D.N.Abrol has more than 47 years of experience of working in coal, iron ore and chromite mines and coal washing in India. He is also the author of several papers published in reputable journals. He was in Mongolia recently and talked to MMJ about Tavan Tolgoi seen through the eyes of a mining professional.

What is your opinion about the type, quality and extent of the reserves in Tavan Tolgoi?
It has both coking and non-coking (thermal and PCI grade) coals. There are in all about 20 coal seams varying in thickness from a few centimeters to 40 meters. These coal seams can be clubbed into 9 to 10 workable coal horizons with economic exploitation. The total resource of this coalfield is about 6.5 billion tones with about 30% coking and 70% thermal and PCI.

What about the geological and structural set-up?
Tavan Tolgoi has a number of anticlines and synclines, and there are >18 number of faults. The area has extensive outcrops of various coal seams.

What would be the best way to exploit Tavan Tolgoi?
God and nature have been very kind to Mongolia in bestowing so much mineral resources on it. We must show our gratitude by exploiting them most judiciously. In my opinion this coal field can be best developed by sub-blocking it into 6/7 areas. Each of these areas will have about a billion tonnes of resource, which is sufficient to support an annual production level of 10-15 million tonnes for a period of over 50 years. These sub blocks can be formed by delineating them with respect to geological structures like faults, thrusts etc.

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