Hungary instigates development program
Hungary's coal mining industry is on the upturn after years of decline and then stagnation. Production in 1978 (2,954,000 metric tons of hard coal and 22,716,000 metric tons of brown coal/lignite) rose only slightly above the 25,000,000 annual ton plateau at which it has languished for about a decade. The increase this year will be only slightly more. The important fact is that work is speeding ahead on new mine developments which will raise output to about 30,000,000 tons per year by 1990 and perhaps even 50,000,000 tons by the end of the century. Very importantly, the net growth will be the result of bringing large, modern mines into production and shutting down old, uneconomic units. The industry is growing in tonnage terms; it is also growing in terms of mechanization and efficiency. The centerpiece of the new developments is the so-called Eocene Program. This program for establishing new mines in the Eocene brown coal reserves of the Tatabanya area will add 8,000,000 tons of new mine capacity a year and 1,000,000 tons of reconstructed mine capcity by 1990. Available Hungarian coal reserves are estimated at 2,500,000,000 tons. Most of these reserves are brown coal and lignite. Hard coal is a minor component of Hungarian coal reserves and production. The Transdanubian Eocene coal mines are generally exposed to danger from karst water. Almost 90% of the total reserves lie from 50 to 200 meters (164 to 656 feet) below the karst water table. About two-thirds of the reserves have no effective impervious beds to seal them off from the watered strata. Apart from the lack of protective layers, the high degree of tectonic disturbance and frequency of seam irregularities accentuate the water danger.
- OSTI ID:
- 6026356
- Journal Information:
- World Coal; (United States), Vol. 5:6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
FRG plans more use of hard coal
Poland plans more efficient use of coal
Related Subjects
HUNGARY
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL RESERVES
UNDERGROUND MINING
PLANNING
BROWN COAL
COAL MINING
MINE HAULAGE
MINING EQUIPMENT
WATER INFLUX
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
EUROPE
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MATERIALS HANDLING
MINING
RESERVES
RESOURCES
012000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Mining
011000 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration