ASSESSMENT OF THE COAL RESOURCES OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC:
COAL CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION, GEOLOGY, MINING, AND IMPORTANCE TO THE NATION'S FUTURE
USGS Open File Report 97-137A (English)
II. INTRODUCTION
A. BACKGROUND
In August of 1992, as a result of discussions between a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Energy Mission and officials of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan), a memorandum was signed in which useful areas for collaboration between USAID and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic were identified for further consideration. One of the identified areas was an assessment of the coal resource situation in Kyrgyzstan. The results of such an assessment could become a key factor in considerations of the future of the coal industry in energy policy and planning for the nation.
A reconnaissance visit to Kyrgyzstan in February, 1994, identified counterparts for the collaborative effort and technical expertise needed in the USAID-sponsored assessment team, and resulted in a mutually acceptable activity implementation plan. The team formed for assessment of the coal situation in Kyrgyzstan formally initiated operations on October 2, 1994. The team comprised four members of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and two consultants under contract to IDEA, Inc. of Washington, D.C. The USGS team members operate under provisions of Participating Agency Service Agreement (PASA) No.CCN-0002-P-ID-3097-00 between the USAID and the Department of the Interior-United States Geological Survey.
The objectives and scope of study for the USGS team members are outlined in Annex 4 of the PASA, and in a scope of work statement dated September 20, 1994, are as follows: (a) to gather, interpret, and summarize available information on the country's coal resources; (b) to complement the existing data through field observations and cooperative studies; (c) to identify needs and opportunities for expansion of the resource database; and (d) to identify and recommend activities needed for assistance and support of short and long-term resource expansion, recovery, marketing and utilization.
The USGS personnel on the assessment team collaborated with the coal mining consultant and the coal utilization specialist supplied by USAID who worked simultaneously on tasks relevant to the overall evaluation of the current and prospective future of the coal mining industry of Kyrgyzstan. The work of the consultants was integrated in the common team effort.
B. SUMMARY OF FIELD ACTIVITIES
During the period October 7 through November 12, 1994, the assessment team was in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakstan. Much of the time was spent in discussions with counterparts and others, gathering information from a wide range of sources, and organizing the data. Part of the time was spent in field site visits to thirteen coal deposits in six of the eight regions where coal has been reported in Kyrgyzstan. In addition, four facilities using coal for electric power generation and production of steam for heat were also visited, and three coal analytical laboratories were visited. Attached are maps (fig. 1 and 2) showing the eight coal regions of Kyrgyzstan and the field localities visited by personnel of the team. Before the field studies, the team had learned of only about 45 localities; now we know of 60 localities. Some of the additional 15 localities are subdivisions of previously identified areas, but many were previously unreported in literature available outside of Kyrgyzstan.
English and Russian versions of a draft final report were transmitted for comment and suggestions in April and July, 1995, respectively. Three team members returned to Kyrgyzstan in May, 1996, to discuss the final report with counterparts and USAID personnel, and to update information as needed.
C. KYRGYZSTAN -- THE LAND AND PEOPLE
Most of Kyrgyzstan is ruggedly mountainous and only about seven percent of the country is classified as arable land. Much of the remainder is marginally usable for grazing of sheep and goats. Most of the country is at altitudes between 500 and 3,000 meters above sea level and more than one-third of the country is between 3,000 and 4,000 meters above sea level. Mountain peaks reach altitudes of more than 7,000 meters and more than 8,000 square kilometers are covered by glaciers. The climate ranges from subtropical to polar but is largely arid temperate continental and features warm summers and cold winters. Much of the population of about 4.5 million lives in valleys and foothills at lower altitudes. Most of the country at higher altitudes is very sparsely populated except during the summer grazing season.
Kyrgyzstan has a total area of about 198,500 square kilometers, comparable to the state of South Dakota in the U.S.A., and is divided into seven oblasttar for administrative purposes (fig.3). Railroads total about 370 kilometers in length and highways - paved, graveled, and unpaved - total about 30,300 kilometers.
D. COAL REGIONS AND RESOURCES OF KYRGYZSTAN
The bulk of the existing coal industry is concentrated in the southwestern part of the country, peripheral to the Fergana Valley. Here, the coal industry has access to many highways and railroads (fig.1). Most of the Fergana Valley and the highway and railroad systems therein are in Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan. Use of the transportation net in the Fergana Valley has become increasingly difficult for Kyrgyzstan since independence. The existing coal industry in the central and northeastern parts of Kyrgyzstan is dependent on roads for transport of coal to markets. Recent proposals to build a railroad connecting the southwestern and northern parts of Kyrgyzstan deserve serious consideration.
The coal of Kyrgyzstan is mostly of good quality, but only of medium rank (and medium heating value) -- that is, subbituminous and high-volatile bituminous rank. Coals of higher rank, some with coking qualities, are present in one region. Many deposits of coal are known but undeveloped because the valleys and mountains of Kyrgyzstan are physiographically and geologically complex, transportation infrastructure is poorly developed, and population is sparse in many areas. In this report we will group the mines and other occurrences in the following regions (fig.1):
Shallow excavations for local use have yielded coal at several localities in the South Central region and two small mines are operating. The Chu region is unexplored.
The overall resources (geological reserves) of coal in Kyrgyzstan have been reported as about 31,000 million tonnes. Of vastly more importance is the amount economically recoverable in the next few years and during the next decade or two. In some of the reported localities the coal resources are known and adequately explored and large quantities of coal await decisions necessary for recovery. In other parts of the republic, particularly in previously remote areas, the coal resources are inadequately understood or largely unexplored. The resource and reserve inventory of Kyrgyzstan is at best incomplete, and for some purposes, such as short-term local and long-range national planning, it may be inadequate.
E. OTHER FOSSIL FUELS
In addition to coal, the Kyrgyz Republic has limited known resources of conventional oil and associated gas, natural gas , and unevaluated potential resources of coalbed methane.
Prior to dissolution of the USSR, oil and gas exploration of the Fergana basin of Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan and Kyrgyzstan resulted in finding more than fifty fields, most of which are in the margins of the Fergana basin. A study of the oil and gas resources of the whole Fergana basin, published by the Energy Information Administration (1995) states that probably within Kyrgyzstan are 14 of the 53 discovered oil and gas fields (26 percent), about 16 percent of the ultimate oil recovery from discovered fields, about 9 percent of ultimate associated-dissolved gas from discovered fields, and about 44 percent of ultimate non-associated gas from discovered fields. Bazarbaev and others (1993), stated that the oil and gas industry of the nation was producing from 13 fields with "industrial " reserves of about 102 million barrels of oil (14.6 x 106 tonnes) and 172,000 million cubic feet of gas (4.9 x 109 m3). Operating wells totaled 438, with an average production of 6.3 barrels of oil per day. They further stated that four of the main fields are in the last stage of development, with decreasing production, and that another five fields are almost completely developed and that production is decreasing there also.
Ulmishek and Masters (1993) estimated that the total undiscovered oil resources of the Fergana basin were about 3,000 million barrels, the total undiscovered natural gas resources of the basin were about 3 trillion cubic feet, and that as much as 20 percent of the undiscovered oil and gas resources were in Kyrgyzstan. No estimates for undiscovered resources in other parts of Kyrgyzstan are available. Ulmishek and Masters (1993) recognized two other basins in Kyrgyzstan that might be petroliferous and Bazarbaev and others (1993) point out that there are more than 10 intermontane basins in the Republic with varying prospects for oil and gas. The latter further state that "...they have all ...been extremely poorly studied by oil and gas prospecting operations, and in some of them no such work at all has been carried out."
To the team's knowledge, no exploration for coalbed methane resources has been conducted in Kyrgyzstan. There may be coals of appropriate rank and depth present in the Republic but the presence and amount of gas available for recovery from the coal of the Kyrgyz Republic can only be determined by further specific studies.
F. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
An assessment necessarily requires gathering information from a wide range of available sources and receiving fact, opinion, and advice from a wondrously-assorted spectrum of groups and individuals. It is impossible to here record individual thanks to all who have helped us, but we do wish to express a sincere collective thanks to the people of Kyrgyzstan. Their hospitality, knowledge, helpfulness and good humor are unmatched.
We especially must thank Charles Bliss and Rolf Manfred of IDEA Inc./USAID for technical management support, and Paul Hearn, Lisa Martin and Robert Milici of USGS for their guidance and help. Most particularly, we thank K. M. Mukambetov, D. K. Kamchybekov. N. T. Kozhomatov, M. M. Khudoyarov and A. P. Pakhridinov of the Ministry of Industry, Material Resources and Trade. The enthusiastic and knowledgeable assistance of T. D. Sadabaev, G. T. Izyumov and I. Bekishev, of KYRGYZKOMURHOLDING, was very helpful. In addition we thank K. Kakitaev, T. S. Solpuyev and T. Kydyrbaev of the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources, and Dr. Apas Bakirov of the Institute of Geology of the Academy of Sciences. Without the cooperation, participation and patience of these gentlemen this assessment would not be possible.
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