Coals former Soviet Union

The former Soviet Union constmcted a 262-km, 508-mm dia experimental coal slurry line between the Belovo open-pit coal mine in Siberia s Kuznets basin to an electric power plant at Novosibirsk, using technology developed by Snamprogetti. Testing began in late 1989 and tentative plans call for constmction of two much larger slurry pipelines, each 3000-km long, with capacity to move a total of 33 x 10 t/yr to industrialized areas near the Ural Mountains (27,33). 

Peat Peat is partially decomposed plant matter that has accumulated underwater or in a water-saturated environment. It is the precursor of coal but is not classified as coal. Sold under the term peat moss or moss peat, peat is used in the United States mainly for horticultural and agricultural apphcations, but interest is growing in its use as a fuel in certain local areas (e.g.. North Carolina). Peat is used extensively as a fuel primarily in Ireland and the former Soviet Union. Although analyses of peat vary widely, a typical high-grade peat has 90 percent water, 3 percent fixed carbon, 5 percent volatile matter, 1.5 percent ash, and O.IO percent sulfur. The moisture-free heating value is approximately 20.9 MJ/kg (9000 Btu/lb). 

Because of substantial reserves of coal, situated in distant locations from consumers, the limited sources of oil and natural gas, expected growing price of oil and gas a considerable development and progress in the coal pipelining can be expected especially in the USA, in the former Soviet Union and also in other countries in a near future. One of prospective ways of energy transportation, i.e. gas, liquid and also solid fossil fuels transport, seems to be the transport of solidified oil in LNG and pipelining of coal in methanol. 

Using of the methanol as a carrier liquid is also very advantageous due to its low temperature of freezing. It allows to lead the pipeline superficially over a ground surface even in the arctic regions what could play an important role for using the methanol for pipeline transport of coal in the northern and mountainous areas of the USA (Alaska), Canada and former Soviet Union, [18],... 

Examination of the world s proved reserves of coal, crude oil, and natural gas and their regional locations shows that well over half of the world s crude oil and natural gas supplies are located in the Middle East and the former Soviet Union, while North America, the Far East, and the former Soviet Union have over 70% of the coal reserves (Table 1.5, Fig. 1.9). 

Fig. 4.31 Relationship between eustatic sea level and major depositional periods of coals and petroleum-source rocks (after Tissot 1979 Vail et al. 1978 FSU = former Soviet Union).

Gas reserves are less easy to associate with their source rocks because gas is able to migrate more easily and over greater distances than oil. Consequently, conventional reserves (existing as gas in reservoirs) are dominated by contributions from coal and kerogen sources of Cretaceous-Tertiary age (Bois et al. 1982).The largest proven gas reserves are in the Middle East and the former Soviet Union, each of which accounts for c.35% of the... 

OECD). Two-thirds of the world s remaining oil reserves are located within member nations of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) (ElA 2003b). Natural gas reserves follow a similar distribution pattern. Only 10% of the world reserves are located in OECD nations. The rest is located mainly in OPEC countries (just under one-half) and Russia (one-third) (ElA 2003b). Coal reserves, however, are more plentiful, and distributed in other parts of the world. Approximately three-quarters of the world s coal reserves are found in North America, Asia, Oceania, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union (EIA 2003b). 

Coal mines are spread over 100 countries. Mining may be surface or underground depending on whether the coal seam is exposed or at high depth. Known coal reserves are estimated over 10 tons and, at current production levels, workable seams are estimated to cover consumption beyond 225 years. About 90% of these reserves are in the Northern Hemisphere, with three countries - USA, China, and the former Soviet Union - accounting for about two-thirds of the total. 

Vanadium is widely distributed in the earth s crust having an abundance of 0.02% by weight. It is found combined in various minerals, coal, and petroleum. It is present in phosphate rock, in some iron ores, and in certain cmde oils in the form of organic complexes. An important source of the vanadium-bearing mineral patronite, which was found in coal at Mina Raga, Peru, has been materially depleted [12]. The world leaders in vanadium production are the United States, the former Soviet Union, South Africa, Namibia, Finland, Norway, and Chile [13]. 

There are no universally accepted models for coarse coal. Work in the former Soviet Union on coarse coal was reported by Traynis (1970) and reviewed by Faddick (1982). From Russian data, the following two equations were reported. For deposition velocity ... 

Today, over half of the US electric energy production is based on the combustion of coal at net efficiencies of about 35%. Sixty percent of the world s fossil reserves are coal, and of this amount 80% is located within China, former Soviet Union and North America. Since electric power production from coal is expanding world wide, it is advisable to approach the problem of CO2 emissions control by pushing the efficiency of power production from coal as close as possible to the theoretical natural limit. 

China produces the largest amount of coal each year, about 22% of the world s total followed by the United States (19%), the former members of the Soviet Union (16%), Germany (10%), and Poland (5%). 

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