A Geology Project
Indian Coal Distribution
Coal is an important energy source in India. It has been excavated since 1774 when John Sumner and Suetonius Grant Heatly of the East India Company began commercial exploitation at Raniganj Coalfield along the West Bank Damodar. In India mainly two types of coal are found, Gondwana coal and Tertiary coal. Gondwana coal is a natural resource and accounts for 98% of all storage facilities and 99% of India’s coal production.
The rest is of high quality coal. At the stratigraphic level, low gondwana (Damuda series) accounts for 80% of total coal production in India. India’s Tertiary coal belongs to the Oligocene period in the Middle Ages (about 15 to 60 million years old). The carbon content of these coal varies from 30 to 50% (low level coal).
Most of the Indian coal deposits are composed of Gondwana coal which basically found in central and eastern part of India. However it also found in Sikkim and Assam.
Due to high demand of coking coal in steel plants in India, we have to import coking coal in large quantity every year.
Gondwana Coal
Gondwana coal provides 98% of the total coal resources in India and 99% production wise. At the stratigraphic level, lower gondwana (Damuda series) accounts for 80% of total coal production in India. Coal in Gondwana falls in bituminous and sub-bituminous category. The gondwana coal belongs to Carboniferous period ( 300-600 million years ago). The bituminous coal is first converted into coke before using in Iron and Steel Industries.
- Gondwana coal provide 99 per cent of the total coal production and 98 per cent of the coal Reserve in India.
- Gondwana coal (250 million years old) has less carbon content than Carboniferous coal as it is younger than carboniferous coal which is 350 million years old.
- Gondwana coal is of superior quality and is used in steel and iron industries.
- Most of the gondwana coal belongs to Damuda series (Lower Gondwana).
- Gondwana coal contains coking, non-coking, bituminous and sub-bituminous coal.
- Anthracite rank coals are generally not found in the Gondwana coal fields.
- Gondwana coal contains Sulphur and phosphorous .
- Gondwana coals are free from Moisture.
Tertiary Coal
Tertiary coal belongs to Oligocene period of the Tertiary era. It is also known as brown coal because lignite is a brown combustible sedimentary rock. Tertiary coal provide 1% of the total coal produce in India and reserve wise, it contribute 2%. They are basically low grade coal of inferior quality ( carbon content varies from 30-50%). It is about 15 to 60 million years old.
- Tertiary coal is about 15 to 60 million years old.
- There Carbon content is very low ranging from 30 to 50%.
- They are found in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Assam etc.
- Tertiary coal contains high percentage of sulphur and low carbon content.
- Tertiary coal also possess high moisture content.
- Tertairy coal is also found in Union Territory of Pondicherry and in Tamil Nadu.