The Carboniferous coal seams in Northeast Kazakhstan remain insufficiently investigated, with a lack of comprehensive mineralogical and geochemical assessments necessary to understand the geological processes controlling coal quality. This study examines 15 coal samples from the Karagandy Coal Formation (KCF) at the Saradyr and Bogatyr mines using proximate and ultimate analyses, FTIR, XRD, SEM–EDS, ED-XRF, and ICP-OES, providing the first detailed comparison of mineralogical and geochemical characteristics—including depositional signals and inorganic constituent distribution—between these mines within the KCF. The coals exhibit an average ash yield of 24.1% on a dry basis, volatile matter of 21.6% on a dry and ash-free basis, and low moisture content of 1.1% (air-dry), with low sulfur levels of 0.7% in whole coal across both mines. Mineralogical composition is dominated by quartz and clay minerals, with minor pyrite, apatite, chalcopyrite, and rutile. Major oxides in the coal ash average 68.2% SiO₂ and 19.5% Al₂O₃, followed by Fe₂O₃, K₂O, and TiO₂ (3–12.1%). Among the 24 identified trace elements, Sm is the most abundant at 6.3 ppm with slight enrichment (CC = 2.8), Lu remains at normal levels (CC < 1), and most other elements are depleted (CC < 0.5). The Al₂O₃/TiO₂ ratios (3.8–10.8) indicate contributions from intermediate to mafic parent materials. The detrital mineralogy, parting compositions, and elevated ash content indicate significant accommodation space development during or shortly after peat accumulation, likely within a vegetated alluvial plain depression. These findings provide new insights into the depositional environment and coal-forming processes of the KCF and contribute to regional assessments of coal quality and resource potential.

Driven by cleaner energy demands, environmental regulations, and technological advances, coal science is rapidly evolving, creating the need to understand its transition and transformation within the global energy research landscape. Building upon earlier national- and topic-specific bibliometric studies, this study presents a comprehensive long-term global bibliometric analysis of coal research (1975–2024), based on 272,370 Web of Science records, applying the Cross-Disciplinary Publication Index (CDPI), the Technology–Economic Linkage Model (TELM), VOSviewer, and Excel to assess research growth, structural shifts, and interdisciplinary integration. Results show that coal research is dominated by articles (74%) with publication output peaking at ~19,500 in 2024, reflecting fluctuations in global coal prices due to energy transition market dynamics. CDPI results highlight Energy & Fuels (0.83), Chemical Engineering (0.80), Environmental Sciences (0.77), Materials Science (0.74), and Geosciences (0.66), showing coal’s central role across technology, environment, and geological research domains and revealing a clear shift toward sustainability-oriented and advanced material applications. China leads output (122,130 publications), with strong contributions from the China University of Mining and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, while the USA, Australia, and Europe maintain strong international collaboration networks. The evolution of coal research can be divided into three major phases: conventional mining, coal preparation, combustion, and coalbed methane commercialization (1975–2004; ~64,000 publications); integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies (2005–2014; ~58,707 publications); and a recent phase dominated by by-product valorization, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), and digital technologies (AI, IoT, ML) (2015–2024; ~146,174 publications). Contemporary coal research spans three interconnected domains: energy supply (≈36% of global electricity generation and ~15 Gt CO₂ emissions), resource and geoscience applications (including large-scale fly ash utilization and critical element recovery), and environmental and health impacts related to greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. The findings demonstrate that coal science is transitioning from a conventional fossil fuel-centered discipline toward an integrated, interdisciplinary energy research field, emphasizing emission reduction, resource efficiency, digitalization, and circular economy applications, thereby extending prior bibliometric studies through unprecedented temporal coverage, global scope, and the combined application of CDPI and TELM frameworks, providing critical insights for future energy strategies and policy development.

(2019). The characteristics and formation of black shale-hosted Bakyrchik-type gold mineralisation. Applied Earth Science: Vol. 128, No. 2, pp. 61-62.

Purpose. To determine the role of structural-tectonic factors in the localization of gold-silver mineralization at the Arkharly deposit, characterize the mineralogical composition of the ores, and substantiate a conceptual model of deposit formation. Methods. The study is based on an integrated analysis of geological exploration materials, geological maps, data on the spatial distribution of faults and orebodies, mineralogical descriptions, and published sources. The structural analysis involved comparing the orientations, morphologies, and spatial relationships of faults, quartz veins, brecciation zones, and zones of vein-disseminated mineralization. Mineralogical data were systematized with consideration of quartz generations, the composition of sulfide assemblages, the modes of occurrence of gold and silver, and hydrothermal and supergene alteration of the rocks. Findings. The principal factor controlling the localization of mineralization is a system of approximately east-west- and northwest-trending oblique-slip faults with normal and strike-slip components formed under a dextral strike-slip regime. Four types of ore zones were distinguished: right- and left-stepping en echelon fracture zones, deformation and ductile shear zones, and extensional fracture zones within subvolcanic rocks. Northwest-trending right-stepping en echelon fracture zones are the most productive. Ore shoots and zones with elevated Au and Ag grades are confined to fault-intersection nodes and segments characterized by changes in vein orientation. The ores comprise several generations of quartz, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, native gold, and silver-bearing phases. The principal economic mineralization is associated with late generations of gray and dark-gray quartz. Based on the combined evidence, the deposit is provisionally classified as a low-sulfidation epithermal system. The proposed model comprises structural preparation of the ore field, early quartz formation, the principal stage of quartz-sulfide mineralization, and supergene redistribution of precious metals. Originality. A conceptual model is proposed that integrates the structural evolution of the volcanic dome, the types of ore-hosting faults, orebody morphology, and the stages of mineralization. The role of repeated fault reactivation in the formation of ore shoots is demonstrated. Practical implications. The obtained results can be used to predict analogous mineralization in South Junggar and other volcano-plutonic belts of Central Asia with similar geological settings. The principal exploration indicators include right-stepping en echelon fracture zones, fault-intersection nodes, brecciation zones, silicification, and hydrothermal alteration of the host rocks.