THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF THE U.S.S.R. 
1003 
 
 Coal.—In 1979, the Soviet Union produced an estimated 719 million
tons (planned 753 million) of run-of-mine coal as follows: 
bituminous coal, 473 million tons; anthracite, 79 million tons; and lignite,
167 million tons. Estimated according to Western practice, this was equivalent
to 413 million tons of "clean coal," placing the U.S.S~R. second
among the
world's coal producers. Over 33% of the total output was surface-mined. 
 Production of raw coal and lignite in 1978-79 was from Donets, 31%; Kuznetsk,
19%; Karaganda, 7%; Moscow, 4%; KanskAchinsk, 4%; Pechora, 4%; and other
areas, 31%. There were about 800 underground mines with an average annual
capacity of some 600,000 tons of raw coal, and 70 open pits with an average
annual output of 3.4 million tons of run-of-mine coal and lignite. 
 The annual capacity of coal and lignite mines increased by 26 million tons
(raw coal and lignite) in 1978 and by 19 million tons in 1979. In 1980, the
reduced planned production of raw coal and lignite was to reach 745 million
tons, but actual output (based on the 1979 result) comprised about 730 million
tons. 
 Preparation of coal for the market does not play a great role in the industry
and is normally restricted to coking coals and coal for export. The shortage
of coal preparation facilities forced Soviet planners to place greater emphasis
on improvement in quantity as an expedient. 
 Practically all Soviet coal requires upgrading, but of the 724 million tons
produced in 1978, only an estimated 297 million tons was treated to produce
an estimated 157 million tons of clean coal. In 1979, only an estimated 345
million tons was treated to produce an estimated 182 million tons of clean
coal. Some 66 preparation plants are treating coking coal, 38 plants are
processing anthracite, and 50 preparation plants are treating coal and lignite
for powerplants. 
 The official average ash content of coal shipped to consumers in 1979 was
about 20.3%. The average calorific value of coal from the Karaganda, Kuznetsk,
and Donets basins fell by 600, 900, and 1,200 kilocalories, respectively,
during the last decade. Up to 40 million tons of substandard-quality coals
and lignite are delivered to thermal powerplants annually, or about 20% of
the total requirements of these plants.~~ 
 Total Soviet economically minable coal and lignite reserves in place in
categories A+B+C1 in January 1975 were 420,000 million tons, including 87,000
million tons 
of coking coal and 190,000 million tons of lignite. Over 70% of the total
coal and lignite reserves are located in the eastern (Asian) part of the
U.S.S.R. 
 Natural Gas.—In 1980, the output of natural gas was to reach 435
billion
cubic meters. According to Soviet data, gas reserves in place in the A+B+C1
categories as of January 1978 were 29,000 billion cubic meters, 15% of which
were in the European part of the U.S.S.R., 72% in Siberia and the Soviet
Far East, and 13% in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. 
 Petroleum.—The Soviet Union is rich in oil. However, despite the
new
discoveries, the rate of growth in reserves is lagging behind the rate of
growth in extraction. According to Soviet sources, crude oil reserves in
place in the A+B+C1 categories as of January 1979 were 12.9 billion tons.
A 30% to 40% recovery of crude oil in place was claimed in 1979. 
 For the sixth year, the U.S.S.R. remained the world's largest oil producer.
The country continues to expand its exports of crude oil and petroleum products
even though the quantities available for internal consumption have been inadequate.
The Soviet Union became a net exporter of crude oil in 1951 and of petroleum
products in 1954 and has gradually stengthened its position since that time.
The U.S.S.R. exported about 30% of its production in 1979. 
 In 1979, over 500 (including 36 large) oil and gas condensate fields were
in operation, with a total of about 77,000 wells. Most of the increased production
was derived from the West Siberian fields. There were about 150 oilfields
in Western Siberia in January 
1980, including 50 fields "ready for operation." The Samotlor oil
field in
Tyumen' Oblast', the largest oil field in the U.S.S.R., accounted for the
production of some 145 million tons of crude in 1979. Over 2,000 production
wells were in operation at this field in 1979. The Fedorov field was the
second largest in West Siberia in 1979. 
 Crude oil extraction (including condensate) is planned to be increased to
606 million tons in 1980, almost in line with the lower range of the present
5-year plan. Investment in oil has increased from 3,802 million rubles in
1975 to 4,450 million in 1977, 6,000 million in 1979, and probably about
7,000 million in 1980. The output of crude and gas condensate will rise less
rapidly beyond 1980, and will reach about 675 million tons in 1985. The main
increase will be from the fields in West Siberia. In 1985 crude oil output
has been estimated on