Geology: Coal quality treatments at the Lausitz lignite surface mine Nochten

For providing consistent, high-class feedstock for the customers of the Nochten mine, detailed knowledge of quality data is necessary already by developing of the mining strategy. Mined from the 1st and 2nd Lausitz seam is lignite for either power station or refinement with different primary resource qualities. The basic quality data of lignite are collected by drill core logging and sampling as well as slit-sampling at the face wall. The sections are divided in lignite-geological horizons which are converted into planar grid reference maps having a 25m grid. With due regard to technological conditions we create a seam model for quality.

Out of this model an automated calculation of the quality data takes place. These considers the locations of excavators, production sections, equipment related output and recorded in real time each unit of 1000t lignite. The data stream runs analogous to the mined lignite stream and can be mixed partial with other data streams, like the mined lignite itself.

The update of the seam models of the 1st and 2nd Lausitz seam in the Nochten surface mine as well as the collection and administration of basic data is an ongoing project, which is realized by us since 2006.

A more detailed report about lignite quality treatment is given by Bretschneider and Zomack (in print).