Coal

• Coal is a nonrenewable energy source that takes millions of years to form, and it contains the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampy forests.
• Coal contains carbon, volatile matter, moisture, ash, and sometimes sulphur and phosphorous.
• Coal is mostly used for power generation and metallurgy.
• There are different varieties of coal based on coal type, coal rank, and coal grade.
• The distribution of coal in India is in two categories: Gondwana Coalfields and Tertiary Coalfields.
• Gondwana Coalfields:
  • These are 250 million years old and make up 98% of the total coal reserves in India and 99% of the coal production in India.
  • The Damuda series (Lower Gondwana) possesses the best-worked coalfields accounting for 80 percent of the total coal production in India.
  • 80 out of 113 Indian coalfields are located in the rock systems of the Damuda series.
• Tertiary Coalfields:
  • These are 15 to 60 million years old, and they are mainly confined to extra-peninsular regions.
  • Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling in West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala have tertiary coal reserves.
  • Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Pondicherry also have tertiary coal reserves.
• Gondwana coal is free from moisture and contains phosphorus and sulphur.
• The carbon content in Gondwana coal is less compared to Carboniferous coal, which is almost absent in India because of its much younger age.
• The volatile compounds and ash (usually 13-30%) do not allow Carbon percentage to rise above 55 to 60% in Gondwana coal.

Formation of Coal

• Coal is formed from dead plant matter decaying into peat and is converted into coal by heat and pressure over millions of years.
• Coal was formed around 300 million years ago in swampy forests.
• Layers of dead plants formed over millions of years, and heat and pressure produced changes that forced out oxygen and left rich carbon deposits.
• Coal is classified into four main types or ranks: anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite.
• Coal’s constituents include carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, ash, and sulfur.
• Undesirable chemical constituents of coal include chlorine and sodium.
• In the process of transformation (coalification), peat is altered to lignite, lignite is altered to sub-bituminous, sub-bituminous coal is altered to bituminous coal, and bituminous coal is altered to anthracite.
• 

Types of Coal

• Coal can be classified based on its carbon content into three types: anthracite, bituminous, and lignite.
• Anthracite:
  • It is the highest quality coal, with 80 to 95% carbon, little volatile matter, and moisture. 
  • It is very hard and black with a metallic luster. 
  • It has the highest heating value and is found in small quantities in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Bituminous coal:
  • It is the most commonly used coal, with a carbon content ranging from 60 to 80%. 
  • It is dense, compact, and black in color, with a high calorific value due to its low moisture content. 
  • It is found in Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
• Lignite:
  • Also known as brown coal, contains 40 to 55% carbon and has a high moisture content (over 35%). 
  • It is the intermediate stage in the transformation of wood into coal and emits more smoke but less heat. 
  • It is found in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir.
• Peat is the first stage of transformation of wood into coal, containing less than 40 to 55% carbon, high moisture, and volatile matter. 
• It is not a good fuel without compressing into bricks and burns like wood, giving off more smoke and less heat.
• 

Distribution of Coal in India

• 

• Jharkhand:
  • Coalfields located in a narrow belt along 24°N latitude
  • Jharia coalfield is the oldest and richest in India
  • Bokaro coalfield is located within 32 km of Jharia coalfield
  • Other reserves include Girdih, Karanpura, etc.
  • 
• Chhattisgarh:
  • Holds third position in coal reserves, second in production after Jharkhand
  • Korba coalfield is the largest stretching over 515 sq km
  • Other coalfields include Hasdo-Arand, Chirmiri, Jhilmili, Johila
  • 
• Orissa:
  • Second largest state in coal reserves, third largest producer
  • Talcher field is the largest in the state and ranks second in reserves after Raniganj
  • Other coalfields include Rampur-Himgir and lb river coalfields
  • 
• Madhya Pradesh:
  • Fourth largest coal-producing state
  • Sigrauli coalfield in Sidhi and Shahdol districts is the largest coalfield
  • Pench-Kanhan-Tawa in Chhindwara district is another important coalfield
  • 
• Andhra Pradesh & Telangana:
  • Andhra Pradesh produces 9.72 percent of India’s coal
  • Most coal reserves are in Godavari valley spread over several districts
  • Workable collieries are situated at Singareni and Kothagudem
  • 
• Maharashtra:
  • Maharashtra has only 3 percent reserves but accounts for over 9 percent of production
  • Most deposits found in Kamptee coalfields, Wardha valley, Ghughus, Ballarpur, Warora, and Wun field
  • 
• West Bengal:
  • Produces 6 percent of India’s coal, but has over 11 percent of reserves
  • Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, Darjeeling, and Jalpaiguri are chief producing districts
  • Raniganj is the largest coalfield in West Bengal
  • 

Tertiary Coal

• Tertiary coal fields mainly occur in association with limestone and slates of either Eocene or Oligocene-Miocene age (15 to 60 million years).
• They are mainly confined to extra peninsular regions. some of which are:
• Assam:
  • Major coalfields: Makum, Nazira, etc.
  • Makum coalfield in Sibsagar district is the most developed field.
  • Assam coal has low ash and high coking qualities, but high sulfur content makes it unsuitable for metallurgical purposes.
• Meghalaya:
  • Believed to have deposits of tertiary coal in Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia hills belonging to the lower Eocene.
• Arunachal Pradesh:
  • Upper Assam Coal belt extends eastwards as NamchickNamrup coalfield in Tirap district.
• Other coal fields are in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Lignite

• Lignite coal production in India increased after independence.
• Tamil Nadu accounts for 90% of lignite reserves and 71% of lignite production in India.
• Neyveli Lignite fields in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, with estimated reserves of 4,150 million tonnes, are the most important lignite field in India.
• Other significant lignite reserves in Tamil Nadu are in Jayamkondacholapuram of Trichy district, Mannargudi, and East of Veeranam.
• Gujarat has lignite deposits in Kuchchh district at Umarsar, Lefsi, Jhalrai, and Baranda, and also in Bharuch district.
• Jammu and Kashmir has lignite deposits in the Shaliganga River up to the Nichahom area in the Handwara region of the Baramula district, but the lignite quality is poor.
• Kerala, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Pondicherry also produce some amount of lignite coal.

Peat

• Peat is confined to a few areas only. It occurs in Nilgiri hills at an elevation of over 1,800 m.
• In the Kashmir valley, peat occurs in the alluvium of the Jhelum and in swampy grounds in higher valleys.
• In West Bengal peat beds at depths ranging from 2 to 11 metre have been noted in Kolkata and its suburbs.
• In the Ganga delta, there are layers of peat which are composed of forest and rice plants.

Problems of Coal Mining in India

• Coal distribution in India is uneven, with most of the north plains and western parts of India lacking in coal reserves.
• High transportation costs are involved in carrying coal over long distances.
• Indian coal has high ash content and low caloric value, reducing energy output and complicating ash disposal.
• Most coal is extracted from underground mines with low productivity of labour and machinery.
• Heavy losses occur due to fires in mines and pilferage at several stages, leading to a hike in coal prices.
• Mining and utilization of coal causes environmental pollution, and open cast mining destroys the land.
• Coal dust in mines and near pitheads poses health hazards to workers and their families.
• Safety measures to prevent environmental pollution caused by mining and coal utilization are costly and complicated.

Conservation of Coal

• Conservation of coal means utilizing every bit of energy and recovering every by-product.
• Coking coal should only be used for metallurgical purposes.
• Low-grade coal should be washed and blended with high-quality coal for industries.
• Discourage selective mining and extract all possible coal from the mines.
• Discover new reserves and adopt new techniques for mining.
• Amalgamate small and uneconomic collieries to make them economically viable.

Coking Coal vs. Non-Coking Coal

Coking Coal or Metallurgical Coal	Thermal Coal or Non-Coking Coal or Steaming coal
High carbon content, less moisture, less sulphur, less ash. Sulphur is very bad for iron and steel industry.	Sulphur content is high and hence cannot be used in iron and steel industry.
Used to create coke. Coke is produced by heating bituminous coal without air to extremely high temperatures.	Creating coke using this coal is not economical. Moreover, traces of sulphur will remain even after coking.
Coking coal is an essential ingredient in steel production.	Thermal coal is used to generate power.
Major producers: Australia, Canada, United States.Major exporters: Australia, Canada, United States.China imports a huge amount of coking coal from Australia. India also imports coking coal.	Major producers: China, Australia, USA, Russia.Major exporters: Australia, South Africa.

Coal Reserves in India by State

Name of the state	Reserves in billion tonne	% of total reserves
1.   JHARKHAND	80.71	26.76
2.   ODISHA	75.07	24.89
3.   CHATTISHGARH	52.53	17.42
4.   WEST BENGAL	31.31	10.38
5.   MADHYA PRADESH	25.67	8.51
6.   ANDHRA PRADESH	22.48	7.45
7.   MAHARASTRA	10.98	3.64
8.   OTHERS	2.81	0.95

Coal Production in India by State

• All data from 2013-2014. For latest data you must follow newspapers/India year Book or Reports published by Ministry of Coal.
• Coking Coal Production by State:
  • Jharkhand [More than 90% of India’s Coking coal comes from Jharkhand]
  • West Bengal
  • Madhya Pradesh
• Non Coking Coal Production By State:
  • Chhattisgarh
  • Odisha
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Jharkhand
  • Andhra Pradesh
• Total Coal Production By State:
  • Chhattisgarh
  • Jharkhand
  • Odisha
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Andhra Pradesh

List of Major Coal Fields in India

• Jharia:
  • Located southwest of Dhanbad, covers 453 sq km
  • Best metallurgical coal in India
  • Supplies coal to Jamshedpur, IISCO, Bokaro, Rourkela
• Bokaro:
  • In Hazaribagh district, 32 km west of Jharia
  • Long but narrow strip in Bokaro River catchment area
  • Divided into West and East Bokaro
• Giridih:
  • Also known as Karharbari, southwest of Giridih in Hazaribagh district
  • Three main seams of varying thicknesses – lower Karharbari, upper Karharbari, Badhua
  • Lower Karharbari provides one of the finest coking coals in India
• Karanpura:
  • Lies west of Bokaro in Jharkhand, divided into North and South Karanpura
  • Total reserve of 1059 million tonnes
  • Coal is believed to be of inferior quality, but has good reserves of coal-bed methane (CBM)
• Ramgarh:
  • Situated about 9 km south of the Bokaro field in Jharkhand
  • Has 22 seams
• Daltenganj:
  • Lies in the Palamau district of Jharkhand, covers an area of about 51 sq km
  • Gondwana type bituminous coal is mined
• Korba:
  • Covers an area of 515 sq km in the valleys of Hasdo (a tributary of Mahanadi)
  • Most coals are sent to Korba thermal power plant and Bhilai steel plant
• Bisrampur:
  • Lies in the Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh
  • Total reserve of 542 million tonnes
  • Gondwana type bituminous coal is mined
• HASDO-ARAND:
  • Extends from Rampur in Sarguja district to Arand Valley in Bilaspur district
  • Covers an area of about 1004 sq km
  • Total reserves – 4321 million tonnes.
• CHIRMIRI:
  • Lies in the Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh, in the northern part of the state
  • Area- 128 sq km
  • Reserves – 362 million tonnes.
• TATAPANI–RAMKOTA:
  • Lies between Kanhar and Rehar in the north–eastern part of the Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh
  • Coals of Tatapani coalfields belong to the Damuda series.
• JHILMILI:
  • Lies in the northwestern part of Chhattisgarh in the Koriya district
  • Total area – 106 sq km
  • Extension of Sohagpur coalfield of the Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh
  • 5 coal seams belonging to Talcher and Barakar measures.
• JOHILLA:
  • Lies the Johilla Valley, a tributary of the Son, in the northwestern part of Chhattisgarh.
• SONHAT:
  • Lies in the Surguja region of Chhattisgarh
  • Has high quality coal.
• TALCHER:
  • Lies near the Talcher town of Odisha
  • Second largest reserve after Raniganj
  • Total reserve- 24,374 million tonnes
  • Coal is utilized in thermal power and fertilizer plants at Talcher
• IB RIVER:
  • 512 sq km in Sambalpur and Gangpur districts
  • Coal belongs to middle and lower Barakar systems
  • Much of the coal is of inferior quality with about 50 per cent fixed carbon.
• RAMPUR-HIMGIR:
  • Belongs to the Ib River system
  • Coal of the middle and lower Barakar systems
  • Contains 30.48 million tonnes coal reserves
  • Bulk of the coal is inferior.
• SINGRAULI:
  • Largest coalfields of Madhya Pradesh in Sidhi and Shahdol districts
  • Total area – 2337 sq km
  • Reserves- 9207 million tonnes.
• JHINGURDA:
  • With a total thickness of 131 m is the richest coal seam of the country
  • It is a seam of the Singrauli coal field
  • Supplies coal to thermal plants at Singrauli and Obra.
• SOHAGPUR:
  • Lies in the Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh
  • Reserves- 2284 million tonnes.
• Umaria:
  • Located 58 km south of Katni in eastern Madhya Pradesh
  • Contains 6 seams
  • Total reserves of 58 million tonnes
  • Coal is inferior with a high percentage of moisture and ash
• Singareni:
  • Located 185 km east of Hyderabad in the Godawari Basin
  • Contains 4 coal seams
  • Contains 56.5% fixed carbon
  • Non-coking coal but its quality is improved by the Regional Research Laboratory at Hyderabad
• Kothagundam:
  • Located east of Singareni in Telangana
  • Has nine coal seams, including Anandghani seam with A grade coal
  • Used for thermal power generation in the region
• Raniganj:
  • Largest coal field in West Bengal, the continuation of Jharia in Jharkhand
  • Coal mining started in India at Raniganj in 1774
  • Produces mainly non-coking steam coal, mainly used for power generation
• Makum:
  • Located in the Sivsagar district of Assam
  • Total reserves of 235.6 million tonnes
  • Tertiary coal is produced
  • Part of the Upper Assam coal belt
• Nazira:
  • Located in Assam
  • Produces tertiary coal
  • Part of the Upper Assam coal belt
  • Northern flank of the Naga Patkai ranges facing Sibsagar
• Lakhuni:
  • Located in Assam
  • Produces tertiary coal
  • Part of the Upper Assam coal belt
• Namchick Namphuk:
  • Located in the Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh
  • Eastward extension of the Upper Assam Coal belt
  • Tertiary coal is produced
• Kalakot:
  • Tertiary coal field located in Jammu and Kashmir, in Jammu Province
  • Angiosperm flora chiefly contributed to the development of coal facies in the area
• Nichahom:
  • Lignite coalfield located in Nandwara region of Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir
  • Poor quality lignite
  • Reserve in the region is 90 million tonnes
• Umarsar:
  • Lignite coalfield located in the Kuchchh district of Gujarat
  • Better lignite than other fields in the state
• Palana:
  • Lignite coalfield located in the Barmer district of Rajasthan
  • 4 km long and 0.8 km wide
  • Will supply coal to 250 MW thermal plant of Bikaner
• Neyveli:
  • Lies in the Cuddalore district of Tamilnadu
  • Largest deposits of lignite in the country and can sustain power generation for more than 100 years
  • 4150 million tonnes reserves over an area of 480 sq km
  • Used for thermal power generation in the region
• Jayamkondacholapuram:
  • Lies in the Trichy district of Tamilnadu
  • Reserves of 1168 million tonnes