| Bilorichenska coal mine | |
| Width: | frameless |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | urban settlement Belorechenskiy, Lutuginskiy district of Lugansk region, Ukraine |
| Subdivision Type: | Oblast |
| State/Province: | Luhansk |
| Country: | Ukraine |
| Official Website: | http://shahta.com.ua |
| Greatest Depth: | 720 m |
| Opening Year: | 1957 |
Bilorichenska Coal Mine (Ukrainian: Шахта "Білоріченська") is a coal mine located in Belorechenskiy, Lutuhynskiy district of Luhansk region, Ukraine. It ranks among the biggest companies in Ukraine.
As of 1 June 2011, the mine's reserves amounted to 11.6 million tons. There is a possibility of expanding the size of the reserves to up to 70 million tons of coal.[1] The mined coal rank is "G" – electric-power coke.
The design and engineering of the mine began in 1949. The project was named Bilorichenska after the Belaya River. The mine was planned in the area where "a burning stone" in the chalk deposits was found in the 18th century. The building of the shaft started in December 1950 and construction of the surface structures started in September 1951. The mine was commissioned in 1957.
In the period 1960–70, Bilorichenska's miners were the winners of all-union socialist competitions on several occasions. In 1975 the mine exceeded the targeted state plan and raised 670 thousand tons of coal. The mine continued to work at this rate for the following one and a half decades.[2]
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, production decreased rapidly due to a lack of investments and technology. By 1996, coal production amounted to only 193 thousand tons. By this time, all the coal reserves of the coal beds Almaznyi and Kamenskiy series had been exhausted.
In September 2002, a new shaft commenced operation, equipped with a 3RD-90 heavy-duty complex. Due to this, in 2003, for the first time in its history, the mine acquired a capacity of 750 thousand tons. In 2008, the mine first reached its planned target of "1 million tons of coal" per year.
During the following seven years, a series of faces along the L 6 bed 725m horizon were put into production, namely: the original eastern, 5th western, 2nd eastern, 2nd western, 6th western, 5th bis western, 3rd western and 1st bis eastern. Each of these faces is equipped with modern heavy-duty complexes and machines.
In 2010, coal production at Bilorichenska amounted to 1.182 million tons. In 2011, one more face was put into production, the 7th western. Its production amounted to more than 100 thousand tons of coal per month. A Coal Dry Cleaning Machine was put into operation and a new Diesel House opened at the mine.
As of 2012, the mine had a workforce of over 3000 employees.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the mine belonged to the state-owned Luhanskvuhillya coal mining group. In 2001, the mine declared insolvency and the recapitalisation process started. In 2002, the mine obtained a strategic partner: Valentin-Invest, a holding company of Ukrainian businessman Igor Martynenkov, who obtained the majority stake in the mine while the state-owned shares decreased to 25.83%. The recapitalisation plan was approved by the court in 2007. This decision was annulled by the High Commercial Court of Ukraine in 2010.[3]
In 2012, the court decided to return the mine to state ownership.[4] On 14 September 2012, the Ukrainian state took control of the mine by force. Some media sources link this action to the participation of Igor Martynenkov at the parliamentary election running against the candidate of the Party of Regions.[5]
At the mine territory, a rescue workers school was built, which later became the basis for the only mine rescue station in Ukraine. To reduce the danger of fire in the mine, in 2004, the mine purchased 14 units of “YUREK-6”, which made it possible to equip all the main and local conveyor lines with fire-fighting systems.
Bilorichenska mine has renovated a culture centre and a nursing school "Rosinka" (Dewdrop) of Belorechenskiy settlement and opened a museum of Bilorichenska mine. In August 2011, gas lines were connected to the settlement. The water supply and sewage system of Belorechenskiy township are managed by the mine.