WINNING & WORKINGS [DESCRIPTION OF INDIAN COALFIELDS]

DESCRIPTION OF
INDIAN
COALFIELDS
By

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 DESCRIPTION OF INDIAN
COALFIELDS]

Introduction

Coal is “ Black Diamond” in more sense than one! Coal is the main source of energy
not only in our country but also for most of the countries of the world. The energy
requirement of India is increasing every year and to meet this demand the country
has to depend to a large extent on coal. At present more than 60% of the total
commercial energy requirement is met from the coal.

The word coal is a very common term. It was formerly written as “Cole” and could be
traced to the Sanskrit root “Kala” which means black. According to Stopes and
Wheeler (1918), “ordinary coal is a compact, stratified mass of mummified plants
which have in part suffered arrested decay to varying degrees of completeness.”
Arber (1918) has defined coal, as a solid, stratified rock, composed mainly of
hydrocarbons and capable of being used as a fuel to supply heat or light or both.

Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by

underground mining or open-pit mining (surface
mining). It is a readily combustible black or
brownish-black sedimentary rock.It is composed primarily of
carbon along with assorted other elements,
including sulfur. Often associated with the
Industrial Revolution, coal remains an enormously
important fuel and is the largest single source of
electricity worldwide .
COMPOSITION OF COAL
Carbon forms more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume
of coal (this includes inherent moisture). This is dependent on coal rank , with higher
rank coals containing less hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, until 95% purity of carbon
is achieved at Anthracite rank and above. Graphite formed from coal is the end-
product of the thermal and diagenetic conversion of plant matter (50% by volume of
water) into pure carbon.

Coal usually contains a considerable amount of incidental moisture, which is the water
trapped within the coal in between the coal particles. Lignite and other low-rank coals
still contain a considerable amount of water and other volatile components trapped
within the particles of the coal, known as its macerals. This is present either within
the coal particles, or as hydrogen and oxygen atoms within the molecules.

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 DESCRIPTION OF INDIAN COALFIELDS

Other constituents of coals include mineral matter, usually as silicate minerals such as
clays, illite, kaolinite and so forth, as well as carbonate minerals like siderite, calcite
and aragonite. Iron sulfide minerals such as pyrite are common constituents of coals.
Sulfate minerals are also found, as is some form of salt, trace amounts of metals,
notably iron, uranium and cadmium, and rarely gold.

Methane gas is another component of coal, produced not from bacterial means but
from methanogenesis. Methane in coal is dangerous as it can cause coal seam
explosions especially in underground mines, and may cause the coal to spontaneously
combust. It is, however, a valuable by-product of some coal mining, serving as a
significant source of natural gas .

TYPES OF COAL
Depending on the origin, coals have been grouped in to (a) Sapropelic coal, and (b)
Humic coals.

(a) Sapropelic Coal:

Sapropelic coals are formed by putrefaction process. These coals are essentially non-
banded in character and are rich in resins, waxes or fats and therefore richer in
hydrogen than the humic coals. They are usually lenticular in shape, local in extent
and occur at the top of a coal bed. Two types of Sapropelic coals have been
recognized: (i) Boghead (Torbanite) (ii) Cannel.

(b) Humic Coal:

Unlike Sapropelic coals the humic coals are banded in character and the constituent
bands are distinct in their physical appearance. Humic coals have a series of rank
starting from wood-peat-lignite-bituminous coal to anthracite. In humic coals, the
remains of wood and bark predominate.

Over the time, geological processes apply pressure to peat , which is transformed
successively into the following ranks:

Lignite - also referred to as brown coal, is the lowest rank of coal and used almost
exclusively as fuel for steam-electric power generation. Jet is a compact form of
lignite that is sometimes polished and has been used as an ornamental stone since
the Iron Age .

Sub-bituminous coal - whose properties range from those of lignite to those of

bituminous coal and are used primarily as fuel for steam-electric power generation.

Bituminous coal - a dense coal, usually black, sometimes dark brown, often with
well-defined bands of bright and dull material, used primarily as fuel in steam-electric
power generation, with substantial quantities also used for heat and power
applications in manufacturing and to make coke .

Anthracite - the highest rank, used primarily for residential and commercial space
heating.

(c) Unusual coal types:

These coal types include paper coal and colored coal. Paper coal look like accumulated

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sheets of soiled light brown semitransparent papers. These coals consist almost
entirely of cuticles (outerskins of plants). The coals being carboniferous in age are of
lignite rank. Humic coals may show bright variegated colors like peacock, a mixture of
blue, green yellow or red. Miners call this as Peacock coal.

ORIGIN OF COAL
Coal is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically
altered, and metamorphosed by heat and pressure over geologic time.

Coal was formed in swamp ecosystems which persisted in lowland sedimentary

basins. These swamp environments were formed during slow subsidence of passive
continental margins, and most seem to have formed adjacent to estuarine and marine
sediments suggesting that they may have been in tidal delta environments.

When plants die in these peat swamp environments, their biomass is deposited in
anaerobic aquatic environments where low oxygen levels prevent their complete
decay by bacteria and oxidation. For masses of undecayed organic matter to be
preserved and to form economically valuable coal the environment must remain
steady for prolonged periods of time, and the waters feeding these peat swamps must
remain essentially free of sediment. This requires minimal erosion in the uplands of
the rivers which feed the coal swamps, and efficient trapping of the sediments.

Eventually, and usually due to the initial onset of orogeny or other tectonic events,
the coal forming environment ceases.In the majority of cases this is abrupt, with the
majority of coal seams having a knife-sharp upper contact with the overlying
sediments. This suggests that the onset of further sedimentation quickly destroys
the peat swamp ecosystem and replaces it with meandering stream and river
environments during ongoing subsidence.

Burial by sedimentary loading on top of the peat swamp converts the organic matter
to coal by the following processes;

• compaction, due to loading of the sediments on the coal which flattens the
organic matter
• removal of the water held within the peat in between the plant fragments
• with ongoing compaction, removal of water from the inter-cellular structure of
fossilised plants
• with heat and compaction, removal of molecular water
• methanogenesis; similar to treating wood in a pressure cooker, methane is
produced, which removes hydrogen and some carbon, and some further
oxygen (as water)
• dehydrogenation, which removes hydroxyl groups from the cellulose and other
plant molecules, resulting in the production of hydrogen-reduced coals

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Generally, to form a coal seam 1 metre thick,
between 10 and 30 metres of peat is required.
Peat has a moisture content of up to 90%, so
loss of water is of prime importance in the
conversion of peat into lignite, the lowest rank
of coal. Lignite is then converted by
dehydrogenation and methanogenesis to sub-
bituminous coal. Further dehydrogenation
reactions, removing progressively more
methane and higher hydrocarbon gases such as
ethane, propane, etcetera, create bituminous
coal and, when this process is complete at sub-
metamorphic conditions, anthracite and
graphite are formed.

The greatest coal-forming time in geologic

history was during the Carboniferous era (280
to 345 million years ago). Further large deposits
of coal are found in the Permian, with lesser but
still significant Triassic and Jurassic deposits,
and minor Cretaceous and younger deposits of
lignite.

A speculative inorganic process was proposed

by Thomas Gold in his book The Deep Hot
Biosphere: The Myth of Fossil Fuels. He
proposes that black coal is continually created
from the condensates of magma under the
Earth's crust. This highly speculative hypothesis
makes a distinction between brown and black
coal, and upholds that brown coal is formed by
the classical organic process.

RESERVES OF COAL (As on 1.1.2004)

The present updated total coal resources of the country as per the latest national
inventory as on 1.1.2004 is 2,45,692.42 million tonnes for coal seams of 0.9m and
above in thickness and upto 1200m depth from surface. The inventory is based on
sub-surface data accrued from regional (including promotional) and detailed drilling
carried out by GSI, CMPDI, SCCL and MECL. Out of the total resources, Gondwana
coalfields contribute 2,44,785.47 million tonnes while the Tertiary coalfields account
906.95 million tonnes. Bulk of augmentation comes from Talcher Coalfield (1,783.34
Mt), the other coalfields that contribute to the enhancement are Rajmahal (683.64
Mt), Mand-Raigarh (545.79 Mt), Shohagpur (342.41Mt), Godavari (109.39 Mt),
Tatapani-Ramkola (109.27 Mt), Ib-River (100.79), Birbhum (90 Mt), Korba (72.50
Mt), Raniganj (51.93 Mt) and South Karanpura (12.58 Mt). The updated ‘Proved'
resources are 91,630.73 Mt and updated ‘Indicated' and ‘Inferred' resources of the
country stand at 1,16,173.75 Mt and 37,887.94 Mt respectively. State-wise
distribution of Indian coals shows that Jharkhand tops the list with 71.8 Bt followed by
Orissa (60.9 Bt), Chhattisgarh (39.5 Bt), West Bengal (27.4 Bt) and the rest.

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A glimpse at the coalfield-wise distribution of Indian coal resource suggests that
nearly 42.7% of total resource of the country is shared by four coalfields – Talcher
(38.65 Bt), Raniganj (25 Bt), Ib-River (22.3 Bt) and Jharia (19.4 Bt Out of the total
coking coal resource of 32,073.32 Mt, the prime, medium and semi-coking types are
5,313.06 Mt, 25,053.13 Mt and 1,707.13 Mt respectively. Jharkhand (28.7 Bt) is
practically the lone contributor of coking coal with minor resources from Madhya
Pradesh (2.18 Bt), West Bengal (1.02 Bt) and Chhattisgarh (0.17 Bt).

The depth-wise breakup of the total resource reveals that about 65.6% of coal
resource are confined within 0-300m depth level in which maximum share comes
from Orissa (43.9 Bt), followed by Jharkhand (36.1 Bt) excluding Jharia coalfield,
Chhattisgarh (31.4 Bt), West Bengal (12.3 Bt) and others. The superior quality non-
coking Gondwana coal (belonging to Grades A, B and C) amounts to 30,677.81 Mt.
The resource of intermediate quality (Grade D) stands at 31,680.38 Mt while resource
of inferior quality (Grades E, F and G) coal is 1,14,945.41 Mt. Distribution of the
superior quality non-coking coal depicts that Raniganj coalfield (10.2 Bt) is the major
contributor (way ahead of other coalfields). The power grade coal at shallow depth
(upto 300m) in the country are mainly available from Talcher, Ib-River, Mand-
Raigarh, North Karanpura, Rajmahal, Korba, Godavari, Singrauli coalfields. (Coal
Resources of India , Coal Wing, Geological Survey of India , Kolkata)

OCCURRENCE OF COAL IN INDIA

(i) Introduction

Coal deposits in India are

of two distinct geological
ages. The earliest coal
deposits are of Permian
age formed about 270
million years ago. At that
time South Africa , South
America , Antarctica ,
Australia , India and
Madagascar formed a
landmass called
Gondwanaland. Coal
formed in Gondwanaland
are known
as Gondwana Coal .
Other deposits of Tertiary
age (30-60 million years)
have been formed
comparatively recently.
These are known
as Tertiary Coal .

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 THE CONTINENT OF GONDWANA

Gondwana or
Gondwanaland was a
composite continent
made up of South
America , Africa ,
Antarctica , India , and
Australia ,
and even at one time
included Florida and part
of southwest Europe.
Gondwanaland is named
after the Upper Paleozoic
and Mesozoic formations
of the Gondwana district
of central India , which
display a number of
shared geologic features,
the "Gondwana beds". On
comparative geological
evidence, that the
continents of Africa ,
South America , Australia
and India were once part
of a single
supercontinent, which he
called "Gondwanaland".
Science tells us that the Continents of Australia, India , South
America , Africa , and Antarctica , existed together as a
separate landmass as long as 650 million years ago. And as
these continents only began to break up some 130 million
years ago, this great supercontinent had a life of around 520
million years; making it perhaps the most important
geological structure of the last billion years.

A Long Time Ago

At the end of the Jurassic Age Gondwanaland began to break
up and, during the Tertiary Age approximately 20 million
years ago, Antarctica completely broke away from South
America. Due to its isolation, an ocean current formed
around the continent, fed by conductive motions caused by
water masses of different temperatures, favored by cyclonic
type atmospheric circulation, and influenced by the Earth's
rotation . The breaking up of Gondwanaland, the dispersion
of the various continental blocks, the drifting of the Antarctic
continent towards polar latitudes and its isolation, are all
relatively

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recent events by the scale of geological time.

Up until the Jurassic Age 140 million years ago, Antarctica

formed part of the supercontinent of Gondwanaland, In the
Jurassic Age 140 million years ago, Antarctica formed part of
the supercontinent of Gondwanaland, which also included
Africa , Arabia , India , Ceylon , Australia , New Zealand and
South America , and occupied temperate latitudes.

Modern day landmasses were created from the break

up of the ancient
super continent of Gondwanaland, some 130 million
years ago

(ii) Geological Distribution of Coalfields of India

The geological distribution of Indian coalfields is shown in
Table below
Geological
Coalfields Locations
horizons
Early Lignites in the Kashmir
Tertiary Pleistocene to Valley-Nichahom lignite
Coalfields Upper Pliocene
Miocene Lignites of South Arcot ,
Tamilnadu and of Kerala
Oligocene to Jaipur, Nazira and Makum
Upper Eocene coalfields of Assam ;
Namchick and Namphuk
coalfields of Arunachal
Pradesh.
Middle Eocene Lignites of Palana,
Rajasthan; and Kutch
Lower Eocene Coals of Darranggiri,
Upper Rongrenggiri in the Garo
Gondwana Hills; Cherapunji, Mawlong
Coalfields and Shilong in Meghalaya,
Mikir Hills in Upper Assam,
and Coals of Jammu
coalfields– Kalkot, Metka,
Mahogala, Chakar Dhanwal

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 Sawalkot-Lodhra, Kura and
Chinkah
Lower Upper Jurassic Chikiala and Kota in the
Gondwana Kota Stage in Maharashtra
Coalfields ; Satpura region in
Jabalpur Stage, Madhya
Pradesh; Ghuneri in Kutch
below the Umia Stage
Upper Permian Raniganj, Jharia, Bokaro
and Karanpura coalfields of
the Damodar valley in
West Bengal and Bihar
Lower Permian All Lower Gondwana
coalfields of the Indian
Peninsula, including
Damodar Valley, Mahanadi
Valley, Brahmani Valley,
Son Valley, Pench-Kanhan
Valley, Pranhita - Godavari
Valley and Wardha Valley,
coalfields of Himalayas;
Darjeeling district of W.
Bengal; Ranjit Valley of
Sikkim; Abur, Daphla and
Aka hills of Arunchal
Pradesh

(iii) State wise Distribution of Coalfields

The State wise distribution of coalfields in India is given in
Table below
State Coalfields
A. GONDWANA
COALFIELDS
1. Raniganj Coalfield
1. West Bengal (East of Barkar)
2. Barjora Coalfield
3. Domra Panagarh
basin
4. Deocha basin
5. Darjeeling Coalfield
2. Jharkhand & Bihar
1. Raniganj (West of
Barkar)
2. Jharia
3. East Bokaro
4. West Bokaro
5. Ramgarh
6. North Karanpura
7. South Karanpura

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 8. Auranga
9. Hutar
10. Daltonganj
11. Deogarh
3. Chhattisgarh & Madhya 12. Rajmahal
Pradesh
1. Central Indian
Coalfields- Singrauli,
Sohagpur, Umaria,
Johilla etc.
2. Satpura Coalfields-
Mohpani,Pathakhera
, Kanhan Valley ,
Pench Valley etc.
3. North Chhattisgarh
Coalfields- Tatapani
Ramkola, Jhilmilli,
4. Maharashtra
Sonhat, Chirimiri,
Kurasia, Bisrampur,
etc.
4. South Chhattisgarh
Coalfields- Hasdo-
Rampur or Arand,
5.Andhra Pradesh Korba, Mand-
Raigarh etc.

6. Orissa 1. Nagpur Region

Coalfields-
7. Uttar Pradesh Kamptee, Bokhara ,
Umrer.
8. North-eastern States 2. Wardha Valley
Coalfields- Bhandar,
9. Sikkim Warora, Rajur-wun,
Chandrapur,
10.Upper Gondwana Fields Balalarpur,
of Gujarat Wamanpalli etc.

1. Pranhita-Godawari
B. TERTIARY Valley Coalfields-
COALFIELDS Tandur, North
Godavari , South
North-East Region Godavri , Chinnur-
Sendrapalli,
1. Arunachal Pradesh Bandala, Kannegiri,
Beddadanuru etc.
2. Assam

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 - Talcher, Ib River
3. Meghalaya
- Kota , Part of Singrauli

- Abor, Aka and Daphla

4. Jammu & Kashmir hills coalfields, Singrimari

- Ranjit Valley
C. LIGNITE FIELDS
- Ghuneri, Surendranagar
1. Tamilnadu

2. Rajasthan

3. Gujarat

4. Kerala - Namchik-Namphuk

5. Jammu& Kashmir - Dayang Valley , Disai

Valley , Dikhau Valley
6. Other States (Nazira), Saffrai Valley ,
Makum, Mikir hills etc.

- Khasi &Jaintia Hills-

Mawbehlarkar,
Mawsynram, Mawlong,
Cherrapunjee-Laitryngrew
Pynursala, Lakadong Garo
hills West Darranggiri etc.

- Chakkar, Kura , Kalakot

etc.

- Cuddalore-Pondicherry,
Tanjavour and Trichirapallli
regions
- Barmer, Bikaner and
Nagaur

- Kutch , Bhavnagar ,
Surat and Bharuch region

- Quilon, Trivendrum and

Kannanore region

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 - Kupwara region

- Karnataka, Maharashtra ,
West Bengal and Assam .

I. GEOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF COALFIELDS OF

INDIA

(I) Gondwana coals

In India 99% of our coal production comes from the Gondwana coals which are found in
three geological units:

Raniganj Formation Upper Permian

Barkar Formation
Lower Permian
Karharbari Formation

Karharbari Formation is the oldest formation in India where coal has been found. The
Gondwana coals of Permian times are mainly found in the Peninsular Gondwana basins
of India .

(a) COALFIELDS OF WEST BENGAL

RANIGANJ COALFIELD
In west Bengal Raniganj coalfield is the important coalfield. This coalfield is the
easternmost of the Damodar Valley Coalfields. The coalfields lie mostly in the West
Bengal and partly (western portion) in Bihar . Next to Jharia coalfields, this is the most
important coalfield in India . It is situated about 185 km north-west of Calcutta . The
field is named after the town Raniganj which is situated in the south-eastern part of this
field. The coalfield is surrounded by the Archean rocks on all sides except in the east.
Coal bearing Gondwana strata lie beneath the alluvium cover.

Coals of the Barkar Measures are low in moisture (1-3%), low in volatile matter (20-
30%)whereas coals of Raniganj Measures are high in moisture (3-10%) and high in
volatile matter (30-36%).

Other coalfields found in West Bengal are Barjora coalfield, Birbhum coalfield and
Darjeeling coalfield.

(B) COALFIELDS OF JHRKAHND AND BIHAR

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About one-third of the estimated coal reserves are distributed in the coalfields of
Jharkhand and Bihar . Important coalfields of this state are Jharia, Bokaro, Giridih,
Karanpura, Ramgarh, Daltonganj, Auranga and Hutar. Part of the Raniganj coalfield of
West Bengal falls in this state. Coalfields of the Damodar valley are the chief source of
metallurgical coal in the country and most of the iron and steel plants get coking coal
from these fields. Relative significance has declined drastically from 47 per cent of total
coal production of the country in 1970 to 26 percent in 1998-99. Consequently, it has
come to second place among the coal producing states.

1. Damodar Valley Coalfields:

1. JHARIA COALFIELD

Jharia coalfield is the most important coalfield in India . This is because this
coalfield is now the sole is the prime depository of prime cocking coal. This
coalfield is situated about 260 km northwest of Calcutta in the heart of
Damodar Valley mainly along the north of this river. The coalfield lies within
the district of Dhanbad. .The field is roughly sickle shaped. The coal basin
extends for about 38 km in an east-west direction and a maximum of 18 km in
north-south direction and covers an area of about 456 sq. km.
The general stratigraphic succession of the area is that the basement
metamorphic rocks are overlain by the Talchir formation followed by the
Barkar Formation which is the main coal bearing horizon. Above it comes the
Barren Measures which is followed by the coal-bearing Raniganj Formation.
The Raniganj Formation is the uppermost coal bearing formation in the Jharia
coalfield. The coals of the Barkar Formation may be divided in to (i) low
volatile coals containing upto 26% volatiles (ii) medium volatile coals
containing 26-28% volatiles (iii) high volatile coals containing over 28%
volatiles. The coals of the Raniganj Formation have slightly higher moisture
content than the coals of Barkar Formation.

2. BOKARO COALFIELD

This coalfield is in the form of a long narrow strip extending for about 64 km in
an east-west direction with a maximum width of about 11 km in the north-
south direction. The Barkar Formation is the chief coal bearing horizon. This
field is divided in to two parts by Lugu Hills- East Bokaro and West Bokaro .

• East Bokaro coalfield: There are several coal seams with in the Barkar
Formation. Lower coal seams are grouped as Karo Group in which there
are 11 coal seams. Out of these seams Karo Lower Measures (19-64m)
and Karo Upper Measures (8-16m) are worth mentioning. The moisture
content of this coal is low and the coals are medium quality cocking
coals.
• West Bokaro coalfield: The Barkar Formation is coal bearing and
embodies 13 seams. The quality of the coal varies widely in this field. In
most of the seams the ash content is high- greater than 25%. Most of
the coals are medium cocking coals.

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 3. KARANPURA COALFIELD

Just to the west of Bokaro coalfield lies the Karanpura coalfield. This coalfield is
divided in to two parts – North Karanpura and South Karanpura . In Karanpura
coalfield there is full development of Lower Gondwana and the younger rocks.
In the North Karanpura a number of coal seams occur. The ash content of
these coal seams is high. In South Karanpura there is good development of
Talchir and Barkar Formation. Most of the coals of this area are non-coking.

(ii) North Koel Valley Coalfields:

There are three coalfields – Auranga, Hutar and Daltonganj in the valley of Koel river, a
tributary to Son river. The Auranga and Hutar coalfields are in the same alignment with
those of Damodar Valley while Daltonganj coalfield is somewhat north of axial line.
Hutar and Daltonganj coalfields are of economic importance. In Hutar coalfield coal
seams occur in Lower Barkar . A number of coal seams have been reported. The coals
are low in volatile matter (12.6%) and ash content (17.67%).

(iii) Deogarh Coalfields:

The Deogarh group of coalfields comprises three isolated Lower Gondwana sedimentary
basins such as Jainti, Sahrjuri and Kundit Kuraiha. These basins forms a NW-SE
trending belt and are located in the Santhal Pargana districts of Bihar . The coal seams
are reported to occur in the Karharbari as well as Barkar Formation. The coals are high
in ash and range in rank from Sub-bituminous B to high volatile bituminous B.

(iv) Rajmahal Coalfields:

The coalfields of this area are assuming importance lately. The unique location of the
coalfields at the southern bank of the Ganges offers a good possibility of supplying
coals to major power stations of North Bihar , North Bengal and Bangladesh . Based on
the coal of this region, a Super Thermal Power Station has been built at Farakka. There
are five coalfields in this area. Coals of this region are sub-bituminous to high volatile
bituminous in rank.

(v) Hazaribagh Coalfields:

Girdih or Karharbari coalfield is the most important coalfield amongst the Hazaribagh
group of coalfields. Some of the best coking coals were extracted from this coalfield.
Besides, Girdih coalfield is the type area of Karharbari Formation. The coal from the
seams are low in moisture (1.40-1.80%), low in ash (9-12.6%), low in volatile, low in
sulphur (0.5%) and phosphorous (0.01%).

(c) COALFIELDS OF CHHATTISGARH AND MADHYAPRADESH

About one-fifth of the estimated reserves of the country are located in coalfields of
these states. Coalfields of these states are traditionally put into four groups: (a) Central
Indian coalfields (Singrauli, Sohagpur, Umaria, and Johilla), (b) Satpura coalfields
(Pench, Kanhan and Pathakhera), (c) North Chhattisgarh coalfields (Chirimiri, Kurasia,
Bisrampur, Jhilimili, Sonhat, Sendurgarh, Tatapani-Ramkola), and (d) South
Chhattisgarh coalfields (Hasdo- Arand, Korba, Mand-Raigarh). Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh produced 29.2 per cent of total production in India .

(i) Central Indian coalfields:

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 1.SINGRAULI COALFIELD
This field is situated mostly on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. While
most of the field is in M..P. a part of it is situated in the Mirzapur district of U.P. In this
coalfield coals have been found in Barkar and Raniganj Formation, there are four coal
seams. These coals are useful for thermal power generation.

2. SOHAGPUR COALFIELD
Sohagpur is another important coalfield in the Son Valley . Barmni-Chilpa fault trending
east-west has divided this field in two parts. .In the southern part of the fault there are
5 coal seams within the Barkar Formation. The coal contains 4 -7 %moisture and 20-27
% ash. The coals on the north of this fault are characteristically different from the coals
occurring south of the fault. Coking coals have been found in the north of the fault.

3. UMARIA COALFIELD
This coalfield is situated on the Umrer river a tributary of the Son river. The Lower
Gondwana rocks are well developed in this coalfield. Six coal seams have been found in
this field. The coals are relatively high in moisture (7-10%) and high in ash (18.6-
29.4%).

4. JOHILLA COALFIELD
This coalfield is situated in the Valley of Johilla River. In this field, Talchirs, Barkars and
beds of Raniganj age are developed. Johilla seam is the most important seam in the
northern area. The seam has a high moisture (10.8%), ash (17.9%) and volatile matter
content (31.7%).

(ii) Satpura Coalfields:

Satpura coalfields lie within the Pench-Kanhan-Tawa valley, south of Narmada river,
known as Satpura Gondwana Basin . In this region, Gondwana lie in a syncline trending
ENE to WSW. Important coalfields in this region are:

1. MOHPANI COALFIELD
This coalfield is one of the country's oldest coal-bearing areas. It is situated in the west
of Mohpani. In this coalfield, Talchir and Barkar Formations are overlain by the Upper
Gondwana rocks of Bagra Formation (Mahadeva Group) and Jabalpur Formation. The
coal seams in this area are weakly coking with moisture content ranging from 4 to 6%.

2. PATHAKHERA COALFIELD
This is an important coalfield in the Tawa valley. In the vicinity of Pathakhera three coal
seams have been encountered by boring. The top seam is of poor quality and the other
seams are comparatively better in quality.

3. KANHAN VALLEY COALFIELD

There are the most important coalfields of Satpura region. Coals of Kanhan valley are
characteristically coking particularly in Damua, Kalichhapar and Rahikol collieries. The
area is covered by Barkars. The area is intersected by number of faults. The coal in this
region generally is of low moisture and ash content and is of coking quality.

4. PENCH VALLEY COALFIELD

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This area is situated in the north-west of Chindwara and lies in the east of Kanhan
valley coalfields. The rocks of Barkar Formation are exposed in the area. Important coal
seams are exposed in Gajandoh area, Barkuhi area, Chandamata - Dongar Chikhli area
etc.

(iii) North Chhattisgarh Coalfields:

1. TATAPANI RAMKOLA COALFIELD
This coalfield is located in the Surguja District of Chhattisgarh and covers an area of
about 260 sq.km.. It consists of two separate areas – the eastern and western. The
eastern portion is called Tatapani area where 5 coal seams occur in the Barkar
Formation. The coals in the area are non-coking with low ash content. The western part
or Ramkola area is separated from eastern part by a patch of Upper Gondwana rocks
called the Rajkhatra tract. There are 5 coal seams in the Barkar Formation. The ash
content varies between 17 and 34%.

2. JHILIMILI COALFIELD
This village is situated around village Jhilimili. The Lower Gondwana is represented by
Talchir and Barkar rocks. The Talchir rocks are exposed towards the south of the field.
Barkar rocks, consisting of sandstone, shale and coal seams mainly occupy the northern
area. The coalfield may be divided in to three areas: (i) Northern area; (ii) Central
area; (iii) Southern area. In the Southern area good exposures of coals have been
noted from several parts Out of which Manikmara is important.

3. SONHAT COALFIELD
This coalfield lies west of the Jhilimili coalfield forming the eastern extension of
Sohagpur coalfield. The Barkar rocks which occupy the Sonhat plateau have been
broadly divided in to three divisions. The lower division consists of more than 15 coal
seams. The middle division is devoid of coal seams. In the Upper division although
Barkar strata is of considerable thickness in the field, the number of coal seams and
their thickness is poor.

4. CHIRIMIRI AREA
Three seams of the Karakot horizon are the most important seams in this area. The
composite seam is being worked in the collieries of Chirimiri, New Pouri (New Chirimiri)
and Kurasia.

5. KURASIA AREA
In the eastern sector drilling has proved the existence of workable coal horizon in this
area. These are: Duman seam; Kaperti seam; Shorgela seam; and Kotmi seam.

6. BISRAMPUR COALFIELD
This coalfield covers an area of about 1036 sq.km. Coal bearing Barkar rocks are
developed to a thickness of about 150 metres. Several coal seams have been reported
from different localities. In the south-western part of the field detailed prospecting
conducted by Indian Bureau of Mines has indicated more than one horizon of coal.
Pasang seam is the thickest seam in the horizon. The coal is of non- coking type in this
seam.

(iv) South Chhattisgarh Coalfields:

1.HASDO – RAMPUR OR ARAND (SURGUJA) COALFIELD

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This coalfield extends from Rampur and Paharbula Lappas in Arand valley to Hasdo
river in Bilaspur district. This coalfield is divided in to four parts:

• The eastern or Rampur section in Rer (Arand) valley

• North central (Paharbula) area
• South Central (Uprora) area
• Western (or Mation) area beyond the Gej and Hasdo rivers

The quality of coal in this field varies widely. The contents of moisture varies from 1.56
to 7.40% and ash from 11.26 to 25%.

2. KORBA COALFIELD
Korba coalfield is located in Korba district of Chhattisgarh and covers an area of about
530 Sq.Km. The coalfield is named after the village Korba on the eastern bank of the
Hasdo river which is tributary of the Mahanadi river. The Barkar Formation is the coal
bearing measures. As per GSI a total of 10075 Mt. coal reserves available in Korba
coalfield. The deposits are restricted into two distinct zones:

1. Thick seam/qurriable power grade zone comprising of grade E, F, & G having

reserves of approx. 9068 Mt.
2. Thin seam /underground superior grade zone comprising of grade B to D having
reserves of approx.1007 Mt.

3. MAND-RAIGARH COALFIELDS
These coalfields are situated in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh and covers an area of
about 520 sq. km. This coalfield comprising of grades A to G and having reserves of
18522.93 Mt. Here large potential for power grade coal are present and may be
exploited through open-cast mining.

(e) COALFIELDS OF MAHARASHTRA

(i) Coalfields of Nagpur region:

1. KAMPTEE COALFIELD
This coalfield is situated about 19 km NNE of Nagpur. This coalfield can be called as a
hidden coalfield as the coal bearing rocks are not exposed anywhere. Later on
geophysical prospecting technique was applied in this coalfield for the first time for
exploration of coal in India . Detailed exploration has proved a large deposit of coal in
the following three blocks:

1. Ghatrohan area to the east of the Kanhan river

2. Silewara area to the west of the Kanhan river
3. Bina area to the south of the Kanhan river

Five workable seams have been proved over the three blocks. The moisture content of
the coals varies from 8 to 11% and the volatile matter from 33 to 43 %. The coals are
non-coking.

2. BOKHARA COALFIELD
This field is situated 9 km north-west of Nagpur railway station. Seven coal seams have

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been proved. The moisture content of the coal seams varies from 8 to 11% and the
volatile matter from 24 to 29 %. The coals are non-coking.

3. UMRER COALFIELD
Umrer is a small town situated about 44 km south-east of Nagpur . The coal bearing
strata is nowhere exposed at the surface. The coal bearing Barkars rocks lie over
Talchirs. There are four workable seams in the area.

(ii) Wardha Valley Coalfields:

The Wardha valley coalfields are situated in the valley of Wardha river, lying mainly in
the Chandrapur district. The coalfields extend in a NW-SE direction extending over a
distance of 115 km and cover an area of about 4130 sq. km. The coal bearing Barkar
rocks are only 76 metres thick and occur in patches. Rarely coals are found in the
outcrops.

(f) COALFIELDS OF ANDHRA PRADESH

In Andhra Pradesh important Coalfields lie in the Pranhita – Godavari Valley . In

continuation of the Wardha valley there are coalfields in the Pranhita-Godavari valleys
covering an enormous area of over 9000 sq. km. The Lower Gondwana rocks consisting
of Talchir, Barkar and Kamthi are well developed in the area. The exposures of Barkar
rocks are few. The coalfields are traversed by post-Kamthi faults. The characteristic of
the coalfields is that these are devoid of igneous intrusions. Based on geographical and
geological considerations, the Godavari valley coalfield is divided in to twelve coal belts.
Ramagundam Coal belt is one of such coal belts located along the western margin of
the Godavari valley coalfield. Important coalfields of the area Tandur Coalfield; North
Godavari and South Godavari Coalfield; Karlapalli or Kamaram Coalfield; Ramagundam
Coalfield etc.

(g) COALFIELDS OF ORISSA

Out of 57 Gondwana and 14 Tertiary coalfields considered for the national inventory of
the coal, Orissa state has only two-intact geologically only one and half coalfields. Yet
its share in the reserve so far established in the country amounts to 23.6%. The
famous coal bearing basins are Ib-River coalfields & Talcher coal fields and as a
sequel to which these coal fields have been added advantage of being accorded most
favored coal fields status by nature as far as qurriable potentiality is concerned. A
substantial qurriable reserve has been located in northern part of Ib-River coalfield (
Gopalpur area) and towards its south-eastern extremity in Khinda-Talabira area.
Occurrence of coal seems has also been reported from Raniganj Formation of Ib-River
coalfield very recently. The importance of Orissa coalfields is further enhanced due to
their proximity to the east coast.

Gondwana Coals occur in India mainly along the three master Gondwana basins, viz.
Damodar Valley , Son-Mahanadi Valley and Gondwana Valley . Coalfields of Orissa
constitute the southern part of the Son-Mahanadi Valley basin. Except the Ib-River
coalfield and Talcher coalfield, there are Four more Gondwana basins in Orissa:

a) ATHAGARH basin

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b) GAISILAT basin
c) ATHAMALIK basin
d) KATRANJIA basin.

(h) UPPER GONDWANA COALS

It includes coalfields of Gujarat . Sub-bituminous type of coal is found in association

with Upper Gondwana sediments (Cretaceous) in the district of Kutch, Surendranagar
and Mehsana district.

II) Tertiary Coals

Essentially the coal deposits of commercial importance are mined in the states of
Meghalaya , Assam , Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

(a) MEGHALAYA

The coal deposits of Meghalaya occur with in a narrow belt extended from the Garo Hills
in the west through the Khasi Hills in the middle to the Jaintia Hills in the east and
range in age between Palaeocene and Eocene. The Sylhet Limestone Formation,
specially its Lakadong sandstone is the principal coal-bearing horizon in Garo, Khasi and
Jainyia Hills. The volatile matter and carbon contents of the coal vary between 38.2 and
52.5% and 76.4 and 85% respectively. Based on vitrinite reflectance the rank of these
coals has been described to be Sub-bituminous to high volatile bituminous.

(b) ASSAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH

The Tertiary coal deposits of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh occur within a long narrow
belt trending NE-SW, ranging in age between Upper Eocene to Oligocene. These coal
deposits are understood to have originated in the foreland basins specially in the zone
of Shuppen. Coal deposits are found in the Barail group. The coal bearing Barails are
divided in to three Formations. The different coal bearing patches are: (i) Desai Valley
coalfield, (ii) Jhanji Valley coalfield, (iii) Nazira coalfield, (iv) Safari Valley coalfield, (v)
Jeypore coalfield, (vi) Makum coalfield, (vi) Namchik-Namphuk coalfield. The thicker,
economically viable seams are particularly confined to the Nazira, Jeypore, makum and
Namchik-Namphuk coalfields.

In the coals of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh the volatile matter and carbon contents
range from 43.9 to 51.9 and 75.8 to 82.6 respectively.

(c) NAGALAND

Borjan coalfield is the important coalfield of Nagaland. This coalfield is situated in

Nagaland, about 18 km SSE of Nazira which is in Assam . The coal of this coalfield was
widely known as Nazira coal. The coalfield is along the steep slopes of the western
flanks of the Naga Hills . Coal seams occur in the Tikak Parbat Formation of Barail

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Group of Oligocene age. Two Persistent seams occur as the lower and upper members
of the Tikak Parbat Formation. The coals of the Borjan coalfield contain moisture from
4.9 to 5.2% and ash from 1.6 to 3.0%. The coals are weakly coking.

(d) JAMMU

The coal bearing horizons of Jammu are mostly confined to the basal part of the Eocene
bed constituting a part of highly folded sub-Himalayan orogenic belt along WNW – ESE
trend. The coal measures belonging to Lower Subathu Group (Lower Eocene) occur
along two linear zones. (i) the uneconomic Dhanswal – Sawalkot and other coalfields
along southern margin of Pir Panjal Range , and (ii) a chain of economic coal inliers
comprising the important coalfields like Kura , Kalakot, Metka, Mahogala and Chakkar
stretching roughly along NW-SE to the further south of Pir Panajl Range . Jammu coals,
are in general, low in moisture (0.7-2.1%) and volatile matter (9.3-19.1%) with highly
variable ash content (9.7-45.7%).

(e) GUJARAT

O.N.G.C. while drilling for oil has come across a large reserve of coal (about 63 billion
tonnes) at a depths ranging from 700 to 1700 m in Kalol- Mehsana district in Gujarat .
The coal associated with shales, claystone and sand occurs in Kalol Formation. Coal
associated with shale and sand also occurs in Kadi Formation. Both the formations are
of Eocene age.

LIGNITE DEPOSITS OF INDIA

Large deposits of Lignite are found in many countries like Germany , Australia U.S.S.R,
U.S.A China, Canada Italy, Turkey etc. In India , the utilization of lignites in various
industries and power generation are gaining importance. In comparison to coal it is low
in ash and sulphur content and also creates less environmental hazards. Presently, the
contribution of lignites is about 4% of the energy needs of our country. The occurrence
of Lignites in India is known in the Tamilnadu (Neyveli), Pondichery (Bahur), Karnataka
(Udipi), Andhra (Eluru-Rajmundry), Maharashtra (Ratnagiri), Gujarat (Panandhro.
Akrimota etc.) Rajasthan (Palana, Gurha, Kapurdi etc.) and Jammu and Kashmir
(Nichahom).

In India, Neyveli Lignite opencast mine of Tamilnadu is the largest mechanical mine
producing 24 million tonnes of lignite annually and generating power with installed
capacity of 2490 MWMW (www.nlcindia.co.in)

Coal-bed methane (CBM):

WHAT IS COAL-BED METHANE?

Coal-bed methane (CBM) is natural gas found in coal beds and used for a variety of
purposes that range from domestic, commercial, industrial to electrical power
generation. Other gases that may exist in coal gas deposits in trace amounts are
ethane, propane, butane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
Celsius Fahrenheit °F = °C × Fahrenheit Celsius °C = (°F –

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 1.8 + 32 32) / 1.8

Coal-bed methane (CH4) forms in one of two ways. During the earliest stage of
coalification (the process that turns plant detritus into coal), biogenic methane is
generated as a by-product of bacterial respiration. Aerobic bacteria (those that use
oxygen in respiration) first metabolize any free oxygen left in the plant remains and the
surrounding sediments. In fresh water environments, methane production begins
immediately after the oxygen is depleted. Species of anaerobic bacteria (those that
don't use oxygen) then reduce carbon dioxide and produce methane through anaerobic
respiration. When a coal's temperature underground reaches about 50º C and after a
sufficient amount of time, most of the biogenic methane has been generated. Also at
this time nearly two thirds of the moisture has been expelled and the coal has reached
a rank of sub-bituminous.

After the coal's temperature has exceeded 50º C due to the geothermal gradient and
excessive burial, thermogenic processes begin to generate additional carbon dioxide,
nitrogen, methane and water. At this point the amount of hydrocarbons or volatile
matter has increased and the coal has reached a rank of bituminous. After the
temperature 99º C carbon dioxide production increases with little production of
methane. The thermogenic production of methane does not exceed the production of
carbon dioxide in high volatile high ranks of coal until the temperature is about 120º C .
The maximum generation of methane in bituminous coals occurs at around 150º C .

STATUS OF COAL-BED METHANE IN INDIA

(i) Indigenous resources and potential

The coal-bearing formations of India occur in two distinct geological horizons in the
Lower Gondwana (Permian) belts of India and the Tertiary sediments (Eocene-
Oligocene) of north-eastern India , Rajasthan, Gujarat , and Jammu and Kashmir .

In the past, methane had oozed out of the boreholes on several occasions during
exploration of coal. Many of the mines in Jharia, Raniganj, Karanpura, and Bokaro
coalfields have been found gassy. The Director General of Mines Safety has categorized
these mines based on the quantum of methane given off during the process of mining.
A large number of our mines are estimated to produce less than 1 m 3 /tonne of coal
produced and are defined as Degree I mines; some of them are Degree II mines giving
off 1–10 m 3 /tonne of output. Only 21 underground mines in Damodar Valley in Jharia,
Raniganj, and Bokaro coalfields are listed as Degree III mines, where the rate of
emission exceeds 10 m 3 /tonne of coal output. A few mines also belong to tertiary
deposits in Assam .

In the last decade, after the realization that methane from coal bed can be gainfully
utilized, many agencies and research organizations such as the Central Fuel Research
Institute, the Central Mining Research Institute, the Central Mine Planning and Design
Institute, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, and the Mineral Exploration Corporation
have become interested in CBM and are generating useful data. Many private agencies
like the Amoco and Reliance also have contributed in this regard.

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Coal-bed methane resources in India (estimated by various authors) (billion cubic
metres)

Gondwana
Authors Tertiary Total
basin
Bastia et al. (1995) 837 13 850
Biswas (1995) 1000-1500 * *
Peters and Jamal (1997) * * 1250
EGI Manual (1997) * * 8000
Reliance Industries Ltd (1999) 428.5 365 793.5
Directorate General of
595.92 939.3 1533.22
Hydrocarbons (1999)
Government of Rajasthan * 164 *

* Not reported
Source ONGC (2000)

(ii) Policies/regulation for exploration, exploitation of CBM in India

Investigation on CBM for its commercial exploitation is a comparatively recent

phenomenon in India .It was mooted by the Ministry of Coal, Government of India, way
back in 1994 when several companies from India and abroad showed keen interest in
the subject. The notable ones were Reliance Gas (P) Ltd, Modi McEnzee, and Amoco,
etc. However, though the blocks were allotted to some of them by the Ministry of Coal,
it was discovered that the resource came under the preview of the MoPNG (Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas).

In the period 1997–2000, the ONGC drilled some test holes and found substantial
amount of gas in Bihar in the Parbatpur block. In the mean time, the United Nations
Development Programme gave a grant of $9.19 million to the Ministry of Coal for the
investigation of CBM in Bihar–Bengal coalfields. This project is likely to generate useful
data on CBM and, after successful completion, is likely to generate more confidence in
the prospective investors. After it was decided that the CBM subject would be dealt by
the petroleum ministry, a CBM exploitation project was formulated by the Director
General of Hydrocarbons with the help of the MoPNG. The project envisaged four
phases: Phase I - Exploration, Phase II - Pilot Assessment and Market Confirmation,
Phase III - Development, and Phase IV - Production.

The main laws governing CBM exploration and production in India are listed below:

• Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948

• Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 1959
• Environment Protection Act, 1986
• Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
• Income Tax Act, 1961
• Customs Act, 1962.

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The exploration of CBM is time-consuming and capital-intensive. Unless fiscal and other
ncentives are in place, the possibility of investors getting interested is remote. Keeping
this in mind, many fiscal incentives have been offered in the bid as listed below.

• No signature bonus
• No upfront payments
• No import duties
• Unincorporated joint ventures permitted
• No limitation on cost recovery
• Free to market gas in the domestic market at market-determined prices
• Securitization of participating interests allowed for raising project finance
• No bank guarantee required for work programme at development stage
• 7-year tax holiday
• Liberal set-off and accelerated deductions for income-tax purposes
• No ring fencing.

With the necessary homework done in advance and with transparent procedure being
followed by the ministry, it is hoped that the exploration of CBM and later its
exploitation and use willbecome a reality soon. It may not get the status of a major
source of energy but surely will supplement the available fuels for power generation
and other uses. Its possible recovery is now being recognized as a viable option to
enhance the natural gas potential of the country.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC OPTIONS FOR UTILISATION OF CBM

a. Power Generation

CBM can be ideal fuel for co-generation Power plants to bring in higher efficiency and is
preferred fuel for new thermal power plant on count of lower capital investment and
higher operational efficiency.

b. Auto Fuel in form of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

CNG is already an established clean and environment friendly fuel. Depending upon the
availability of CBM, this could be a good end use. Utilization of recovered CBM as fuel in
form of CNG for mine dump truck is already part of demonstration project titled “Coal-
bed Methane Recovery & Commercial Utilization Project” presently under
implementation in collaboration with UNDP/GEF at Sudamdih and Moonidih mines of
BCCL.

c. Fuel for Industrial Use

It may provide an economical fuel for a number of industries like cement plant,
refractories, Rolling mills etc. in Dhanbad, Bokaro, Palamu regions in view of the
superior combustion properties of CBM.

d. Use of CBM at Steel Plants

Blast furnace operations use metallurgical coke to produce most of the energy required
to melt the iron ore to iron. Coalmine methane provides benefits as conventional
natural gas, and could easily be substituted for, or mixed with, natural gas for blast

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furnace use as long as it meets gas quality requirements (low sulfur content and at
least 94% methane). Injection of CBM in blast furnace of Bokaro Steel Plant will
improve performance and can enhance its productivity.

References

http://www.geologydata.info/coal_01.htm

www.wikipedia.com

TEXT BOOK OF COAL (Indian Context) First Edition (2000) by D. Chandra, R, M. Singh
& M.P. Singh,

COAL AND LIGNITE RESOURCES OF INDIA – AN OVERVIEW by S. K. Acharyya,

Geological society of India , Bangalore , 2000

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