PODZEMGAZ COAL GASIFICATION PLANT NEAR LISICHANSK

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R012000400003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 21, 2002
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 20, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

App*oved For Release 2002/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R012000400003--?"
CILASISIRCM10N
CENTRAL IN EI_r_IOF.N(",E. AGENCY
were made late in 19.9.
1'AT 10 N FA, CD NO..
CCJNTRY Uj6;t (Ukrainian .`_i._`rh)
M
U3IEG! Podzemgaz Coal G:sificat.~ orz F laant near
Lisichansk
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LACE
ACQUIRED
zAf`E OF
dFO.
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1
T Ci'CULATE
REPORT NO.
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DATE DISTR. 20 May l 2
NCO OF PAGES
OF ENCLS, 1
o BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
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1. The coal seams and the Podzemgaz coal gasification installation were near the
northwestern outskirts of Lisichanak (48055#N/38?2S1E), southwest of the highlay
to Proletarsk (18?57'N/38?231E). The enterprise was called Podzergaz (ur derground
:a,s)o The construction of the installation started at the beginning of : orld Jar IL,
The installations were rebuilt aftor the ear and resur. d operation in My 1948. The
installation has been functioning properly since November 1918$ although there were
many technical difficulties at first. Preparations for an expansion of the plant
2. The plant was surrounded by a Nall and covered an area of about 1.5 sq km. The
nearby coal soasas were opened underground and acre kept separate from each other,
Combustion was started by electric ignition and was maintained by supplying oxygen.
Each rune in operation had its avm puffin ; installation which pumped the required
oxygen to the various seams. The gases were conducted to the plant where the
armonia, tar, naphthalene, and benzol were removed? The purified gas was carried
through a pipe line, about 30 cm in diamotar,q to the Don Soda plant in Verkhneye
(b80531N/380281L) located 6 km to the southeast. `Tie pipe line was about 3 meters
aboveground 3, shipments of the by--products, comprising arxmonia, tar, naphthalene and enzol, left
by rail, Unauthorized entrance to the plant, which was surrounded by a 2.5 Meter-
?ugh wall,was prohibited.. Authorized personnel were provided with special
identification cards, which were renewed every three months and stamped, every month.
Unauthorized personnel were not allowed near the mines operated by the gasification
plant, **
Coma:gent. For location sketch of the Podzemgaz plant,, see Annex. This sketch is
25X1 C information from source.
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(S03) and insist also be separated in the ?lant. As source does nott, mention
Com:ient. According to available information, the underground coal. gasification
L-T an near Lasichansk was tentatively put into operation during '";orld ?d'ar Ii. At that
p
time the plant was equipped with a n .ibcr of large containers for theprodu,,:."
obtained by the gasification process, The hard coal of the Lisichanok de- osits has a
sulphur content ranging from 2,.5 to 7.5 percent. The sulphur does not occur as an
organic part of the coal, but, chiefly in pyrite form. By burning the coal under-
g ound, the sulphur occur as sulphur dioxide (Sc) hor sulphuric acid anhydride
CLASSIFICATION
KA Y"nr gY;s B C,MR SUTION
Approved For Release 2002/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00
t Ne
ga to C1a
F Daclasstiflad
ged Tat TS S C ''
Class. Chan
D_ -2-B10
A h,R1M . I~/~
#081 -- I -
 Approved For Release 2002/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO12000400003-5
elernl.ary sulphur it is probable that sulphuric Vases are converted into 3alquid
acid, The entire production of the Podzer ;az _)la.it is processed by tho choriiLcal
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plants in and arou:-id LisichansIz.
tlomrent,. The city mentioned in the legend of the location sketch
of the `odzempaz Plant u Imeni L.,L-Kaganovicha may possibly be Fopasnaya
(48-3614, 38-203)
Approved For Release 2002/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO12000400003-5
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 Approved For Release 2002/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO12000400003-5
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Location 'Sketch of the Podzemoz Plant
Legend.
1e K'npyansk (4i9?!42'0/37?36'' ) - Lisichansk - Ii ni 1,1!.Kaganovicha (18?38IN!
380231S) double--track railroad line.
2a Gas pipe line from the P odzemgaz )lint to the Don Soda plant
3. Industrial railroad linen DDuble-track line in s me sections.
, Podzotngaz Coal Gasification pLmt,
Approved For Release 2002/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO12000400003-5