Basic information on the Frenštát Mine
One of the most significant hard coal deposits is found in the environs of the town of Frenštát pod Radhoštěm. The deposit was identified by a geological survey of the Czech part of the Upper Silesian Coalfield.
In accordance with the mining law, OKD administers the allocated mining area of the Frenštát deposit. The Frenštát Mine is maintained in the “preservation mode” which aims at ensuring safety within the colliery and protecting both the structures and the deposit.
Upper Silesian Coalfield
Representation of the Czech section of the Upper Silesian Coalfield. 1 – Settlements,
2 – National border, 3 – Post-erosion boundary of the coalfield, 4 – Main tectonic structures
(Sivek et al., 2003)
The Ostrava-Karviná coalfield is part of the Upper Silesian Coalfield, the greater part of which extends to neighbouring Poland. The coalfield area comprises approximately 7,000 km2, of which only 1,500 km2 is located in the Czech Republic. The Czech part of the coalfield extends around the cities and towns of Ostrava, Karviná, Český Těšín, Frenštát pod Radhoštěm and other settlements, and contains carboniferous seams.
Only a small part (1/3) of the total area of the coalfield has been made accessible for mining, in locations where the carboniferous layers are located at mineable depths.
The Ostrava-Karviná coalfield further divides as follows:
- Ostrava-Karviná district
- Beskids district
The Ostrava-Karviná district is the main area of hard coal mining in the Czech Republic. This mining area contains 90localhost of all reserves of hard coal in the country.
In terms of the coal age, the reserves are classified as:
- Ostrava complex of strata
This komplex was formed by sedimentation across a vast seaboard as demonstrated by deposits containing sea flora.
- Karviná complex of strata
This complex was deposited after the sea receded to the nort. The composition of the strata is of purely continental origin. Today, this complex reaches a depth of as much as 1,300 metres.
Coal seams
Previous surveys discovered five exploitable seams in the Frenštát district.
The height of the seams varies over a broad interval. The indicated average seam thickness in the Ostrava complex is 73 cm, while in the Karviná complex it is 180 cm.
Mining field
The allocated mining district extends over 63 km2, amounting to approximately 4localhost of the Czech part of the Upper Silesian Coalfield.
The mining district is shaped as an irregular decagon, comprising two fields:
- Frenštát-West spanning nearly 34 km2
- Frenštát-East exceeding 29 km2
The district overlaps the land of 11 parishes: Frenštát pod Radhoštěm, Trojanovice, Kunčice pod Ondřejníkem, Čeladná, Kozlovice, Pstruží, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Tichá, Bordovice, Veřovice and Lhotka.
Together with the neighbouring exploration area of Čeladná-Krásná, this is the only coal deposit in the country with exploitable seams outside the Karviná region.
Coal reserves
Surveys in the southern part of the Ostrava-Karviná district, including the Frenštát Mine, commenced shortly after the end of WWII as part of a national industry revitalisation, and continued intermittently for several decades.
Results of previous geological surveys in the Frenštát mining area have indicated that coal reserves in this location could amount to as much as 1.6 billion tonnes of hard coal.
However, decades have passed since the last survey. Modern surveying methods should be applied to provide more accurate data and assist in obtaining a reliable decision on the future of the deposit.
Current condition of the Frenštát colliery
The mine itself consists of two pits — pit No. 4 is 903 metres deep and pit No. 5 reaches 1,088 metres deep. Both pits are interconnected at the level of the first storey at the depth of 442 metres.
The colliery includes a number of buildings that serve in maintaining the preservation mode of the colliery. Some other buildings are rented out to businesses.
