NATIONAL GEOSCIENCE AWARD - 2013

FIELD : COAL, LIGNITE & CBM DISCOVERY & EXPLORATION

[ RANIGANJ COAL FIELD, WEST BENGAL ]

Recipients: 1. Subrata Kumar Sardar, Sr. Geologist

2. Mohan Das Roy, Ex-GSI

3. Resmi, R.C., Geologist

4. Anima Gogoi, Geologist

5. Jyoti Sankar Roy, Director.

2

Gondwana Coalfields of India

Uttarpradesh.

Madhyapradesh.

Maharashtra.

Bihar

Jharkhan

d

Stores >99% of coal resource of country

DAMODAR-KOEL VALLEY BASIN BELT

24°

50 0 50km

Scale

89325.75 Million tonne coal resource (29% of national total)

31712.01 Million tonne coking coal resource (93% of national total)

RANIGANJ COALFIELD

Storehouse of superior quality non-coking coal

used for cement, paper, sponge iron etc.

Talchir

Barakar

Raniganj

Panchet

Suprapanchet300m

600m

1150m

600m

750m

500m

Barren

Measures

TRANS-AJAY SECTOR

3.5 0 3.5 7 km

#

#

#

#

10

20

12

12

20

10

RN-2 (s)

RN-1

Bachra

Barkolaa

Bi rkulti

Dalurband

#

Trans-Ajay Sector ~ 100 sq km

Barakar and Barren Measures below thin alluvium

10 sq km in the western end under mining / leasehold

PREVIOUS WORK

Parsundih

Barhra

Barul

Bagdiha

BARUL-BAGDIHA SECTOR

KASTA AREA

N

8°

10°

0 1 km

SCALE

4°

RK-9

A

C

3°D AJOY RIVER

Raniganj Formation

Barren Measures

Barakar Formation

Basement

1964-1967: GSI worked in Kasta Area (Barakar Formation) covering 30 sq km

CONCLUSIONS FROM KASTA

3 seams - cumulative seam thickness varies

from 10.86m to 2m

only top one is important and persistent

quality and thickness deteriorated – Eastward

Area is not potential for future exploration

RETROSPECTION AT BARUL-BAGDIHA SECTOR

10.30

5.24

1.92

5.75459.25

470.13

474.90

481.35

2.21

4.68

4.68335.15

343.20

350.37

362.10

4.09

23.21m

15.66m

RBB-8 RBB-5

23o44/

87o10/87o08/

87o10/87o08/

23o45/

23o44/

RBB-2

RBB-1RBB-8

RBB-4

RBB-5RBB-3

RBB-7

RBB-6

23o45/

0 500m

SCALE

20m 130m

80m

80m

RBB-9

ParsundihBarhra

BarulBagdiha

N

8°

10°

4°

RK-9

A

C

3°D AJOY RIVER

Thickness variation of Salanpur A Seam

N RK-3

RK-1

13m

33m

9m

95.35

RK-1: Kasta borehole

RBB-8: Barul-Bagdiha borehole

Cumulative coal content9m

RBB-8

25.00

87.87

Dip Direction

RETROSPECTION AT BARUL-BAGDIHA SECTORContd.

INVESTIGATED BLOCKS

2002-2013: North of Ajay River under the Barren Measures

probed in five (5) Blocks / Areas totaling 59 sq km

TAMRA BLOCK 2002-2006 8.5 sq km

NABASAN BLOCK 2005-2009 6.0 sq km

BINODPUR-BHABANIGANJ BLOCK 2008-2010 14.0 sq km

EAST OF BHABANIGANJ AREA 2009-2012 10.5 sq km

SOUTH OF HINGLA AREA 2010-2013 20.0 sq km

Raniganj Formation

Barren Measures

Barakar Formation

Basement

PRESENT WORK

Parsundih

Barhra

Barul

Bagdiha

Tamra block

BARUL-BAGDIHA SECTOR

KASTA AREA

N

8°

10°

0 1 km

SCALE

4°

RK-9

A

C

Nabasan

3°

RT-3

D AJOY RIVER

Y'

2002-06

PRESENT WORK

ONEGEOLOGY

(IGCP PROJECT 624)

N RK-3

RK-1

RT-2

354.00

13m

16m

16m

34m

33m

9m

95.35

126.10

RT-5

RT-3

RK-1: Kasta borehole

RT-1: Tamra borehole

RBB-8: Barul-Bagdiha borehole

Cumulative coal content9m

Dip Direction

RBB-8

25.00

297.50

87.87

RT-1

PRESENT WORK

Raniganj Formation

Barren Measures

Barakar Formation

Basement

Parsundih

Barhra

Barul

Bagdiha

Tamra block

BARUL-BAGDIHA SECTOR

KASTA AREA

N

8°

10°

0 1 km

SCALE

4°

RK-9

NabasanRNB-2

RNB-1

RNB-5

RNB-3

RNB-4

Binodpur-BhabaniganjBlock

3°

RNB-6RBBJ-1

RBBJ-2

RBBJ-4

RBBJ-3

RBBJ-6

RBBJ-5

RBBJ-8

RBBJ-7

RT-3

NabasanBlock

East of BhabaniganjArea

REB-1

AJOY RIVER

RBBJ-9

RBBJ-10

REB-2

RBBJ-12

REB-3

RBBJ-11

PRESENT WORK

PRESENT WORK

Dip Direction

SIGNIFICANCE

Dip Direction

OUTCOME

25%

67%

8%

Augmentation of Power-grade coal Resource

552 mt over 59 sq. km area

depth zone

0-300m

300-600m

below 600m

% of Resource

CBM: RSH-5 in situ gas content < 1gm / cc

ALTERNATIVE UTILISATION OF RESOURCE

COAL GASIFICATION

Raniganj Formation

Barren Measures

Barakar Formation

Basement

Parsundih

Barhra

BarulBagdiha

N

8°

10°C

N

Thickness: 25 – 2 m

Rank: Sub-Bituminous to

High volatile bituminous

Dip: 7o to 11o

Ash: 29-45% Moisture: 2- 5.7%

Roof: 20m thick shale above seam

High percentage of hydrogen-rich maceral (Liptinite ) upto 42 %

along with Sub-Bituminous to High volatile bituminous rank

indicate suitability for LIQUEFACTION in the northern part of

Trans-Ajay sector

Raniganj Formation

Barren Measures

Barakar Formation

Basement

Parsundih

Barhra

BarulBagdiha

N

8°

10°

0 1 km

CAround 135 mt within

0-300m depth

ALTERNATIVE UTILIZATION OF RESOURCE

COAL LIQUEFACTION

PRESENT APPROACH

(a)Concept-based tectono-sedimentary knowledge of basin

analysis will help to identify additional potential areas of

Barakar coal horizons at shallower to intermediate

depth elsewhere, particularly to the western part of RCF.

(b) Enhanced ‘National Energy Scenario’.

Power-grade Coal of relatively higher quality (Grades: B

& C) intersected to the west & central parts of Trans-

Ajay.

(c) Societal value: nearby area development.

COAL BED METHANE

RSH - 5: in situ gas content < 1gm / cc

Ro (mean) 0.41 - 0.43% [ ideal 0.70% ]

Permeability 0.9482 md [ ideal > 1md ]

Cleat frequency 4 nos / cm [ 60% mineralised ]

High Langmuir Value 12.6 - 13.8 cc / gm

[ seams highly under-saturated ]

Estimated GIP (Gas-in-Place) 36.40 MCM

[ within 300 - 600m depth range / for 20 sq.km ]