ECONOMIC - COAL MINING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2011
• Sequence Number: 375
• Publication Date: June 8, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
CENTK .6. INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
CLASSIFICATION (L
jam/Fab 1949
Russian
Is the principal fuel of the country, the Five-Year Plan provides for steadily
increasing coal output, so that in 1950 production will have reached a level
of 250 million tons, or a level 51 percent higher than in 1940.
Steady progrese in coal production can be reportA! for to 3 expired
years of the current Ftve-Year Plan. Production in 19b6 etneeded that of the
previous year by 10 percent; similarly, 1947 production was 12 percent higher
than 1946; and 1948 production van 14 percent .nor 1941.
Results in 1948 were so good that the All-Union plan had been fulfilled
by 25 Dsooimber, and considerable surplus production vas achieved for the year.
list' enterprises. such an the following, fulfilled their individual plans ahead
oS schedule and provided additional production. "Moskvoagol" ^,ambine fulfilled
its plan on 6 December and provided a surplus of 880,000 toms: "Tnlauaol'"
Combine fulfilled its plan an 17 December and provided a surplus of 457,O? O
tone= and "lblotovugol'" Combine fulfilled its plan on 25 Dsoember and provided
a surplus of 170,000 tons. In 1948, the Moscow coal basin produced 240 percent
and the Donbass 8o percent or their prewar production levels.
DATE DIST. p Jun 1949
NO. OF PAGES 4
SUPPLEMENT TC
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
This steady increase of production resulted from concentrated effort by the
whole Coal-mining industry in sucji endeavors as expanding opera-oat mining
operations and initiating them In the Hhtbass and in Central Asia, improving
miming methods in the existing mines and opening now mines, building or
restoring coal-dressing plants, enlarging the mining-machinbty building base,
organitiM new enterprises for production of building materials and reinforced
concrete supports, and engaging in socialist competitions.
50X1-HUM
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1
AL
Mechanization of coal-mining operation3 has progressed considerably
since the end of World War 11, Compared with prewar times, Mechanization has
increased as follows: in cutting operations, from 92.5 to 99 percent; in haul-
ing operations, from 59.6 to 84 percent' in loading (into railroad care)
operations, from 91 to 96 percent.
With regard to mechanization in individual coal basins, the following
facts stand out: mechanization of cutting operations has been completed in
the Kizel, Chelyabinsk, and Karaganda basins, almost completed in the
lzznetek basin, and increased by 6 percent in the Donets basin. Mechaniza-
tion of hauling operations has been completes in the Moscow basin, almost
completed in the Chelyabinsk basin, and increased by almost 200 percent in the
Donate basin. Mechanization of loading (into railroad cars) operations has
been completed in the Karaganda basin and almost completed in the Moscow
and. RIzel basins.
Nov cutting and transportation equipment is already being widely
utilized. New machines in use include cutting machines, which were introduced
in 1948 and have already increased production of anthracite and very hard
coal; scraperconreyers, which replaced the inefficient shaking conveyers;
and electric engines for coal hauling.
Hone of the labor-consuming operations, however, such as loading the
coal in the stopes, building of supports, and laying of foundations have not yet
been mechanized.
The Ministry of Electrical Industry and other machine-building ministries
have devised completely new machinery for certain labor-consuming operations.
This machinery includes coal combines, cutting and loadin, machines, coal
planes, crosscut drills, sinking combines, coal- and rook-loading equipment,
and light (2-ton) electric switching engines. This kind of equipment will
make complete mechanization of all mining operations possible.
Eden now coal- and rock-loading machines and croIacut drills, which
are used in preliminary work, increase the speed of cutting as much as 400-500
percent, as tests have demonstrated, typical examples of rapid cutting are
those of mine No 5 of the HSraenoluchugol' Trust in the Donbass with 155 meters
per month and of Mine Wo 8-10 of the Bokovantrateit Trust, also in the Donbass,
with 165 motors per month.
The use of metalV o supports in the mines was equally successful and
will result in economies in timber. Portable supporting installations, which
Serve to increase the efficiency of combines, are successfnl]y being tested
in the Moscow basin. Mechanized portable supports (Zhuravlev ohields) are
being fisted in mines of the iaraganda and Moscow basins. Metallic and
reinforced concrete supports are also widely used in preliminary work. In
vell_org nixed nincz, .. -o:tra+iCed usei. paaning and signaling, and the block
system are applied in underground transport, as well as centralize! operation
of mining equipment.
In 1947, the Ministry of Heavy Industry started assembly-line prodnc-
ticn of powerful excavators for mine opening; the Ministry of Coal Industry
developed the production of excavator draglines, track layers, belt owing chutes
(lentocaayye otvaloobrazovateli), belt conveyers, and rotary drills. Other
Ministries developed assembly-line production of multibucket excavators,
bulldozers, tractor-operated scrapers, dump cars, etc.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1
Considerable success has been achieved in mechanizing earth-moving
work, stone crushing, concrete mixing, etc.
For removing rock, one of the most difficult operations in opening
a new shaft, a special pneumatic loader was developed, which cuts the time
required for opening a now shaft in half. For reconstruction work in war-
damaged mines, a special clearing apparatus was developed. A number of
special pumps for pumping water from such mines were also developed.
3. Tabor Productivity
As a result of organizational and technical improvemento, labor
Roetoiugol' Combine 10.6
Donbassantratelt Combine 10.0
Artemkgol' Combine 14.0
Voroehil.wrarr dugo ' Cchb A.. ll A.
Krasnoyarskugol' Combine - 10.5
is. Deficiencies in Coal Mine Operation
Althougi considerable success has been achieved by the coal-mining
industry, many deficiencies are still being observed, and a number of mines and
trusts did not fulfill the State plans for coal. mining.
The main causes for failing to fulfill their plans were: negligence,
lagging in preliminary work, breakdown of machinery, defective operation of
the underground transportation system, and serious deficiencies in the
organisation of work in the mines.
Mechanized equipment is still not being used as extensively as it
should be. In tics respect, the Asst i Regime are particularly baek-ard;
equi;aeent, such as Mekerov combines a-A new machinery for loading coal and
rook, is not yet in general use.
Although very often available equipment is highly efficient, It Is
frequently run at very law speed. lack of organization Is the main cause
of this situation. Coal mine administrators do not sufficiently emphasize
and enforce advanced working methods devised by workers who regularly surpass
their norms. The Ministry of Coal Industry has given Inadequate attention
to the problem of Improving the use of equipment and applying advanced and
progressive methods as established by the plan.
A number of mines still work three shifts per lay. As a result, machine
repair and maintenance are not performed adequately. Same adminiecratore
pretend that maintenance work is performed during the third shift. If so,
workers remain idle for a considerable Length of time or are used for other
A tWO-ih.. t sysi.em offers the advan4,age of creating established personnel in
the mines and reducing unnecessary labor adjustments. Productivity would
then also increase.
In open-cut mines it happens that unsatisfactory stripping work is
done for normal exploitation of the mines. In the Urals, mining regulations
are very oftei, violated. Gradients, for instance, are greater than permittel;
an a result, work-interrupting slides occur. Axoevating equipment is not
adequately used in the Urals. Poor organization and an inadequate transport
system are the principal causes of poor results in strip operations.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1
did not start operations, as provided by the plan. This failure was Caused
by insufficient mecha.ization in rock-loading operations, in cutting of
of manpower and material, the lack of organize.tion, the shortage of local
building materials, and the inadequate use of construction equipment.
Delay in building end restoring coal dressing and bri4ust plants must
5. Remedies for Deficiencies in Mining Operations
The coal industry is now in a position to eliminate all the causes of
unsatisfactory work. The machine-building industry i!now twice as large as
in 1940 and can provide all the necessary equipment.
Eastern Regions and the Miniatry for Fnel Building Enterprises into a single Coal
industry for bcttcr c cv--...-..- I at of work an for imp-ro ement. 1n
?ao w~.,8..w.au. a.~wys o.. .. -.
distribution.of equipment and manpower.
provide more and better coal from Soviet mines: further improvement in
mechanization; training of qualified personnel; improvement of working
mine building and restoration; complete restoration of the Donets mines and
'
prewar level;; improvement. of the
increasing their production above the
quality of coal supplied; providing coal with lower ash and sulfur content
for metallurgical purposes; introduction of larger size coal for railroads;
increase-in production of "K"-type coal for ferrous metallurgy (the Kuznetsk
mines mast make up for 'the shortage of this type which occurred in 1948).
Further effort mast be made to increase savings and to increase the
rate of turnover of working capital. Attention must be given to: speeding
up the-production cycle; speeding up production in coal-machinery building
factories; reduction of surplus coal, metal, timber, etc., stored in ware-
houses of Glavenab (Main Administration of Supply), Glavugleebyt (Main
Administration of Coal Sales), coal combines, trusts, and even mines; and
dstablisbent of normal reserves in accordance with the plan.
Successful accomplishment of these tasks will help the country to
increase its economic power and to approach the goal set by Stalin in his speech
of 9 February 1946. This set goal is to raise the annual production of coal
to 500 million tono.
0MOTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600230375-1