COAL MINING IN THE KUZNETSK BASIN, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00287R000700360001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 1, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

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Coal Mining in the Kuznetsk Basiln, USSR
IA M 83-10088
0IA/ERD/EB
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IMAGERY ANALYSIS MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Coal Mining in the Kuznetsk Basin, USSR
Summary
U M 83-10088
Arguat 1983
Page I of 15
The Kuznetsk Basin contains about 100 coal mines and is the
second largest coal-producing area in the USSR. Along with
Ekibastuz and Kansk-Achinsk, the Soviets view Kuznetsk as one of
the coal basins that will-eventually help compensate for the
production decline in the Donets--the Soviet Union's largest
coal-producing basin. However, there has been no modernization
or renovation of Kuznetsk underground coal mines in over 15
years. Since 1978, there has been no observable increase in
mining equipment, and high-capacity bucket-wheel excavators have
not been introduced at the open-pit coal mines to increase
output. Only two new coal mines have been identified within the
Kuznetsk Basin since 1978. These two open pits were in an early
stage of development in early 1983, and any production from them
by 1985--coupled with expansion under way or planned at two other
Kuznetsk surface mines--will probably only offset production
declines at other mines within the basin. For the next several
years, total coal production from the basin will probably remain
constant or decrease slightly from its present level of 143 to
144 million tons annually, despite revised Soviet projections of
extracting 158 million tons from the basin by 1985.
Information available as of February 1983 was used in this
solo
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The Kuznetsk Basin, sometimes referred to as the Kuzbass,
occupies an area of approximately 26,000 square kilometers (km)
in central Siberia (figure 1). It is the second largest coal-
producing basin in the USSR, following the Donets. The Kuznetsk
Basin accounts for 20 percent of Soviet total coal production and
40 percent of its open-pit coal output. [References 1,2] The
basin has about 60 billion tons of explored coal reserves. The
coal seams are located relatively close to the surface, and one
of every-three tons is extracted by open-pit mining. [3,4]
Development of the basin has been hindered, however, by
limitations in railroad capacity, labor and capital shortages,
delays in opening new coal mines, and a failure to improve the,
productivity of existing underground mines by modernizing and
renovating them. [5,6]
The bituminous coal in the Kuznetsk Basin is high quality
compared to the lignite or brown coal found in the Ekibastuz and
Kansk-Achinsk Coal Basins. About 45 percent of the USSR's
prospected reserves of coking coal are concentrated in the
Kuznetsk Basin, and it is also rich in high-quality power-plant
(steam) coal. [7]
Coal preparation plants are colocated with 57 of the 61 Kuznetsk
underground mines and eight others are centrally located to serve
the open-pit coal mines. These coal preparation plants remove
noncombustible impurities such as sulfur or ash-forming, material
from the coal to produce a uniform, high-quality fuel.
Rail lines provide the major method of transporting coal from the
mines in the Kuznetsk Basin. At least 92 of the 100 coal mines
are rail served. The Soviets report that in recent years there
has been a heavy demand on the rail network, causing shortfalls
in Kuznetsk coal.shipments. [5] As production in the Donets
Basin and other western coal-producing areas stagnates or
declines, there will be an increasing demand for long hauls of
coking coal and steam coal from the Kuznetsk Basin to the
European USSR.
This paper discusses coal mining operations in the Kuznetsk
Basin. We have grouped the 100 coal mines within the basin
according to the seven cities or areas where they are located
(see table). Two new open-pit coal mines under development are
discussed separately.
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Yumettk Cud Bade, USSR
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Mining of the Kuznetsk Deposit
There were approximately 100 coal mines--61 underground and 39
open pits--in the Kuznetsk Basin during 1978 and 1979. Imagery
acquired during January and February 1983 revealed that except
for two new open-pit mines under development, there has been
little expansion of coal mining activity at 74 of those mines
since 1979.1 The 26 remaining coal mines in the basin were last
observed between 1978 and 1979. The Soviets have stated that no
new underground mines have been constructed in the basin during
the past 15 years, and there has been no attempt to modernize or
renovate any of the existing underground mines to increase
production. [6]
Despite stated Soviet goals of expanding the strip or open-pit
mining capacity in the Kuznetsk Basin, its coal. production peaked
at 149 million tons in 1978 and has remained at about 143 to 144
million tons annually between 1980 and 1982. F6] The revised
Soviet production goal for Kuznetsk is 158 million tons of coal
annually by 1985. [8] The Soviets have reported that this
planned production increase will depend entirely upon output from
two new open pits at Karakan and Talda and expansion of the
Bachatskiy open-pit mine near Belovo. [2] Between January and
February 1983 the two new mines were in early stages of
development, but there was no evidence of expansion under way at
the Bachatskiy open pit coal mine. We believe any production
from the two new mines, coupled with planned expansion at the
Bachatskiy mine and at one other open pit near Leninsk, will
probably only offset production declines at other Kuznetsk mines
between now and 1985.
Open-pit mining of the Kuznetsk coal deposits is done with power
shovels, and draglines are employed for overburden stripping and
disposal. Trucks--all under 100 tons in capacity--are used to
haul the coal out of most of the open pits, although in some
instances this is done by rail. The waste burden is dumped in
sections of the mine that have already been depleted or is hauled
to nearby disposal areas. No belt conveyor systems have been
installed at any of the Kuznetsk oven-nit cna1 mines for hauling
' There was no usable imagery of the Kuznetsk coal mines between
1979 and January and February 1983.
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Kuznetsk Coal. Mining Areas
Between June 1978 and May 1979, approximately 230 power shovels
and 70 draglines were observed at the 39 operational open-pit
coal mines. In early 1983, 29 of the 39 open pits were imaged
and contained 183 power shovels and 53 draglines. Approximately
the same amount of equipment--179 power shovels and 49 draglines--
was at these 29 mines between 1978 and 1979. An additional
six power shovels and two draglines were observed in early
1983 at the two new open pits under development. The lack
of additional mining equipment and the absence of high-
capacity (rotary) bucket-wheel excavators operating at the
open-pit mines as of February 1983 suggest that the Soviets
have not significantly improved the, coal mining operations
in the Kuznetsk Basin since 1978.
Leninsk-Kuznetskiy Coal Mining Area
There were 17 coal mines--10 underground and seven open-pit--
operating in the vicinity of the city of Leninsk-Kuznetskiy in
early 1983. A new section had opened at one of the open pits, 25
km east of Leninsk. It consisted of a trench some 2 km long and
had two draglines operating within it. Based on the size of this
new section, it will probably only offset production losses from
depleted sections of the mine.
Coal mines in the area, except for one underground mine, are rail
served. The rail lines, however, extend into only one of the
seven open pits. The coal is hauled out of the other six open
pits by trucks. A total of 19 power shovels and 20 draglines
were operating at the seven open-pit coal mines. Coal
preparation plants were colocated at nine of the 10 underground
mines. but none were near the seven open-pit coal mines.
Belovo-Gur'yevsk-Trudarmeysky Coal Mining Area
There were 13 coal mines--10 underground and three open-pit--
operating in the vicinity of the cities of Belovo, Gur'yevsk, and
Trudarmeysky in early 1983. All the coal mines in the area are
rail served, including the three open pits. A total of 95 power
shovels and seven draglines were operating at the three large
open pits.
By using continuous mining equipment at one of the open-pit mines
in the Belovo area--Bachatskiy--the Soviets plan to increase its
production from 4.5 million tons in 1981 to 20 million tons
annually in the 1990s. [2] As of February 1983,-however, there
had been no change in mining equipment--five draglines and 40
power shovels--operating at this open pit and no new sections had
been opened. No renovation of the mine has been observed since
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1978 (figures 2, 3). Coal preparation plants are colocated with
all 10 underground mines and one coal preparation plant is near
the three open-pit mines (figure 4).
Kiselevsk-Proko ' evsk Coal Mining Area
There were 35 coal mines--23 un erground and 12 open-pit--
operating in the vicinity of the cities of Kiselevsk and
Prokop'yevsk in early 1983. All of the coal mines in the area
are rail served. The rail lines, however, do not extend into
nine of the 12 open pits. A total of 55 power shovels and 18
draglines were operating at the 12 open pits. Coal preparation
plants are colocated at 20 of the 23 underground mines, but only
two coal preparation plants are near the 12 open-pit mines.
Novokuznetsk Coal Mining Area
There were nine coal mines--two underground and seven open-pit--
in the vicinity of the city of Novokuznetsk in early 1983. Only
the two underground mines are rail served. Coal is hauled out of
the seven open-pit coal mines by truck. Fourteen power shovels
and 13'draglines in the open-pit mines remove overburden and
extract coal. Coal preparation plants are colocated with both
underground mines, but only one coal preparation plant is near
the seven open-pit mines.
Anzhero-Sudzhensk Coal Mining Area
There were six coal mines--all underground--located in the
vicinity of the cities of Anzhero and Sudzhensk when this area
was last imaged in June 1978. All six underground coal mines
were rail served and had coal preparation plants colocated with
them. One additional coal preparation plant was located in the
vicinity of the underground mines.
Kemerovo-Berezovskiy Coal Mining Area
There were 12 coal mines--five underground and seven open-pit--
operating in the vicinity of the cities of Kemerovo and
Berezovskiy One
additional open-pit mine near Berezovskiy was reported under
development by the Soviets in 1981. [9) All 12 mines are rail
served. The rail lines extended inside the open pits at four of
the seven surface mines. A total of 40 power shovels and seven
draglines were removing overburden and extracting the coal in
1978. Trucks were used to haul the coal out of the remaining
three surface mines. Coal preparation plants were colocated with
all five underground mines. Two coal preparation plants were
located near the seven open-pit coal mines.
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Mezhdurechensk Coal mining Area
There were eight coal mines--five underground and three open-pit--
operating in the vicinity of the city of Mezhdurechensk when this
area was last observed in May 1979. All eight coal mines were
rail served. The rail lines, however, did not extend inside the
open pits where nine power shovels and six draglines were
removing the overburden and extracting coal. Coal was hauled out
of the three open pits by trucks to the nearby rail lines. Coal
preparation plants were colocated with all eight underground
mines and one coal preparation plant was near the three open-pit
coal mines.
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New Coal Mining Areas
In addition to the eventual expansion of the existing Bachatskiy
mine near Belovo, the Soviets claim that coal mining expansion in
the Kuznetsk Basin during the 1980s and 1990s will take place at
two new areas--Karakan and Talda. [2] 25X1
open-pit coal mines under 25X1
development at Karakan and a a, both of which represent mining
of previously unexploited deposits (figures 5, 6). Because of
the early stage of development of these mines, we believe they
will produce less than 1 million tons in 1983. Both the Talda
and Karakan mines are road served. There are no indications of a
rail system under construction, but we anticipate both mines will
eventually be rail served. No coal preparation plants were '
observed in the vicinity of either the Talda or Karakan mines.
Karakan Coal Mining Area
The Karakan deposit is 30 km east of Belovo, and in February 1983
it had one open pit under development. At that time an
excavation about 2 km long had one dragline and one power shovel
operating in it. An additional power shovel was nearby. The
Karakan mine is scheduled to produce between 1.5 million tons and
2.0 million tons annually by 1985. [2]
Talda Coal Mining Area
The Talda mine was observed in January 1983, 40 km north of
Novokuznetsk. The mine consists of a narrow trench, 2 km long,
and one dragline and four power shovels were operating at the
mine. The Soviets estimate that this mine will have an initial
capacity of 2 million tons per year and an ultimate capacity of
24 to 30 million tons annually, probably sometime in the 1990s.
[2l
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Dk*rlbu os of Kuwbk Coal Mies, Ja ?Fekary 1983
Anzhero-Sudzhensk'
Kemerovo-Berezovskiy'
Mezhdurechensk'
Leninsk-Kuznetskiy
Belovo-Gur'yevsk-Trudarmeysky
Kiselevsk-Prokop'yevsk
' The Anzhero-Sudzhensk, Kemerovo-
Berezovskiy, and Mezhdurechensk coal
mining areas
T ese
three areas may still have the same
number of coal mines operating there,
since there is no collateral. evidence to
b Two additional open pits are under
construction. One is east of Belovo at
Karakan and the other is north of
Novokuznetsk at Talda. The Soviets have
stated that a third open-pit mine is
the contrary.
[4]
Underground Open-Pit
39b
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