Physico-chemical investigations of the coal from East Bokaro coalfield (Muditoli block) - a case study

Detailed investigations with respect to chemical, petrological and carbonization characteristics have been carried on a single borehole coal core of Muditoli area of East Bokaro coalfield drilled by Geological Survey of India. The Muditoli block contains 29 uncorrelated seams as encountered in the single borehole. Total thickness of the coal is 118.25 meters within a depth range form 398.40 meters to 1164.50 meters as encountered in the borehole. All the seams are interbanded and wide variation in the seam thickness as is observed. The strata associated with the coal seams are coarse grained, medium grained and fine-grained sandstone. All these seams found in this borehole have shown excellent maturity due to deep seated nature. An increasing trend of carbon content and reflectance value with increasing depth are observed. The coal characteristic data along with the carbonization parameters indicate that coal is medium to prime coking in nature. However, the coking properties after 1000 meter depth are found to drop significantly. The poor coking properties of these coals (below 1000 meter) are also evidenced from carbon (dmmf) values which are more than 91.8%. If the reserve of the coal in this sector is goof enough and mining is technically and economically feasible then ths coal may be a good source of coking coal in future