 Burachyok also started prospecting Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, on which Vladivostok is located, for coal deposits.At the time, the Russian Navy was undergoing a conversion from sailing ships to steam ships, and the Siberian Military Flotilla already had several steamboats.Having coal available in Vladivostok greatly increased the port's significance and eliminated the need to purchase coal from Qing China and Japan.