Tavantolgoi coal mining company is currently operating in the territory of Tsagaan–Ovoo of Tsogttsetsii town, aSouthgobi province. Geographically, it lies 98 km to the east of Dalanzadgad, a center of Southgobi province and 15 km southwest of Tsogtsetsii town. It is 550 km away from the nation’s capital, Ulaanbaatar,and is situated at an altitude of 1500m to1830m above sea level at a longitude of 105025I-105032Iand latitude of 43035I-43039I.
The coal deposit territory is located in a hilly region of the Gobi at a surface elevation of 1515-1560 m, with a 5-20 m oscillation. The region is characterized as a harsh environment with 154 mm in precipitation, most of which occurs in the summer and fully evaporates. Wind direction is from the west or northwest, and, in the fall and winter, there is reduced wind.
Geological studies have been conducted at a depth of 635 m of the coal deposit using a column drilling method. Pre-excavation was carried out in the north wing as well as in the southwestern region of the Tavantolgoi syncline within an area of 40 km squared and at a depth of 320-340 m. The coal deposit is comprised of 16 layers (1-74.9 m in depth). The most important of these 16 layers are layers 0, III, IVabc and IX abcd.
Tavantolgoi’s coking coal is ranked among the top ten in the world in its resource amount. The enriched coking coal yield from layer IV is 66.9% and thus is of higher quality than that sold on the Canadian and Australian market.
The geological conditions of the operational section of the mine is normal, its coal deposit is at a more shallow depth, and is less prone to collapsing, thus its effect on soil erosion is two to three times less than other comparable mines. Tavantolgoi’s deposit is estimated at 6.5 billion tons. Of this, the fourth layer is at the center of the deposit (which is the best condition for operations) and its reserve is estimated to last for over a hundred years. The coal deposit has been used as an open mine that supplied the Southgobi, Middlegobi and Eastgobi provinces with coal since 1966.
