Estonian Peat Association International Peat Association

Commission of Mineral Resources of EstoniaEngineering bureau STEIGER

Erki Niitlaan

Some legal and technical aspects of peat production and mining geodesy

Proposition

Peat is one most complicated substance to measure ...

Content

Terminology

Legal instruments of peat mining survey

Problems with peat

Conclusions

Terminology

Mining – removal of mineral resources from their natural bedding.

By “mineral resources” in Estonia we mean:- oilshale- peat- sand, gravel- limestone, dolomite- clay- creative mud- etc

Legal instruments

Earth’s Crust ActAct provides the procedure and principles of exploration, protection and use of the earth’s crust, with the purpose of ensuring economically efficient and environmentally sound use of the earth’s crust.

- geological investigation and geological explorations;- extraction of mineral resources;- the rights of the owner of an immovable upon use of

mineral resources within the boundaries of the owner’s immovable;

- restoration of the land disturbed by geological investigation, geological explorations or mining;

- protection of the earth’s crust.

Legal instruments

Mining Act- mining and the secondary utilisation of underground

workings;- plans for mining and the secondary utilisation of

underground workings;- undertakings engaged in mining, the secondary

utilisation of underground workings or preparation of plans for such work;

- specialists in charge and authorities assessing and attesting the conformity thereof;

- liability and state supervision.

Both acts are regulating aspects of all mineral resources inc. peat

Legal instruments

Under Earth's Crust Act Minister of Environment has established a regulation of (05.04.2011)

The environmental declaration forms, procedures for compliance of the forms, the

procedure for the submission of the report of the volume of the extraction of mineral

reserves

Legal instruments

Regulation declares:

All extraction permit holders should submit once in quarter a report of the volume of the extracted mineral reserve based on production data.

Depending of volumes all permit holders should verify their declarations with mine survey

Peat producers have to do mine survey once during the permit period (25 years) - 3 years before the end of permit

Legal instruments

Under Mining Act Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications has established a regulation of (28.01.2012)

The procedure for mine survey operations

Legal instruments

Regulation declares:

Frequency of surveyRequirements for accuracyRequirements of methodologyRequirements of documentation (inc report, conducted calculations, drawings etc)Requirements of underground mine survey

Legal instruments

Regulation declares that during mine survey of peat:

Border of slightly and well humified peat should be determined

Survey should be conducted in whole depth of peat layer despite the depth of extraction permit

During mine survey new samples of peat moisture and humification level should be determined

In case of first survey at least 10 % bottom layer depths should be measured by sounding. In case of average difference more than 10 cm new sounding should conducted

Problems

Peat reserve is measured in thousands of tons in relative moisture 40 %

Slightest mistake in calculation of production volumes will accumulate during the time

Peat characteristics are changing and peat is migrating vertically during the preparation of production site and production

Old geological survey reports cannot be trusted without check over

Over the time the borders of extraction permits, reserve blocks or immovable's have been changed because of digitalisation and renewing databases

Following of borders of extraction permit are controlled very precisely because of digitalisation

Problems

Producer measures a volume in cubage, but has to declare in tonnage - witch constant should he use?

Problems

Laiküla production site (natural bedding)

Constants at 1991slightly humified peat – 0,121well humified peat – 0,175

Constants at 2011slightly humified peat – 0,137 well humified peat – 0,205

Totally another constants should be used for peat in stockpile

Problems

Kasesoo production site

Slightly humified peat

ParameterNew

values(2010)

Regu-lation

Hand-book

Original data(1993)

Degree of fumification

210,156 0,152

140,132

Moisture content

90 90

Well humified peat

Degree of humification

330,186 0,180

280,167

Muisture content

89 89

Problems

Should the volume of extracted peat calculated trough the left reserve or extracted reserve?

In witch case witch constant should be used?

proved reserve – left reserve = extracted reserve [ 1 ]

or

proved reserve – extracted reserve = left reserve [ 2 ]

left reserve + extracted ≠ proved reserve

[ 1 ] – new constant[ 2 ] – average of new and geological survey constants

Problems

During the preparation of production site and exploitation peat migrates vertically a lot

Problems

Problems

Problems

A calculated reserve of bottom pillar is changing in time due to peat’s vertical migration

Problems

Declaration of volumes should be done by reserve blocks – it’s very easy to make a mistake

Problems

Problems

Changes in regulations

Since 01.01.1995 slightly humified peat is ≥ 25 %

Before that it was ≥ 20 %

Most of peat reserves are proven before 1995!Most mine surveys are done after!

Conclusions

There no ideal way to measure peat reserves or usage of reserves

Measuring in tonnages seems to be most precise

During peat mine survey in addition to instrumental survey a control sounding and new laboratory testing should be done

Control sounding should be conducted on same locations as original sounding was done in geological survey

Peat mine survey should be conducted in whole depth of peat layer as extraction permit should be granted

Despite the effort it’s almost never possible to get absolutely accurate results what will mach with previous surveys

New regulation of the procedure for mine survey operations should solve most problems

• Mmmm, millised on piirid kus ma võin toimetada?

Thank you!