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Vorgashorskaya Coal Mine (Шахта Воргашорская) is an operating coal mine in Vorkuta, Komi, Russia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Vorgashorskaya Coal Mine | Vorkuta, Komi, Russia | 67.5953177, 63.6160208 (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 | – | 1975[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1[2] | 3.18[3][4] | 2022[3][4] | Underground | Longwall[5] | – | 176.0[5] | 517.0* |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17.0[2][1] | 2023[2][1] | 67.0[1] | – | Bituminous[1] | Met[1] | Steel Plant |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Vorkutaugol JSC[6] | Anthracite JSC [85.0%]; Holding Company Dominant LLC [15.0%] | Russia |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saleable | 2.5[7] | 2.67*[7] | 3.56[8] | 4.17[8] | 2.71*[9][10] | 3.18*[3][11] | – | – | – |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Vorgashorskaya Coal Mine (Шахта Воргашорская) is an operating underground coal mine in the Komi Republic, Russia.
The Vorgashorskaya coal mine is operated by Vorkutaugol JSC. In June 2012, the Vorgashorskaya mine, which previously existed as an independent legal entity, became part of Vorkutaugol JSC.[12] Vorkutaugol JSC was owned by Severstal, but the company was sold in the end of 2021 to Russkaya Energiya, whose majority shareholder is Roman Trotsenko.[13] However Severstal was to remain the key consumer of Vorkutaugol coking coal - the terms of the sale agreement include a long-term offtake contract guaranteeing Severstal's supply of raw material.[14]
In 2019, Severstal acquired licenses for two sites adjacent to its Vorgashorskaya mine. This expansion would extend the life of the Vorgashorskaya mine by five years, from 2024 to 2029.[15] The company planned to start developing reserves in this expanded area in the fall of 2022, with the first lava launching in 2024.[16] As of 2022, the expansion appears to have been completed.
In 2021, it was anticipated that the mine will stop producing thermal coal in 2022. This was due to the mothballing of Vorkutinskaya CHP-1 and the change of fuel from coal to gas at Vorkutinskaya-2 power station.[17] The mine will continue producing coking coal.[17]
In September 2023 the State Technical Supervisory Board (Rostechnadzor) suspended operations at all Vorkutaugol mines.[18] According to Rostechnadzor, a dust and explosion hazardous condition was detected at one of the sites of the mine, and the operation of the suspended diesel monorail was in violation of mandatory industrial safety requirements.[18]
In March 2025, Vorkutaugol CEO denied media reports that the mine was to be closed. He also informed that facing difficult market conditions, Vorkutaugol would reduce its investment programme, while maintaining spending on safety.[19] Some Vorgashorskaya workers were to be transferred to other Vorkutaugol mines to produce grade 2Zh coal, described by management as more commercially viable than the grade 1Zh coal extracted at Vorgashorskaya (both are bituminous hard coal grade).[19]
In May 2025, the mine extracted its one-millionth tonne of coal for the year, matching the same milestone achieved in May 2024. [20]
On 23 December 2025, the mine marked its 50th anniversary.[21]
Vorkutaugol
As of 2021, Vorkutaugol accounted for about 11% of the country's coking coal production. Vorkutaugol operates in the Pechora coal basin. The company consists of four underground mines, one open pit mine and several auxiliary enterprises. Vorkutaugol delivered 8.8 million tonnes of production in 2021.[14] In 2022 Vorkutaugol increased coal production to 9.7 million tonnes.[22] According to a media source from December 2021, it is anticipated that the underground mines of Vorkutaugol will be closed in 2030-2036.[23]
2023 coal production of Vorkutaugol declined by 26% and was 7.2 million tonnes.[24] 1H 2024 production was up by 10% reaching 4.2 million tonnes.[25]
Vorkutaugol posted a net loss of 2.3 billion rubles ($25.3 million) in 2024, compared to a profit of 349 million rubles ($3.8 million) in 2023.[26] The losses were consistent with a broader downturn across the Russian coal sector; in 2024, more than half of Russian coal companies were unprofitable, with industry-wide losses reaching 112.6 billion rubles ($1.24 billion), driven by falling global coking coal prices — down around 40% from early 2024 to a three-year low by September 2024 — as well as rising production costs and heavy logistics expenses.[27]
Coal Mine Boundaries and Methane Sources
Global Energy Monitor researchers have identified coal mine boundary/boundaries and potential sources of coal mine methane (CMM) for this mine. These research results can be used to drive CMM attribution and mitigation efforts, particularly when combined with remotely sensed methane plume locations and mine ownership data. Explore the results with the embedded map at the top of this page by clicking on the mine boundary polygon or the CMM placemarkers to reveal more details. A detailed description of this research can be found in Coal Mine Boundaries and Methane Sources. This data is also available as a downloadable companion dataset to the Global Coal Mine Tracker and the Global Methane Emitters Tracker.
Table SMP1: Coal mine boundaries and methane sources data
| ID | Mine feature category | Mine feature subcategory | Description | Coordinates precision | Data source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M0867.B1 | mine boundary | underground | Vorgashorskaya mine boundary | reported | 2025-11-28 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P1 | ventilation system | shaft | Ventilation shaft | extracted | 2024-08-07 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P2 | ventilation system | shaft | Ventilation shaft | extracted | 2024-08-07 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P3 | degasification system | drainage station | Gas drainage station | extracted | 2024-08-07 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P4 | other | shaft | Access shaft | extracted | 2024-08-07 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P5 | ventilation system | shaft | Ventilation shaft | extracted | 2025-08-08 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P6 | other | preparation plant | Coal handling and preparation plant | extracted | 2025-08-08 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P7 | ventilation system | vent | Possible ventilation system | extracted | 2025-08-08 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P8 | ventilation system | shaft | Ventilation shaft | extracted | 2025-08-08 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P9 | other | not coal mine related | Boiler plant | extracted | 2025-08-08 00:00:00 |
| M0867.P10 | degasification system | drainage station | Possible gas drainage station | extracted | 2025-08-08 00:00:00 |
Table SMP2: Coal mine boundaries and methane sources data (continued)
| ID | Notes |
|---|---|
| M0867.B1 | This mine operates under subsoil land-use license СЫК02564ТЭ, as identified through the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (Единый государственный реестр юридических лиц, ЕГРЮЛ), using the company’s INN (Taxpayer Identification Number, ИНН), page 19, https://web.archive.org/details/ul-1021100807452-20251125171514, Nov 28 2025.The license was issued on July 20, 2015, and is valid until November 30, 2026. This mine polygon also operates under subsoil land-use license СЫК02564ТЭ.The license was issued on July 20, 2015, and is valid until December 30, 2028. The boundary for license СЫК02564ТЭ was extracted from the NedraExpert portal at ,https://web.archive.org/web/20251201150215/https://www.nedraexpert.ru/license/137222?ysclid=min9t80g6x687575427 and for license СЫК02564ТЭ, https://web.archive.org/web/20251201145837/https://www.nedraexpert.ru/license/134214?ysclid=min9vwxcx551260311. The approximate area of the resulting boundary is 77 square km. |
| M0867.P1 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0867.P2 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0867.P3 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. Verification is supported by information from the modular degasification plant manufacturer, confirming that a methane-extraction degasification unit was installed at the site, www.zavodmdu.ru/ru/project_Chahta_Vorgohovskaya.html (this site cannot be archived) |
| M0867.P4 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0867.P5 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0867.P6 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0867.P7 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0867.P8 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. |
| M0867.P9 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. The use of methane as fuel for the boiler plant is confirmed by an article published on Oct 10, 2019, which states that methane drained from coal seams is transferred to the surface via vacuum pumping stations and used as fuel for the boiler plants of the Vorkutinskaya, Komsomolskaya, Zapolyarnaya, and Vorgashorskaya mines, severstal.com/rus/media/archive/2019-10-10-severstal-obespechit-sebya-elektroenergiey-za-schet-ispolzovaniya-vtorichnykh-energoresursov/(this site cannot be archived) |
| M0867.P10 | Identified visually from Google Earth Pro satellite imagery. The use of methane as fuel for the boiler plant is confirmed by an article published on Oct 10, 2019, which states that methane drained from coal seams is transferred to the surface via vacuum pumping stations and used as fuel for the boiler plants of the Vorkutinskaya, Komsomolskaya, Zapolyarnaya, and Vorgashorskaya mines, severstal.com/rus/media/archive/2019-10-10-severstal-obespechit-sebya-elektroenergiey-za-schet-ispolzovaniya-vtorichnykh-energoresursov/ |
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.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 https://vorkutaugol.ru/about/assets/vorgashorskaya.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://neftegaz.ru/news/coal/792747-rostekhnadzor-priostanovil-vedenie-gornykh-rabot-na-obektakh-vorkutaugol/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 (PDF) https://gazetamv.ru/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/32%D0%BC.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/itogi-raboty-ugolnoy-promyshlennosti-rossii-za-yanvar-dekabr-2022-goda/viewer.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://gelio.livejournal.com/288424.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://vorkutaugol.ru/about/assets.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://www.in-power.ru/news/ugol/20150-shahta-vorgashorskaja-dobyla-s-nachala-goda-2-mln-tonn-uglja.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/itogi-raboty-ugolnoy-promyshlennosti-rossii-za-yanvar-dekabr-2020-goda/viewer.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220312074505id_/http://www.ugolinfo.ru/artpdf/RU2201047.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/itogi-raboty-ugolnoy-promyshlennosti-rossii-za-2021-god/viewer.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://komiinform.ru/news/245646.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Шахта «Воргашорская»". vorkutaugol.ru. Retrieved October 2022 through Wayback Machine.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Severstal sells Vorkutaugol coal co to Trotsenko firm for 15 bln rubles". Interfax. April 29, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 "PAO Severstal: Severstal closes the agreement of disposal of Vorkutaugol to Russkaya Energiya". Bloomberg. April 29, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Severstal Extends Life of Vorgashorskaya Mine," "Russia Business Today," September 6, 2019.
- ↑ "Severstal Vorkutaugol Acquires 2 New Sections of the Vorgashorskoye Coal Field," "Metal Expo website," September 13, 2019.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "«Воркутауголь» объявляет о прекращении добычи энергетического угля". vorkutaugol.ru. June 11, 2021. Retrieved through Wayback Machine.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Ростехнадзор приостановил ведение горных работ на объектах Воркутауголь". neftegaz.ru. September 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Шахта «Воргашорская»: задачи на перспективу". gazetamv.ru. March 10, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Шахта «Воргашорская» подняла на-гора миллионную тонну угля". gazetamv.ru. May 11, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "23 декабря 2025 года отмечает полувековой юбилей шахта «Воргашорская»". vorkutaugol.ru. December 23, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Итоги работы угольной промышленности 2022 г". cyberleninka.ru. 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Северсталь продает Воркутаугль Русской энергии за 15 млрд руб. Поставки угля сохранятся". neftegaz.ru. December 2, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ИтогИ работы угольной промышленности России за 2023 год" (PDF). /www.eruda.ru. April 2024.
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 44 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/itogi-raboty-ugolnoy-promyshlennosti-rossii-za-yanvar-iyun-2024-goda/viewer.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "АО «Воркутауголь» — финансовые показатели". audit-it.ru. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Угольная промышленность РФ в 2024 году: итоги и вызовы". dprom.online. February 28, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
