COAL DEPOSIT "TAMNAVA-WEST FIELD" - OVER 60 YEARS OF GEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND 30 YEARS OF WORK

Abstract

For almost 20 years, the coal deposit “Tamnava-West field” has been the main/most promising mine, providing half of the total coal production in the MB “Kolubara”. It is a deposit where various research and testing methods have been used since 1959 (exploratory drilling, geological mapping and testing, hydrogeological research, geomechanical testing…). The scope and type of geological research were coordinated with the development of the open pit mine. The objective was to obtain the most reliable data that enabled the efficient exploitation of coal and overburden. Exploratory drilling is the most common research method. So far, 1,408 exploratory wells have been drilled with a total depth of about 105,000.00 m. Over 275 million tons of coal and 605 million cubic meters of overburden were excavated in 30 years of operation. Looking at the development plan for the coal exploitation in the Kolubara basin, the open pit mine “Tamnava-West field” (with the remaining 165 million tons of coal) will continue to play an important role in the continuous coal production in the coming period. The objective of this paper is to review and present the past, present and future development of the deposit.