NEW COAL DEPOSITS IN NEW COAL MINES
Lok Sabha
The total quantum
of coal extracted in the country from open cast (OC) and underground(UG)
mines during the last three years is 300.04 million tonnes during
1999-00, 309.63 million tonnes in 2000-01 and (provisional) 322.61
million tonnes in 2001-02.
Productivity
in terms of per tonne of raw coal output per manshift (OMS) of
open cast and underground mines is CIL 2.30 and SCCL 1.50 tonnes.
Average cost of production per tonne in CIL for the year 2000-01
is Opencast Rs. 377.96, Underground Rs. 1454.78 and in SCCL Opencast
is Rs. 542.00 and Underground Rs. 1280.00.
The details of
coal reserves in operating opencast and operating underground
mines and closed mines as on 31st March 2002 (Provisional)
are :
(figures
in million tonnes)
|
Company
|
Operating OC Mines
|
Operating UG Mines
|
Closed Mines
|
|
CIL
|
5679.14
|
5599.31
|
79.42
|
|
SCCL
|
600
|
2400
|
139.22
|
Geological Survey
of India (GSI) has reported that during the last few years two
new potential coal bearing areas in West Bengal have been identified.
Domra area, Bardhaman District marks the easternmost extension
of Raniganj Coalfied. Total reserves of 917.77 million tonnes
has been established. Birbhum coalfied, Birbhum District: Reserve
of 3795.45 million tonne has already been established in this
coalfied. In the south-central part of the coalfield in Pachami
area, a super thick seam zone with maximum recorded thickness
of 156 m having 118 m of clean coal has been recorded. Exploratory
activities in other areas of this coalfield for providing additional
resource are being continued. In both the areas coal occurs at
depth, below 150-300 m cover of hard basaltic rocks and other
sediments.
In addition, exploration
in recent years in Trans-Damodar area, Southeastern fringe area
of Raniganj Coalfield has established the occurrence of coal at
shallow depth. In this area, so far, 170 million tonne reserve
has been established, more that 70% of which lie within 300 m
depth from surface. Exploratory activities to establish full potentiality
of the area are in progress. Two blocks viz. Diwanganj and Deocha-Pachami
having geological reserves of 38 million tonnes and 2025 million
tonnes in Birbhum coalfield, have been identified for captive
mining. So far these blocks have not been requisitioned by private
parties. CIL has not retained any block in Birbhum coalfield for
mining in future.
The above was
informed by Union Minister for Coal & Mines Shri Ram Vilas
Paswan today in reply to questions in Lok Sabha.
