Kolchev K. Criteria for geological and economic evaluation of drained peat deposits of lowland type in Rivne region

Dissertation for the degree of Philosophy Doctor in the field of knowledge 10 – Natural Sciences in the specialty 103 - Earth Sciences (geological sciences). – National Technical University "Dnipro Polytechnic", Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Dnipro, 2025. The restoration of the economy of Ukraine after the Russian military aggression and its further sustainable development are closely related to the availability and effective use of the existing mineral and raw material base. In this context, the rational use of peat resources, due to their physicochemical properties, can significantly contribute to the economic revival of regions. Traditionally, peat and peat-based products have been widely used in the fuel and energy industry and agriculture in Ukraine. Despite the global trend toward a declining share of peat in the energy balance, its use as a local, regional raw material offers a unique opportunity to address a number of issues related to the development of regional economic potential after the end of hostilities. Peat has the potential to ensure regional energy independence and support agricultural development. Lowland peat deposits drained in the 1970s and 1980s should be considered as an underutilized source of regional raw materials. The scientific novelty lies in the integrated approach, which combines the economic feasibility of industrial development of lowland peat deposits drained over 40 years ago and the assessment of identified risks based on a situational paradigm. This approach requires an understanding and development of the influence of time on the assessment of the reserves of drained peat deposits. This should not be considered as a factor in the formation of the physical properties of peat deposits (absolute time), but as a sign of changes in indicators that influence the assessment of reserves (relative time); risks should not be considered as static and isolated phenomena, but analyzed in the context of existing changes in legislative and regulatory documents governing relations in the mining industry and subsoil. At the local level, 5 drained lowland deposits were studied; the drainage period was 40 years. The subject of the study were the quality properties of peat - moisture content, ash content, decomposition degree, yield of air-dried peat with a moisture content of 40% from 1 m³ of raw peat; quantitative parameters of peat - deposit thickness and the amount of reserves at present. For the studied geological objects, the expected technical and economic indicators of industrial development of deposits within the study areas were calculated - net discounted cash flow (NPF), cumulative net cash flow (NCF), return on investment (ROI), internal rate of return (IRR); criteria for the level of sensitivity to changes in the factors of variation of production reserves, production capacity, redistribution of raw materials obtained from the deposit for further use, discount rates were established for the NPF, IRR and IRR indicators; general geological risk; Optimal discount rate for deposit valuation considering geological risks. An analysis of the current risks of developing drained lowland deposits was conducted in the context of existing changes in subsoil use, legal issues, and environmental impact assessments.