Gevorgyan R. G.
Black-Shale Complexes of Armenia
(Review)
Deficiency of oil and gas at world markets has forced many countries to look for new sources
of energy. The attenetion to solid fuels increased, including oil shale, which stocks are available
in over 80 contries and much higher than the known reserves of liquid hydrocarbons all together.
The use of oil shale as an energy, becomes a practical matter in our view, due to an
atmosphere of brutal energy crisis in the Republc of Armenia, in absence of proven reserves of
mineral fuels. However, in overall the study of the fuel and energy resources of the repblic was
of sporadic, systemless nature and in the present time is in unsatisfactory condition. Especially
that the exsisting premises for espansion of resource base of solide fossil fuels requires further
research, as combustible shales may be a significant part in the energy balance of the Republic of
Armenia. These works will allow to predict the energy that can e produced from oil shales – the
alternative energy sources.
We collected and abstracted almost all materials available for oil shale (data from geology to
the technology of their processing), which reflect the results of geological and laboratory
researches in the thirties and sixties and the nineties of last century on a number of areas of oil
shales deposits in Armenia: Bandivan, Dilijan, Aksuin, Abovyan, Yeghvard, Meghri (NorArevik), etc.
From them Dilijan and Yeghvard-Abovyan deposits are recognized by experts the most
promising. This opinion is also supported y the data of the U.S. Geologucal Survey staff (a group
of experts Brenda C.Pierce, Peter D. Yarvik and Edwin R. Landis, 1993), who visited Armenia
and explored deposits of coal, shale and peat.
More than 16 fairly large deposits of brown coal and shale oil were searched and explored in
Armenia, but due to their low quality, they were all rejected as unpromising for fuel raw
material.
Shale-coal complexes are widespread in Armenia and are presented with terrigenious-coal and
terrigenious-carbonate-coal sediments, by interbedded with thin bundles of brown coal, oil shale,
bi-tuminoz uniform mudstones, sandstones and limestones, shales, less andesites, tuffites, tuff
conglomerates and tuff breccias.
The total capacity of the complexes varies greatly, averaging from 60-120 to 200 m. They are
traced along strike for hundreds of meters, and in some cases, from 2-3 to 5 km.
A modest scale of this work, of course, can not contribute to the rapid and successful resolution
of the energy problems of the country. It is necessary to adopt and implement a large scale to the
new integrated program that would include both research and geological exploration.
According to the results of studies in the United States it is deemed appropriate the processing of
oil shale with a yield of resin is about 6% and above, and the exit gas from the distillation of oil
shale in Armenia: 130-150 m3 / t calorific - 9000 kkal/m3, heat of combustion of oil shale 1200-1800 kcal / kg / Estonian "Cookers" - 3000-3200 kkal/kg, Russia - 1520-3900 kcal / kg,
overseas-1200-2000 kcal / kg. Forecasted reserves of oil shale deposits of Dilijan - 150-200
million tons; the content of sulfur and moisture are low: 0.5% and 1-3%. To solve the energy
crisis in the country it seems appropriate to use such oil shale deposits in Dilijan as a raw
material to produce heat and electricity. And the ash from the combustion of oil shale can be
used later in the cement industry. The combustion of oil shale under the boilers of Thermal
Power Station can be obtained - 130-196 kWh / t and heat - 0.64 - 0.96 Mcal / t.
Another possible direction of oil shale Dilijan, Abovyan-Yeghvard and other fields, in addition
to burning at the TPS, would be their transformation into gas generators in order to obtain the
resources of gas and motor fuel. Taking into account the existing experience in Russia and the
capacity of gas generators, you can expect to process about 5 million tons / year of oil shale with
a calorific value - 9000 kkal/m3 (the norm for domestic gas - kkal/m3 4000), which represents
66-76% of the average supplies to Armenia 3 mln.m3/sutki gas in 1993.
Whereas that the use of oil shale is quite economical in comparison with oil, the question of
economic feasibility of recycling organization Dilijan, Abovyan-Yeghvard and other shale gas
generators require additional study. Nevertheless, by the positive solution of the issue,
Armenian tar shale can be processed in cooperation with the oil at the previously proposed for
construction in Armenia oil refinery with the capacity of 6 million tons / year. Howerver, even
today, it is possible, to argue that the stocks of 150-200 million tonnes of Dilijan, AbovyanYeghvard and other deposits and woth the extent of processing 5 million tons / year, these
resources are sufficient for 30-40 years.
Another more recent version of the application of technology can become an organization of
shale gas directly into the depths of the oil shales of Armenia with the help of special deep
horizontal wells.
In addition, studies of Aloyan P.G.and Aloyan G.P. (2005,2006,2008) showed essentially, that
all known major deposits of coal and oil shale are metal-to in varying degrees, and at first in the
content of precious metals - Au, Ag, Pt and Pd. According to the 200 assay (Au, Ag) and assayatomic absorption analysis their content varies in a wide range and averages: gold-on to 7-8-11,2
1.5-3 g / t silver - from 28-50 to 150-350 g / t platinum group metals (PGM) - from 0.05-0.1 to 1
g / t, and in certain technological samples (weighing 30-35 tons) - to 8-10g / m. By the spectral
analyzes (50 analyzes) in coals and oil shales are founded: Be, Cr, Cu, Ga, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, Pb,
Sc, Sr, V, Zr. The high contents of Ti, Fe and Mo are founded by the chemical analyzes (25
analyzes). The Mo content in Jajur, Dzhermanisa and especially Nor-Arevik coals and shales
constitute 0.04-0.2%, which exceed the Mo content in the ore deposits of such a giant as
Kajaran. Gold and silver are mostly in free form (50%) and in intergrowths with sulfides.
According to mineralogical studies and X-ray analysis the ore minerals are presented with:
pyrite, magnetite, hematite, sphalerite, native copper and iron, chalcopyrite, and non-metallic mostly quartz, carbonates, gypsum, feldspar, sericite. Platinum group metals (PGM) are:
polyxena, kamacite, ferroplatina, kuproplatina and rarein native form. It is characterized by an
isomorphic relationship of the PGM with the iron, which form solid solutions of Pt-Fe-Cu.
Fig 1. A scheme of black shale complex location in Armenia
Conclusions
1. Over the past century, black-shale complexes of Armenia were considered solely as a fuel
feedstock. By the geological prospecting more than 16 large deposits of coal and oil shale were
found and explored. Due to their low quality and calorific value, these objects are evaluated as
"unpromising", though their reserves and resources are enormous. These are Shamut, Antaramut,
Ijevan, Dilijan, Dzhadzhur, Bandivan - in Northern Armenia; Dzhermanis, Vardenis, Abovyan,
Aramus and Yeghvard - in Central Armenia, Nor-Arevik and Sisian in Southern Armenia.
2.
According to P.G.Aloyan’s and G.P.Aloyan’s researches (2005,2006,2008), black-shale
complexes are widespread in Armenia. The total capacity of the complexes varies greatly,
averaging 60-120 m or more. They are traced along the trend for hundreds of meters, and in
some cases - from 2-3 to 5 km. The establishment of the gold-silver-platinum-black shale
(clastic-carbon) complexes of Armenia is of great scientific and applied significance and opens
up new prospects for the region and, above all, to Georgia and Iran.
3. The energy value of these deposits are now estimated to be low, but it can be immeasurably
increased by further, more detailed study of their energy potential, and especially in the
application of modern progressive methods of gasification, such as superadiabatic combustion or
organization directly extracting shale gas from the depths.
4. The most current version of the application of the technology could become an organization of
shale gas directly from oil shale in Armenia with the help of the special deep horizontal wells.
5. The resources of Armenian shale-coal deposit, allow to organize their complex production,
combustion, gasification and refining not only to resolve the energy crisis, but also the additional
extraction from the burning ash precious and rare metals. However, the consideration of various
options for elaorations of coal-shale for energy will require additional geological exploration,as
well as the technological and economic researches.
Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry of the YSU,
Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Professor
Gevorgyan R. G.
Contacts:
(+37410) 57-81-35 office.
(+37407) 77-555-71 mobile.
е-mail: rgev@ysu.am