The relevance of this study is due to the current need to meet energy resources demand. A promising option worth considering is the production of methane gas from unconventional sources, whose reserves significantly exceed those of conventional deposits. Objective: to evaluate gas-bearing sites and justify the principles for rating their prospects based on an analysis of geological and technological factors affecting the process of gas release from coal seams. To achieve this goal, the study examined the Karaganda coal basin as a promising district for methane gas extraction, divided into five sites: Tenteksky, Saransky, Promyshlenny, Sherubainurinsky, Taldykuduksky. The most gas-bearing seams (reservoirs), with depth of occurrence ranging from 420 to 635 m, were studied. As a result of the study, first- and second-level coal seam zones were identified for methane extraction from coal seams. The parameters used to identify these zones were: depth of occurrence, permeability, and desorption of coal in a seam. At a depth of 250–300 m, gas permeability of the seams was recorded within the range of 10–15 millidarcy (mD). It was established that gas permeability decreases with increasing depth, and at a depth of 600–700 m, it amounts to hundredths and thousandths of a millidarcy. To determine the gas content of coal seams, representative samples were taken to characterize the gas content of coal seams from K₂₀ to K₁ across the entire area of the mining allotment under investigation. Sites in fault zones were not considered. They are classified as unrepresentative due to gas losses exceeding 30%. It has been established that the increase in gas content (methane content) in the Karaganda basin follows the ascending branch of a S-shaped curve and is described by the Langmuir equation. Methane resources in all host rocks have been determined based on a minimum methane content of 1 m³/t, and in claystones and siltstones with disseminated coal inclusions, based on a methane content of 4–5 m³/t of rock. At the same time, it has been established that in order to make a rough estimate of the resources, it is necessary to have data on total and effective porosity, water saturation of sandstones, and other factors. For the first time in the Karaganda coal basin, an integrated system for assessment of sites in terms of the potential of methane extraction has been implemented, incorporating more than 10 factors. Unlike previous studies, where assessments were made based on individual characteristics (depth, gas content, permeability), this paper proposes a generalized scoring method that allows for quantitative comparison of sites and prediction of methane production performance. Besides, the study novelty comprises the dependencies of Langmuir coefficients on fusinite content and temperature established in the study, which had not previously been applied to local coals. During the study, first- and second-order zones were identified in terms of methane production prospects; quantitative dependencies of gas content on depth, coal rank (stage of maturation), and petrographic composition were established; sites with the greatest commercial production potential were identified, and a methodology for the criterion-based assessment of sites was developed.

The constrained conditions of deep-pit mining and the rigid technological interdependence between operations on lower and upper horizons significantly complicate the performance of loading and haulage systems and, in particular, hinder the efficient use of large rope shovels. At the same time, due to a limited service life and a sharp decline in reliability after 7–10 years of operation, mobile hydraulic excavators cannot compete with mechanical shovels when excavating hard rock formations. Based on research and industrial experiments, combined solutions have been developed and tested for the use of rope and hydraulic excavators within their respective optimal application areas to improve the efficiency of mining operations. The proposed priority application zone for hydraulic excavators is defined in areas with a planned low concentration of drilling-and-blasting operations, where the utilisation factor of rope shovels is below 0.5, while that of mobile hydraulic excavators – with appropriate geomechanical support – is at least 0.7. At the same time, hydraulic excavators cannot directly compete with large mechanical shovels in the development of hard rock. Therefore, a specialised technology for within-block differentiation of drilling and blasting parameters is proposed to ensure the geomechanical conditions necessary for the effective integration of hydraulic excavators into mining operations.

The completeness of oil recovery under elastic water-drive conditions depends on numerous factors, including the geological structure of the reservoir, the properties of the oil-bearing formations, the interaction between the production zone and the peripheral area, the current reservoir pressure relative to the initial level, and the extent to which the productive horizons are swept by waterflooding throughout their thickness and areal distribution. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the remaining oil reserves in the field and to develop technologies for their efficient recovery. The degree of reserve depletion was assessed through a comprehensive analysis of all available data, enabling the identification of the oil–water contact (OWC) front movement and the current energy state of the reservoir. The assessment of recovery completeness was carried out using the results of field–geophysical surveys, the characteristics of oil-displacement by water, and data from hydrodynamic modelling. Geophysical monitoring was performed for each well individually to track the OWC position and identify water-swept zones of the productive reservoir. The Pulsed Neutron–Neutron Logging (PNNL) method was employed for real-time monitoring of oil–water interface movement during field development. It was established that the remaining recoverable reserves (RRR) account for 32.5% of the initial recoverable reserves (IRR). The current oil recovery factor (ORF) is 0.507. The field is currently at the fourth stage of development, characterized by a high water cut (94.8%) and a low annual oil-production rate (1.71–2.32% of the IRR).

Modern technologies based on numerical simulation and X-ray microtomography provide new opportunities for detailed study of a reservoir pore space and prediction of its filtration properties The paper describes the findings of digital analysis of pore space and filtration characteristics of poorly consolidated sandstones in a pay interval of a gas condensate field located in the northern shelf of the Russian Federation. The study was conducted based on data from X-ray computed microtomography, digital core analysis methods, and numerical simulation. To build digital twins of a core, 3D images of the reservoir rocks were processed and binarized. Calculations of the directional variability of key reservoir properties including open and closed porosity, geodesic tortuosity, and percolation path characteristics were performed, as well as numerical simulation of filtration flow in three orthogonal directions. Special attention was paid to determining the representative elementary volume based on step-by-step averaging of porosity across cubic domains. The results demonstrate a weak but stable anisotropy in the filtration properties of rocks, associated with the directional structure of the pore framework. It has been found that even with similar values of open porosity, the geometry of filtration paths and tortuosity have a significant effect on permeability. The data obtained are of practical importance for geological and hydrodynamic simulations, optimization of horizontal well direction, assessment of sand production risk, and prediction of filtration front stability in offshore field development. The work emphasizes the need for a comprehensive digital approach when assessing the filtration properties of reservoirs in conditions of complex lithology and limited core material.

Mineral extraction exerts a significant impact on the environment, particularly on the hydrological regime of rivers. The placement of tailings storage facilities in river valleys is a common practice in ore processing. Forest stands and river networks in such areas undergo intensive transformation involving large-scale deforestation with removal of the root-inhabited soil layer and alteration of river channels. As a result, the streamflow in the affected sections becomes less abundant. Since the 1970s, active tin ore mining and processing have been carried out in the Silinka River basin of the Khabarovsk Territory. Mining activities have produced technogenic landforms such as tailings storage facilities, open pits, and waste dumps, which pose both ecological and technogenic hazards and act as sources of pollution for groundwater, surface water, soil, vegetation, and the atmosphere. Forest cover is one of the key indicators determining river runoff and can be used to estimate the capitalized value of 1 km² of the study area. Using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), this study assessed the impact of tin ore mining on the Silinka River basin. The results indicate a 25% decrease in the average capitalized value of 1 km² of the study area.

The purpose of the research is to select appropriate agents for regulating the oil receptivity of diamond and kimberlite mineral surfaces in the conditioning of diamond-kimberlite products prior to their beneficiation by froth flotation and X-ray luminescence separation using phosphor-containing modifying agents and collecting agents, the basis of which is apolar collecting agents. The paper presents the results of comprehensive physicochemical studies of the influence of various classes of regulating agents on the attachment of apolar collecting agents on the surface of diamonds and kimberlite minerals (visiometric analysis, measurement of wetting contact angles in a mineral–organic collecting agent–aqueous phase system, measurement of surface tension at the organic collecting agent–aqueous phase–frothless flotation phase boundary). Based on the analysis of the data obtained, effective regulating agents have been identified and selected to ensure the selectivity of diamond beneficiation. Regulating agents belonging to the classes of alkylarylphosphonates (NTPA, OEDPA), aminopolycarboxylic acids (EDTA), cationic polymers (PEG-1500, Neonol AF-9-6), polyphosphates (STPP), bifunctionally modified carboxymethylcellulose derivatives (CMC 75-V and Kamcel-600), mixtures of alkyl phosphates, alkyl phosphonates, and anionic polymers (IS-3), ionogenic and non-ionogenic nitrogen-containing polymers (Emulsifier OP-4, Oxypav A1218.30), amino alcohols (TEA), hydroxy acids (lactic acid), and quaternary ammonium bases (ammonium sulfate) were tested. Talc, pyrite, calcite, muscovite, phlogopite, serpentine, and dolomite were selected as the main minerals of kimberlite prone to adhesion of apolar collecting agents. It has been established that the wetting contact angle is reduced most significantly by the agents Neonol AF-9-6, Emulsifier OP-4, and Oxypav A1218.30 that is associated with a significant decrease in the surface tension of the interface between an organic collecting agent and the aqueous phase. A thermodynamic assessment of the oil receptivity of kimberlite minerals conducted using the Dupré–Young equation and based on measurements of wetting contact angles and surface tension showed that the energy of adhesion of an organic collecting agent on kimberlite minerals with the addition of regulating agents decreases by 2–6 times and reaches values of 6–17 J/m², approaching the adhesion energy of water (5 J/m²). On diamonds, the energy of adhesion of an apolar collecting agent at maximum concentrations decreases only to 17–27.5 J/m² that determines its stable attachment. The results of flotation tests confirmed the depressing ability of the studied regulating agents in relation to the flotation-responsing minerals of kimberlite. Based on the analysis of the data obtained, effective regulating agents have been selected and recommended for testing in industrial froth separation modes, ensuring increased selectivity of apolar collecting agent attachment on the surface of diamonds and kimberlite minerals: NTPA, OEDPA, IS-3, OP-4.

The study focuses on the development of an integrated software solution for the automation of power supply system (PSS) design for industrial enterprises. The relevance of this work arises from systemic issues observed in existing software packages, such as fragmented design processes, the need for repeated manual data transfer between different platforms, dependence on specific manufacturers’ equipment, and the lack of universal component selection tools. The research included a comprehensive analysis of current approaches to PSS design, the development of new automation methods, and the creation of algorithms for calculating electrical loads and selecting equipment. The methodological framework was based on regulatory standards and the principles of modular architecture, implemented in C# with integration into BIM platforms (nanoCAD) and spreadsheet processors (Excel). The key result is the creation of digital software that automates data collection from BIM models, calculation of electrical loads and short-circuit currents, and selection of PSS components. Practical testing on the power supply project of the Kumroch gold processing plant demonstrated an 80% reduction in manual operations, improved calculation accuracy, and independence from specific equipment manufacturers. The developed software solution effectively eliminates the main shortcomings of existing analogues by providing an end-to-end automated design process, which significantly enhances the efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility of design activities in the context of power sector digitalization.