LookAtVietnam – The Vietnam Coal and Mineral Group will begin experimentally exploiting the Red River Delta coal basin under a decision of the Prime Minister in 2010.

The Red River Delta coal basin has reserves of up to 210 billion tonnes.

According to Vinacomin’s scheme to develop the Red River Delta coal basin, this coal basin has reserves of around 210 billion tonnes, 20 times more than in Quang Ninh, the country’s current coal capital. Up to 90 percent of the delta’s coal is in Thai Binh province.

Scientists are worried that coal exploitation could create depressions in the region. However, Vinacomin said that to prevent depressions, it will add more soil to exploited areas and use modern technology to take coal from deep layers.

Nguyen Thanh Son, director of the Red River Energy Company, a subsidiary of Vinacomin, said that Vinacomin is cooperating with the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and partners in Australia, the US, Japan, China, Poland and Russia to seek suitable mining technology to not cause environmental consequences to the Red River delta. The experimental mining will begin in the dry season of 2010, Son said.

He said the Red River Delta’s soil is spongy so Vinacomin will not use the mining model in Quang Ninh.

“A solution to prevent depressions of the earth is mining coal deep down in the earth. It is 300m in depth in Quang Ninh but in the Red River Delta, it will be 500m or more,” Son added.

Deputy PM Nguyen Sinh Hung said that the government has assigned Vinacomin to research and explore the mine and submit the results to the National Assembly for consideration. The group will research and evaluate economic effectiveness, environmental effects, economic security and cooking security related to the coal mining project.

VietNamNet/VNE