Geology, coal quality, and resources of the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, north-central Armenia

International Journal of Coal Geology
By: , and 

Links

Abstract

The Antaramut-Kurta-Dzoragukh (AKD) coal deposit is a previously unrecognized coal field in north-central Armenia. Coal has been known to exist in the general vicinity since the turn of the century, but coal was thought to be restricted to a small (1 km2) area only near the village of Antaramut. However, through detailed field work and exploratory drilling, this coal deposit has been expanded to at least 20 km2, and thus renamed the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, for the three villages that the coal field encompasses. The entire coal-bearing horizon, a series of tuffaceous sandstones, siltstones, and claystones, is approximately 50 m thick. The AKD coal field contains two coal beds, each greater than 1 m thick, and numerous small rider beds, with a total resource of approximately 31,000,000 metric tonnes. The coals are late Eocene in age, high volatile bituminous in rank, relatively high in ash yield (approximately 40%, as-determined basis) and moderate in sulfur content (approximately 3%, as-determined basis). The two coal beds (No. 1 and No. 2), on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis, have high calorific values of 32.6 MJ/kg (7796 cal/g) and 36.0 MJ/kg (8599 cal/g), respectively. Coal is one of the few indigenous fossil fuel resources occurring in Armenia and thus, the AKD coal field could potentially provide fuel for heating and possibly energy generation in the Armenian energy budget. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Geology, coal quality, and resources of the Antaramut-Kurtan-Dzoragukh coal field, north-central Armenia
Series title International Journal of Coal Geology
DOI 10.1016/S0166-5162(00)00039-2
Volume 45
Issue 4
Year Published 2001
Language English
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title International Journal of Coal Geology
First page 267
Last page 279
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details