Overview

Mine Type	Open Pit
Status	Temporary Suspension
Commodities	Coal (thermal)
Mining Method	Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start	...
Mine Life	...
Snapshot	The Ulaan Ovoo thermal coal is bituminous (5,040 kcal/kg), low ash (11.3%), low sulphur (0.40%). The Ulaan Ovoo operation stopped in May 2023 due to falling global thermal coal prices and scheduled equipment repair. The Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment license ("DEIA") required to restart Ulaan Ovoo coal operations was successfully renewed on September 18, 2023.

Deposit type

• Sedimentary

Summary:

The Ulaan-Ovoo coal deposit is Jurassic in age and is typical of the Sharyn Gol type of coal deposit in Mongolia. The coal comprises a single seam in the north-western part of the syncline and splits to the southwest forming two thick coal sequences (seams) which are relatively thick and flat lying. These seams host thick groupings of coal plies separated by thick clastic layers derived from flood events and ash falls which occurred during the time of coal deposition. The primary source of the flood induced sediments was to the south and southwest, and the parting thicknesses increase in that direction. Although the overall geometry is typical of coal mining deposits, the seams are generally thicker than usually encountered, ranging from a total of 15 to over 85 metres in thickness, and averaging 45 metres throughout the deposit area.

The Ulaan-Ovoo coal deposit, which is part of the 520 m thick Sharyn Gol formation, has two main coal seams that contain five sub-units of coal.

Mod Coal Seam (formerly Coal Seam I): This seam is the lower of the two main coal sequences. It merges with the upper and thicker Gol Coal Seam in the north-eastern part of the area and splits to the southwest. It is well developed in the western part of the syncline. Its thickness ranges from 2.0 m to 7.5 m and thins in the south-western part of the deposit. The seam contains up to three partings with thicknesses of 0.56 m to 0.77 m. In the area where it is best developed, the Mod Coal seam is separated from the Gol Coal Seam by a sandstone parting which may exceed 30 m in thickness.

Gol Coal Seam (formerly Coal Seam II): This is the uppermost of the two main coal seams. Because of limited drilling south of the Central fault, it had previously only been clearly defined in the northern half of the syncline. It has relatively consistent thickness in the northern half of the deposit, ranging from 29.8 m to 63.9 m. In the west, the Gol Seam splits into two major subseams, and its aggregate thickness diminishes where it splits. Further to the west sub-seam the lower split further subdivides into two smaller sub- seams. The Gol seam may contain as many as 11 partings. These partings consist mainly of clayey rocks and coal-bearing mudstone with a thickness of 0.15 m to 1.0 m.

Several thin coal beds are encountered to the west of the syncline, in the lower part of the middle member of the Sharyn Gol formation (J2-3 chg). Their thickness ranges between 0.9 m to 2.0 m. The extent of these thin seams is not known at this time, but they do not add materially to the coal resource base of the deposit.

Mining Methods

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Processing

- subscription is required.

Production

Commodity	Units	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Coal (thermal)	t	....	....	....	....	84,739

Operational metrics

Metrics	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Coal tonnes mined	....	....	....	....	84,739 t