Proceedings of the Tomsk Order of the Red Banner of Labor Polytechnic Institute named after S. M. Kirov

Volume 178　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1969

Principles and Methods of Exploration of Large Peat Deposits in Western Siberia

V. D. Markov

In connection with the prospects for the integrated development of the natural resources of the West Siberian Lowland, the institute “Giprotorfrazvedka” of the Ministry of Geology of the RSFSR, over the course of ten years, carried out extensive work to identify peat resources by the desk-and-expedition method.

By this method, peat resources were identified in the central, most waterlogged part of the West Siberian Lowland (Tyumen, Tomsk, and Novosibirsk oblasts), where large deposits of oil, gas, and iron ore are concentrated.

In the last three years, when new mineral deposits were discovered and the question of developing Western Siberia became still more urgent, the Gorky branch of the institute “Giprotorfrazvedka” began conducting preliminary exploration of peat deposits over large areas.

It is known that, within the overall complex of developing the natural resources of Western Siberia, whose territory is heavily waterlogged, our task—the study of peat deposits with the aim of determining the possibilities for their drainage and for the integrated use of the peat bed (as energy and metallurgical fuel, for the manufacture of peat-insulating boards, for fertilizer and peat bedding, as peat-bog soils for agricultural development, for forest amelioration, and for other purposes)—is one of the important ones.

At the present stage, this task can be solved by carrying out preliminary exploration of peat deposits in areas of priority development. On the basis of these explorations, technical-economic reports (TER) are compiled, in which two main questions are resolved: a) the possibility of draining the territory, and b) the advisability of integrated use of the peat bed.

Over three years the branch has carried out exploration work on a number of relatively large peat deposits in Tomsk Oblast (Obskoye, Taganskoye, and others), as well as on the eastern section of the “Vasyuganskoye” deposit over an area of approximately 500 thousand ha. In 1966, exploration work will be completed on the next section of the “Vasyuganskoye” deposit, with an area of about 750 thousand ha, located on the territory of or near the Bakchar iron-ore basin.

The high rates at which exploration work for oil, gas, and other minerals is being conducted, and the appearance on the map of Western Siberia of a significant number of deposits of these minerals, require of us faster and more advanced methods of exploring peat deposits.

Proceeding from this, in carrying out the exploration work the following two mandatory and fundamentally important provisions were adopted:

1. The use of aerial photographic survey materials (photo-mosaics, contact prints).
2. The use of GAZ-47 tracked carriers.

Interpretation of the vegetation cover and of the stratigraphy of the peat deposit from the photo-mosaics made it possible for us, even during the preparatory work, to identify the main regularities in the location and structure of the deposit and to plan the ground survey traverses and the entire set of work on them more rationally.

In the hydrographic interpretation, the main directions of water runoff from the peat deposit and the principal and auxiliary receiving water bodies were identified. This made it possible to locate water-gauging stations and hydraulic-control sections on the rivers more correctly.

It should be noted that the Department of Hydrogeology of the Tomsk Polytechnic Institute (Prof. P. A. Udodov and Assistant N. M. Rasskazov) rendered us substantial methodological and practical assistance in studying the hydrogeological conditions of the deposit.

The use of GAZ-47 tracked carriers, which have good cross-country capability over almost all types of surface of the peat deposit, considerably eased the labor of the workers and accelerated the performance of the work (Figs. 1, 2).

To carry out the complex of work along the ground traverses, we organized integrated detachments, each of which consisted of 12 engineering and technical workers of various specialties and laborers. Each detachment had at its disposal one carrier, which remained continuously with the detachment on the traverse.

The carrier served as a production transport vehicle (transport of workers, instruments, expedition equipment, samples of peat, soils, and water), and was also used directly in cutting clearings, if the diameter of the stand did not exceed 12–16 cm. In addition, recently we have begun to carry out surface leveling from the body of the all-terrain vehicle.

Thus, the use of aerial photographic survey materials and tracked carriers made it possible to carry out exploration work more rationally, economically, and rapidly.

In carrying out preliminary exploration, we performed the following types of work: topographic-geodetic, peat-master, forest-inventory, hydrological, and hydrogeological. It should be said that in performing these works all specialists used contact aerial photographs.

Since planimetric materials for the peat deposit were available (photo-mosaics), the performance of topographic-geodetic work along the traverses consisted of cutting clearings, measuring lines, marking points and the ends of traverses, leveling the surface, tying the ends of traverses to fixed characteristic markers identified in the field and on the aerial photograph. Interpretation of the contours of the situation was also carried out from contact aerial photographs, covering a strip about 2 km wide.

In the study of receiving water bodies along rivers, a route was laid out from which cross sections were established every 4 km across the floodplain and channel.

Topographic-geodetic work on the receiving water bodies was performed in approximately the same way as along the traverses. In addition, live cross sections of the river channels were measured.

For the purpose of a more complete study of the peat deposit, the peat-master work included probing of the peat deposit, investigation of the underlying and interlayer raw material (stratigraphic drilling),

Fig. 1. GAZ-47 tracked transporter in motion

Fig. 2. GAZ-47 tracked transporter parked

sampling for technical analyses (botanical composition, degree of decomposition, ash content, moisture content, acidity, and calorific value), for agrochemical analyses (Ca, Fe, N, P, S, Mg), for chemical-technological analyses (group composition and Schel’s analysis), for physico-mechanical analyses (insulating boards, bedding), and for the content of radioactive, rare, and trace elements.

In addition, the hummockiness of the deposit and the microrelief were studied. During forest-inventory work, control traverses were made to obtain interpretation standards. The vegetation cover was then interpreted from photographic diagrams.

Hydrological work on the receiving rivers was carried out in order to study the regime of levels and discharges, runoff and its distribution and variability, and the flooding of the deposit by flood waters.

On the basis of an analysis of the photographic diagrams, a study of the physical-geographical conditions, and data from hydrometric stations of the Hydrometeorological Service on the principal receiving streams, hydrometric stations and hydro-alignments were planned; along these a two-year cycle of hydrothermal work was conducted. To transfer the calculated levels obtained at hydrometric stations to the entire studied section of the river, maximum staff gauges were installed (every 5–10 km). A hydrographic survey of the rivers was also carried out.

As a result of carrying out the complex of work, calculated hydrological parameters are obtained for determining the possibility of draining a peat deposit.

Hydrogeological work was carried out with the aim of a preliminary determination of the conditions of formation, water-mineral supply, and operating conditions of the peat deposit.

After studying the materials collected in geological archives, territorial geological administrations, and other organizations, hydrogeological alignments were designated, along which boreholes were drilled.

Within the territory where the deposit is located, a hydrogeological survey was carried out along the planned traverses and rivers. All natural and artificial exposures of rocks and aquifer horizons (outcrops, springs, wells, etc.) were surveyed, with a detailed description of rock sections, the conditions of their occurrence, the confinement of aquifer horizons, determination of spring discharge, measurement of water temperature, etc. Shallow test pits and clearings were made.

As a result of the survey and drilling, samples of rocks were taken for physico-mechanical analyses, and water samples for chemical analyses.

In the coming years it is planned to conduct preliminary exploration of large peat deposits in the identified areas of priority development in Western Siberia (Shaim, Surgut, Akhtyrka, Tobolsk, Tyumen, and others).

In view of the specificity of the physical-geographical conditions of these regions and their poor degree of study, other methods of exploration will also be required.

The institute’s department is currently carrying out work to collect and summarize materials on the hydrology, climate, soils, geomorphology, geology, and hydrogeology of the areas where peat deposits are located.

The ultimate goal of this work is to develop a methodology for hydrological and hydrogeological investigations in the performance of preliminary exploration of peat deposits in the more northern regions of Western Siberia.