Tertiary Coal Deposits from the North-eastern Region of India – A review

Manabendra Nath

doi:10.51710/jias.v41iII.384

Authors

Manabendra Nath Department of Geology, Gurucharan College - 788004

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51710/jias.v41iII.384

Keywords:

Tertiary, Ash, Moisture, Bituminous, Foreland Basin, Platform Area

Abstract

This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive account of the Tertiary coal resources of north-eastern region of India. The coal belt of North-East India developed in two different geo-tectonic settings – one is the foreland basin (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland Oligocene coals) and the other platform areas (Meghalayan Eocene coals). The rank of eastern Himalayan coals varies from sub-bituminous to high volatile bituminous C. The carbon content of Oligocene coal is much higher and show caking characteristics. The coals of this part of India have low ash (<8%), low moisture (<5%), high volatile matter (>40%), high sulphur (>3%), high hydrogen content (>4%), low nitrogen (<1%) and oxygen (<12%). Petrographically they are rich in vitrinite, moderate Liptinite and low inertinite. High concentrations of trace elements (like Cu, Cr and Ni) and sulphur content indicate marine influence in the depositional basin. In the north-eastern coals the dominance of typical Tertiary angiosphermic floral assemblage is well indicated by the occurrence of single, double and triple celled telutospores.

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