TKV: Orientation of resource exploration and development for the new period

In the context of Quang Ninh coal mines going deeper and deeper, many projects are about to expire mining licenses and the national energy demand is constantly increasing, resource exploration and development has become an important task, deciding the sustainable development of the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group (TKV). In the period of 2025-2030, in parallel with completing legal procedures in mineral activities, the Group determined that exploration must go one step ahead, creating a solid foundation for a stable and long-term mining strategy.

Mining Geology Joint Stock Company - TKV organized the groundbreaking ceremony of drilling hole GK289 (Hon Gai Coal Company).

In the period 2020-2024, the Group has prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for licensing 13 coal exploration projects with approved reserves of more than 350 million tons. For non-coal mineral mines, TKV and its units have prepared and submitted for licensing 7 exploration projects (4 bauxite mines, 3 copper mines in Lao Cai ), and it is expected that in 2025, procedures will be completed for implementation. At the same time, 16 exploration projects to upgrade coal mine reserves have been implemented. This result has made an important contribution to the preparation, application and adjustment of mining licenses for many new mining projects.

However, the process of carrying out exploration and resource development still faces many difficulties, especially problems from the legal system, planning and restructuring of the state management apparatus. Some regulations have not kept up with production reality, causing TKV to not be able to set aside and use concentrated costs for exploration, slowing down the implementation progress. In addition, the overlapping planning of 3 types of forests in Quang Ninh also directly affects many exploration projects. By August 2024, after the Prime Minister approved the National Forestry Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, new problems were gradually resolved, but still required a lot of time for appraisal and approval.

In that context, TKV has issued a plan to implement the development strategy for the period 2025-2030, in which exploration work is identified as the top priority task. The specific goal is to complete procedures and implement 6 coal exploration projects by 2025 (2 licensed projects, 4 projects expected to be licensed); at the same time, implement 7 non-coal mineral exploration projects and 4 reserve research projects. In the period 2026-2030, TKV will implement 12 coal exploration projects and 6 reserve upgrading projects, with the Northeast region alone planning to drill over 508,000 meters. For non-coal minerals, there will be 17 more exploration projects licensed for construction.

In 2025, TKV Geological Joint Stock Company - the main unit in basic investigation and geological exploration work, was assigned a plan to drill 160 holes with a total volume of 57,390 meters. It is expected that by the end of September 2025, the Company will have drilled more than 45,700 meters, of which 125 holes have been completed, 23 holes are under construction and 12 holes have not been deployed. The current focus is on 12 boreholes under the Ha Rang Mine Exploration Project, with a design depth of over 900 meters. This is a project with particularly difficult construction conditions: high mountainous terrain, extreme weather, easily damaged drilling foundations, transportation of equipment and materials faces many obstacles, while the geological strata are complex, many boreholes encounter water jets, soil and rocks are 55-60 degrees steep, expanding clay causes landslides on the borehole walls, posing a potential risk of technical incidents. Faced with these challenges, the Company is prioritizing resources to invest in modern equipment and technology and improve survey and exploration capacity, helping to increase accuracy, shorten time and minimize risks. In addition, the Company will strongly apply modern drilling technology, helping to increase productivity, improve accuracy and safety, especially with drills hundreds of meters deep like in Ha Rang. This is an important preparation step for TKV to maintain national energy security and at the same time develop the coal industry sustainably in the coming period.

On average, TKV exploits 40-42 million tons of coal each year. To maintain this output and ensure national energy security, exploration must always come first, creating a foundation for investment and development of new mining projects. To achieve the goals for the 2025-2030 period, TKV and its member units need to synchronize many solutions. First of all, production units must consider exploration as an important political task, assigning specific responsibilities to each department and each officer in charge. Consulting and geological units need to improve the quality of projects, ensure the scientific nature and reliability of documents before submitting them to the Group and competent authorities. TKV's professional boards must promote their advisory, appraisal and guidance roles, while strengthening inspection and supervision of resource management. TKV will continue to seek support from ministries, branches and localities, especially in the approval of planning and issuance of exploration and exploitation licenses. This close coordination will contribute to removing legal obstacles and shortening project implementation progress.

Pham Tang

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/dinh-huong-va-giai-phap-tham-do-phat-trien-tai-nguyen-cua-tkv-3376337.html