RESEARCH ON MINERAL COAL IN VENEZUELA - Q UALITY, USE AND FUTURE PROJECTION

In this paper three fundamental features have been developed concernin g Venezuelan? mineral carbon. first its main physico-chemical characte ristics, petrographic and rheological; then,a survey of research progr ams carried out in connection with Venezuelan carbons during the last twenty years, and finally, some views and opinions on the suggested fu ture of carbon in Venezuela approached from the scientific and technol ogical angles. The proven reserves of Venezuelan carbon for 1990 amoun ted to 693 million MT (metric tons). An 83% of these is located in the carboniferous Basin of El Guasare. The mineral extracted from these d eposits as well as that studied in other Venezuelan beds is a bitumino us carbon, highly volatile and with a good energetical yield and low c oncentration of ashes and sulphur. This last element limits the commer cial utilization of an important portion of Venezuelan deposits for ex ample, those of Fila Maestra, Naricual, Tagay and Pedregal. It is beli eved however, that by means of specific exploitation methods this situ ation could be reversed or at least improved. The mineralogical examin ation of the ashes in Venezuelan carbons and its maceral distribution through organic petrography made it possible to determine parameters w hich distinguish the Paleocene carbons from younger ones throughout th e country. This fact, explained by the existence of different tectonic patterns during the epoch of the formation of the carbon beds, may ha ve valuable applications in the geochemical exploration of the mineral . An important percentage of the rer search activity carried out in re cent years has been centered on the process of coke production via car bonization in an inert atmosphere as well as on determining the charac teristics of its sub-products, pitches and tars. Other fields in which rh; national researchers showed an interest in was liquification, gas ification, the obtainment of activated carbon and carbon fibers. The u se of national carbon as an additive to the drilling muds and the geoc hemical studies concerning its meteorization, exploration, the paleolo gical deposit formation systems and the attainment of petroleum from t his mineral have also given due attention during this period. Some new carbon research fields are suggested concerning the obtainment of man ometers for the new materials, namely the so-called engineering plasti cs as well as carbon fibers and activated carbons with catalytical pro perties. Carbon suspensions in water or oil, natural gas trapped in ca rboniferous beds, bricks obtained from oxidized carbon humic acids and biodesulphurization should also deserve attention in the next years. A change in the Venezuelan politics oriented towards the investment of a small portion of the foreign currency originated by the sale of min eral carbon in research and development activities concerning Venezuel an carbon, may result in one of the most productive investments ever m ade within sight of the 21st century.