RESOLUTIONS

of the Section on the Geology of Coal-Bearing Basins of the Conference on Problems of the Geology of Siberia

The Section on the Geology of Coal-Bearing Basins, at six sessions held on February 16–21, 1957, heard 25 reports and a number of presentations devoted to current questions of the methods of exploration and the tectonics of the hard-coal districts of Kuzbass and Karaganda, the stratigraphy, paleontology, lithology, and coal petrography of Kuzbass, and also the Minusinsk and Chulym-Yenisei basins.

Representatives of the Tomsk Polytechnic Institute, Moscow and Tomsk Universities, the Moscow Geological Prospecting Institute, the trusts “Kuzbassuglegeologiya” and “Kazakhuglegeologiya,” the All-Union Geological Institute of the Ministry of Geology and Protection of Mineral Resources of the USSR, the West Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, the Siberian Branch of the All-Union Scientific Research Geological Prospecting Petroleum Institute, the combine “Kuzbassugol,” the West Siberian Geological Administration, the All-Union Geological Prospecting Office of the Ministry of the Petroleum Industry of the USSR, and other organizations took part in the work of the section.

As a result of discussion of the reports heard, the following resolutions were adopted.

I. On questions of the methodology of exploration of hard-coal districts of the Kuznetsk and Karaganda basins

Over the past decade, a large group of geologists of the Kuznetsk and Karaganda basins has carried out enormous work in identifying new, highly promising hard-coal districts, as well as in the further study of old industrial districts. As a result, by the present time a large number of reserve mine fields have been prepared and, in addition, additional exploration of the fields of most operating mines has been carried out, ensuring fulfillment of the state plan for coal production.

At the same time, the reports heard and their discussion showed that there are serious shortcomings in the methodology of exploration of hard-coal deposits. In many mine fields with relatively complex tectonics, the calculated reserves of the higher categories \((A_2 + B)\) have been found to be of low reliability, as a result of which, often as the exploration grid is made denser, the proportion of reserves of the higher categories, especially at working horizons, does not increase but decreases. It was noted that in recent years the tracing of seam outcrops beneath overburden has been inadequate. The quality of coal and its washability, the physico-mechanical properties of coal and of the enclosing rocks, gas content and dust content, especially for areas of open-pit operations, are also being insufficiently studied.

These shortcomings became possible because the enormous material accumulated in the exploration of hard-coal deposits has, up to the present,

for a long time had not been subjected to scientific analysis and generalization. As a result, many questions of exploration, especially the methodology for predicting the tectonic structure of mine fields under specific geological conditions, remained insufficiently developed. The existing instruction on the application of the classification of reserves, as well as the recommended ratios of reserve categories for detailed exploration, by no means reflect the diversity of geological conditions; they hamper the initiative of geologists and therefore require revision and improvement.

To improve the methodology of exploration of hard-coal deposits, the Conference recommends:

1. In the next two to three years, concentrate the efforts of production and scientific-research organizations on generalizing materials on the exploration of hard-coal deposits of Siberia. To this end, in the trusts “Kuzbassuglegeologiya” and “Kazakhuglegeologiya” and at the Tomsk Polytechnic Institute named after S. M. Kirov, create creative groups for thematic studies on questions of exploration methodology.

2. For the more successful performance of this work, periodically convene coordination meetings at which to coordinate the program and methodology of the studies, and subsequently to discuss the results of the work carried out. The first such meeting should be held after completion of the work of the present Conference on questions of the geology of Siberia.

3. The task of these studies is the development of methodological manuals and instructions on exploration methodology for the geological conditions of individual areas of coal-bearing basins.

4. Recommend that participants in the Conference publish critical analyses of certain instructional materials (for example, on the established ratios of reserve categories for detailed exploration) that give rise to various difficulties in the exploration of hard-coal deposits.

5. Taking into account that a number of independent geological institutions are working in hard-coal basins for the purpose of prospecting and exploring coal deposits, oil, construction materials, etc., insistently recommend to them the comprehensive study of those areas in which they work, as well as coordination in the conduct of geological investigations.

II. On questions of the study of the tectonics of the Kuzbass and Karaganda basins

Many shortcomings in the methodology of exploration of hard-coal deposits are based on insufficient knowledge of the tectonics of basins, individual hard-coal regions, and mine fields. The level of our knowledge on these questions does not allow us, with sufficient completeness, to determine genetic types and to outline the regular interrelationship of the various structural elements of folding, large and small tectonic ruptures, and jointing, without which it is impossible to develop a methodology for predicting the disturbed character of hard-coal regions and mine fields.

This situation is also the result of entirely insufficient efforts to study and generalize materials on exploration and mine geology. The works of Professors A. A. Belitsky and A. A. Trofimov, as well as of their students, on these questions are of great importance. Of especially great importance are the investigations of Professor A. A. Belitsky on the development of a methodology for predicting the disturbed character of the mine fields of the Kuzbass. However, because of limited material resources, these works were carried out only in individual areas of the Kuzbass and Karaganda.

The Conference notes the major role in the study of the tectonics of the hard-coal basins of the Siberian Branch of VNIGRI, which has already carried out

a number of studies in this direction in the Kuznetsk and Karaganda basins.

The Conference recommends:

1. In the next year or two, convene a special conference on the tectonics of Kuzbass.

2. For the successful study of the tectonics of individual coal-bearing districts and mine fields, it is necessary in the near future to synthesize the available material on the tectonics of the basins and the regions surrounding them.

3. Special investigations must be organized to study the tectonics of the complexly dislocated districts of the Kuznetsk and Karaganda basins, above all the Kemerovo, Osinovsky, Churubai-Nurinsky, and Saransky districts.

4. Noting the especially important significance of developing a methodology for forecasting the disturbed nature of mine fields, the Conference draws the attention of exploration and operating organizations to the need to involve broad circles of geologists in this work. It is recommended that the Main Coal Geology Administration of the Ministry of the Coal Industry, together with the Geological Laboratory of the Tomsk Polytechnic Institute, organize special thematic work on this question in the Kuznetsk and Karaganda basins.

5. It is considered necessary to improve the general organization of mine geology, to strengthen operational exploration, and to synthesize materials on mine tectonics.

6. Noting with satisfaction the extensive work carried out in studying the tectonics of mine 9/15 of the Anzhero-Sudzhensk district by mine geologist A. N. Leshcheva, the Conference calls on all mine geologists of the Kuznetsk and Karaganda basins to follow the example of A. N. Leshcheva in the scientific processing of collected materials and the organization of special investigations.

III. On questions of stratigraphy, paleogeography, and the history of the formation of coal-bearing deposits

1. The Conference notes that the unified scheme of the stratigraphy of the coal-bearing deposits of the Kuznetsk Basin, which has been approved by the Interdepartmental Stratigraphic Committee and whose basis is the scheme adopted at the 1954 conference in Leninsk-Kuznetsky, has found broad practical application in geological and exploration work being carried out in the basin.

2. In accordance with the decisions of the 1954 Conference, work is being carried out successfully on detailing the stratigraphy of the coal-bearing deposits of Kuzbass and on studying the lithology and facies character of these deposits. New results of this kind of work, carried out by the trust “Kuzbassuglegeologiya,” institutions of the Ministry of the Oil Industry of the USSR, Moscow University, and Tomsk Polytechnic Institute, were presented at the Conference (detailed correlation of sections of the Balakhon series of the Anzherka and Kemerovo districts, the Tom-Usa and Mrassky districts, and the Zalomnensky and Verkhne-Tersinsky districts; clarification of the position and character of the boundary between the Paleozoic and Triassic in the western part of the Erunakovo district; faunistic characterization of the intermediate subformation; lithologic-facies characterization of the Balakhon series in the north and south of the basin, etc.).

3. Noting the great practical and scientific interest of these studies and the need for their continuation and expansion, the Conference recommends ensuring their further and closer coordination by holding working conferences on specific questions and systemati—

…of mutual information on the progress of work being carried out by various institutions and individuals.

1. The Conference recommends continuing and expanding work on establishing the general regularities of Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic coal accumulation, directing this work both toward a more detailed elucidation of the paleogeographic conditions of coal accumulation and their connection with tectonic structures, and toward a comparison of the coal-bearing formations of various regions of Siberia and Kazakhstan.

2. In view of the fact that the section of the Upper Paleozoic deposits of the Kuzbass is the most complete and standard one for the entire south of Western Siberia, it is recommended that work be expanded on comparing this section with the Upper Paleozoic deposits of other regions of Western Siberia and northeastern Kazakhstan.

In particular, the Conference considers it necessary to carry out in the near future a precise stratigraphic and paleogeographic correlation of the sections of the Kuznetsk and Karaganda basins.

1. With regard to further investigations in the Kuzbass, the Conference confirms the resolutions adopted at the conference in Leninsk-Kuznetsky in 1954 and additionally recommends, in the near future:

a) to complete the work on the detailed correlation of the sections of the Balakhon series of the Anzhero and Kemerovo districts, for which purpose the Butovka–Kedrovka and Khorosheborsk–Lapichevka exploratory lines should be traversed by boreholes, and two boreholes 500–700 m deep should be drilled two km to the northeast of the village of Borovushka;

b) to organize work on a detailed stratigraphic comparison of the sections of the Balakhon series in the north and south of the basin by means of systematic collection and study of fauna and flora, and a critical synthesis of paleontological works previously carried out by various authors;

c) to organize work on the critical synthesis of the accumulated materials concerning the stratotypic section of the Permian of Western Siberia along the Tom River above the village of Yerunakova;

d) to expand work on lithologic-facies analysis of the basin’s coal-bearing deposits, linking it as closely as possible with paleontological-facies investigations.

The Conference recommends that the trust “Kuzbassuglegeologiya” and the Tomsk Polytechnic Institute publish the materials of the Section on the Geology of Coal-Bearing Basins in the form of the collection Problems of the Geology of the Kuzbass, volume II.

Presidium of the Section

The resolutions of the Section on the Geology of Coal-Bearing Basins were approved at the plenary session of the Conference on Problems of the Geology of Siberia on February 21, 1957.

Editorial Board