Petrographic characterization and evolution of the Karharbari coals, Talcher Coalfield, Orissa, India

• Published in: International journal of coal science & technology Vol. 3; no. 2; pp. 133 - 147
• Main Author: Singh, Alok K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing China Coal Society 01.06.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Coal; Energy; Fossil Fuels (incl. Carbon Capture); Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Mineral Resources; Peat; Petrography; Research Article; 印度; 岩石学; 成煤环境; 显微煤岩类型; 演化; 特征和; 镜质体反射率; 高挥发分烟煤; Evolution; Karharbari; Rank; Talcher coalfield; Petrography
• ISSN: 2095-8293; 2198-7823
• DOI: 10.1007/s40789-016-0132-3

In the present study an attempt has been made to carry out the detailed petrographic characterization of the Karharbari coals of Talcher coalfield and to reconstruct the paleoenvironment conditions of coal formation using macerals and microlithtotypes as a tool. For these purposes a large number of samples were collected following the pillar sampling method and were subjected to detailed petrographic study. The petrographic observation shows that these coals are vitrinite rich followed by the liptinite and inertinite group of macerals. On microlithotype scale, these coals shows the dominance of the vitrite followed by clarite, vitrinertite and inertite. The concentration of liptite, clarodurite, duroclarite and vitriner- toliptite are insignificant. The vitrinite reflectance ranks the Karharbari coal as high volatile bituminous ＇C＇ to high volatile ＇B＇ bituminous. Coal petrography based depositional models suggest peat accumulation in forested telmatic swamp. Moreover, during the time of their evolution, there were alternate phases of oxic and anoxic moor conditions with good tissue preservation.