ABSTRACT
Over the past century 9.4 billion tons of coal were extracted in Ukraine, that is almost one third of the existing reserves. It is quite natural that layers with the most favorable conditions were processed. Almost all reserves of hard coal in Donetsk and greatly in Lugans’k regions were fully extracted; extraction of scarce crozzling coal was also reduced. For this reason the quality of extracted coal will change for the worse in the nearest future. However, the main problem is still mine pool condition. The mines will be more aged and in 20–30 years they will turn into quite complicated enterprises, with low efficiency and more difficult working conditions. Donbass is greatly loosing its potentials (Pivnyak 2004).
