Blocks VII, VIII of Thar coalfield extended

[LahoreEstate]

Blocks VII, VIII of Thar coalfield extended
AFTAB CHANNA
KARACH (September 08 2009): The Sindh government has extended Blocks VII and VIII of Thar coal over an area of 100 square km each to increase the proven coal reserves and attract private investment in the coalfield. Now, Block VII would be extended into Block XI and XII, and Block VIII into Block IX and X.

The extended area would be divided into six to eight potential areas (leasing blocks), out of which around 40 to 50 sq km would be offered to international companies for establishing power plants and mining operations, sources told Business Recorder on Monday.

They said that study for developing additional blocks (VII, VIII) at Thar coalfield, in district Tharparkar, was approved by the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on September 2007 at a cost of Rs 462 million. The contract for study and development of the additional blocks was awarded to the lowest bidder Deep Rock Drilling Pvt Ltd through competitive bidding in December 2007, they added.

The Sindh Coal Authority Board had approved the lowest bid of Rs 181.73 offered by Deep Rock Drilling Pvt Ltd with the main objective to explore coal resources and develop two blocks over an area of 100 sq km each. The contractor completed exploration work during June 2009 by drilling 109 bore holes in Block VII and Block VIII (core holes 80, non-core 27 and geotechnical 2 holes) and collected coal samples for chemical analysis, which were analysed and the final report is under preparation and it would be completed by end of December 2009, sources said.

Thar coalfield is spread over an area of about 9,100 sq km with coal reserves of about 177 billion tons of coal (lignite) and it has been demarcated into Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 till now. After successful drilling operations of the extended area, now the coal reserves would be demarcated into four new Blocks, sources said.

The Sindh Coal Authority through international competitive bidding (ICB) would execute the work through private consultant firm after completion of codal formalities and at per guidelines of the Planning Commission, they said. Further, sources said, the extension of Blocks VII and VIII would result in establishing proven coal reserves of over 1000 to 3000 million tons, which would be sufficient for 12,000 mw power plant for a period of 30 years, sources added

http://brecorder.com/index.php?id=958757...=&supDate=