Estonian Peat Association International Peat Association Commission of Mineral Resources of Estonia Engineering 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 Act Act 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 ( ) 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 ( ) The procedure for mine survey operations

Legal instruments Regulation declares: Frequency of survey Requirements for accuracy Requirements of methodology Requirements 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 1991 slightly humified peat – 0,121 well humified peat – 0,175 Constants at 2011 slightly 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 Parameter New values (2010) Regu- lation Hand- book Original data (1993) Degree of fumification 21 0,1560, ,132 Moisture content 90 Well humified peat Degree of humification 33 0,1860, ,167 Muisture content 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

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

Changes in regulations Since 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

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