?" [Bilorichenska Mine Ltd: bankruptcy as a method of grabbing?]. Ostrov (in Russian). 6 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑
"Суд вернул шахту "Белореченская" в госсобственность из-за невыполнения обязательств инвестором – Луганская ОГА" [The court returned the Bilorichenska Mine to the state due to outstanding obligations by investor - Luhansk Regional State Administration]. Interfax-Ukraina (in Russian). 4 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑
"Шахта "Белореченская": между бизнесом и политикой" [Bilorichenska Mine: between business and politics]. Delo (in Russian). 17 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
