Core logging, Coal sampling and

preparation of different diagrams

and maps in Coal Exploration

Md. Merajuddin Khan

Senior Geologist
DG Camp Office, Nagpur
 Core logging

Core logging is the systematic recording and measuring of as much

information as possible/required to determine the lithology, structure,
potential geological history and mineralized zone through a tiny piece
of cylindrical rock drilled.
Snake pattern Book pattern
 Core logging

Details of borehole- BH No., Location, RL, Date of

commencement & Closure, Final Depth, GP BHLOG Depth.
Details of
borehole
Drilling & depth – Run length, Recovery, Loss, unit
length, Loss distribution, Adjusted length, Final length &
Additional Drilling & depth.
information depth
Lithology - Rock type, Colour, Grain size,
Composition, Sorting , roundness, contact, bed
thickness etc.

Structures – both primary as well as secondary

Coal structures.
Lithology
Seam

Coal Seam – Depth, thickness, bright bands (%) and

Structure Seam No.

Additional information – Core dip, water loss, water table,

mud loss, change in drill rod size etc.
 Core logging data sheet
Borehole No. Unit No.
Latitude: Date of commencement:
Longitude: Date of Closure:
R.L: Final Depth:
From To Run Reco Loss Unit Description Loss Final Final Remarks
very length distributio adjusted Depth
n length
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
300.00 303.00 3.00 2.80 +0.20 0.30 Dark grey shale with streaks and stringers of +0.05 0.35 300.35
coaly materials.
0.60 Coal with vitrain bands 0.60 300.95
(Seam-IV 300.35m – 300.95m = 0.60m)
0.70 Heterolith of very fine grained sandstone with +0.15 0.85 301.80 Core dip 3º
grey to dark grey shale; parallel & low-angle Water loss
laminations, cross-laminations, ripple around
laminations; vertical burrows observed at the 301-303m
bottom; gradational lower contact. Fractured depth
and slickensided at the middle (~301.50m).
0.90 Light grey medium grained well sorted mica 0.90 302.70
faintly cross-laminated micaceous sandstone;
laminae and bands of grey to dark grey shale
also present; gradational lower contact.
0.30 Off white very coarse grained poorly sorted 0.30 303.00
massive micaceous sub-arkose sandstone,
Sharp lower contact.
 Details to be recorded
Colour Grain Size Sorting Roundness Contact
• White • Well rounded • Erosional
• Boulder • Well sorted
• Off white/Dirty white • Subrounded • Sharp
• Pebble • Moderately sorted
• Very light grey/ earthen • Subangular • Gradational
grey • Cobble • Poorly/ill sorted
• Granule • Angular
• Light grey
• Dark grey • Very coarse grained
• Black • Coarse grained
• Light purplish grey • Medium grained
• Lilac • Fine grained
• Light greenish grey • Very fine grained
• Medium brownish grey • Silt
• Reddish/Brownish • Clay

Bed thickness

• Very thickly bedded - >100cm

• Thickly bedded – 30cm –
<100cm
• Medium bedded – 10cm - <30cm
• Thinly bedded – 3cm - <10cm
• Very thinly bedded – 1cm – 3cm
• Thickly laminated – 0.3cm – 1cm
• Thinly laminated - <0.3cm
 Details on rock types to be recorded………..
Conglomerate
Sandstone Heterolith
• Clast fraction 80% or more –
Conglomerate • Quartzarenite • Sand content >75% -
• Clast fraction 30-80% - • Subarkose Shale laminated
Sandy/muddy conglomerate • Arkose sandstone (Hsst)
• Clast count & lithology • Litharenite • Shale content >75% -
• Size, shape, roundness • Greywacke Sand laminated shale
• Matrix – clayey, (Hsh)
• Sorting and size distribution
• Clast : matrix ratio ferruginous,
chloritic etc.
• Clast imbrications
• Maximum clast size
• Internal structure
• Framework- clast supported or
matrix supported
• Matrix composition
 Details on sedimentary structures to be recorded………..
High angle bedding
Sedimentary structures
• Structureless/massive
• Parallel lamination
• Low-angle lamination
• Contorted bedding
• Cross-stratification
• Ripple lamination
• Wave ripple
• Planar Stratification
• Graded bedding
• Planar cross-stratification
PCD structures
• Trough cross-stratification
• Low-angle (<10º) cross-
stratification
• Flame
• Flaser bedding
• Lenticular bedding
• PCD
 Bioturbation

Simple vertical
burrows
Transitional intertidal
zone to shallow
marine

Backshore, dune and Shallow horizontal

supratidal transitional troughs and tunnels
environments Shallow marine
environments
Fault related features Palaeosol
 Plant impressions

Vertebraria Glossopteris leaf impressions

mid-rib mid-rib
 Coal Sampling
COAL PETROGRAPHIC STUDY BH NO.
Maceral/micro-lithotypes study SAMPLE DEPTH
Determination of Vitrinite Reflectance SEAM NO.

Vitrain : vitreous lusture and breaks with concoidal fracture.

Clarain : Bright, silky lusture and composed of allternate bright and
dull black laminae of <1mm thickness.
Durain : Dark grey to black, dull, very hard and shows grainy texture.
Fusain : Dull black, powdery with silky lusture and soils hand.
 Coal Sampling

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
Proximate Analysis
Band-by-Band (Ash%, Moisture%)
Overall and GCV (Ash%, Moisture%, Volatile Matter%,
Fixed Carbon%, GCV (Kcal/Kg)
Ultimate Analysis
Elemental analysis (C, N, H, S)
Special Test
For Non-coking coal- Phosphorous, Ash Fusion Temperature
Range & composition, grindability, Ash analysis, HGI, Crossing
point & Ignition point temperature etc.
For coking coal – Coke type, CSN, Fluidity, Dilation & other
parameters
 Coal Sampling
Indian Standard Procedure (ISP) 2017
“Consistent coal seams of ≥0.50m thickness need to be targeted
during exploration”.
Thin Seam = ≥0.50m to ≤0.90m
Thick Seam = >0.90m to ≥1.20m
Coal: Ash+Moisture ≤65%
Carbonaceous Shale: Ash+Moisture >65% to 75% (Combustible Dirt
Band)
Shale/Sandstone: Ash+Moisture >75% (Non-Combustible Dirt Band)
Exclude Carbonaceous shale at the immediate roof and floor of coal seams.
Include Carbonaceous shale upto 30cm thickness within coal seams,
provided the overlying and underlying coal band is thicker than
carbonaceous shale band.
Exclude Carbonaceous shale having >30cm and Non-combustible bands
>0.05m thickness from coal seam.
 Procedure of coal Sampling
457.00 457.60 459.60 460.00
No bands
Carbonaceous shale at the floor
Sample-1: 457.60m – 459.60m
Thickness: 2.00m Seam No.: Seam-II

457.00 457.60 459.60 460.00

Combustible band having ≤ 30cm
thickness
Sample-1: 457.60m – 459.60m
Thickness: 2.00m Seam No.: Seam-II

457.00 457.60 458.30 458.70 459.60 460.00

Combustible band having >30cm
thickness
Sample 1 Sample 2
Sample-1: 457.60m – 458.30m Thickness: 0.70m
Sample-2: 458.70m – 459.60m Thickness: 0.90m
Seam No.: Seam-II
457.00 457.60 458.40 458.80 459.60 460.00
Non-Combustible band >0.05m
thickness Sample 2
Sample 1
Sample-1: 457.60m – 458.40m Thickness: 0.80m
Sample-2: 458.80m – 459.60m Thickness: 1.00m
Seam No.: Seam-II
 Preparation of different diagrams and maps

Graphic litholog of boreholes

Three-point (Stratum contour) map
Geological Cross-section
Seam structure
Isopach & Iso-chore map
Fence & Panel diagram
Graphic litholog of boreholes
 Three-point (Stratum Contour) map

Lines of equal elevation

Map for floor/roof of thick and regionally persistent coal seam

RRL = RL – Roof Depth

FRL = RL – Floor Depth

Join points of same FRL/RRL to form stratum contour lines

Determine strike and dip of coal bed
Sharp/sudden deviation of contours, change in spacing of
contours are interpreted as Fault.
 Three-point (Stratum Contour) map
BH-7 (RL:394.54m)
FRL -157.04
Seam BH No. RL(m) Depth(m) FRL(m)
No.
From To
BH-6 (RL:400.66m)
Seam-VI BH-1 413.80 467.40 480.60 -66.80
FRL -187.17 BH-5 (RL:402.72m)
BH-2 418.23 530.17 545.72 -127.49
FRL -143.83
BH-3 405.10 505.98 519.44 -114.34
BH-4 (RL:409.83m) BH-4 409.83 551.33 566.55 -156.72
FRL -156.72 BH-5 402.72 531.22 546.55 -143.83
BH-3 (RL:405.10m) BH-6 400.66 573.00 587.83 -187.17
FRL -114.34 BH-7 394.54 538.19 551.58 -157.04
BH-2 (RL:418.23m)
BH-8 410.82 456.88 471.80 -60.98
FRL -127.49 BH-8 (RL:410.82m)
FRL -60.98
BH-1 (RL:413.80m)
FRL -66.80
Determination of Strike and Dip
BH-7
FRL -157.04

3º
BH-6
FRL -187.17
-180 -170 BH-5
-160 -150FRL -143.83
-180
3О

-170
x -140

-160 -150
BH-4
FRL -156.72

BH-3
BH-2 FRL -114.34

FRL -127.49 BH-8

FRL -60.98
BH-1

FRL -66.80
Demarcation of Fault
Determination of direction and amount of Throw

20m
 GEOLOGICAL CROSS-SECTION

1. True-dip section line tan à = tan a x Sin ɵ

à = apparent dip
2. Apparent-dip section line a = true-dip
ɵ = angle along true-dip

3. Across strike section line 4. Strike parallel section line

B BH-3 B
BH-3
BH-2 BH-2

BH-1 BH-1
BH-2
BH-2 projected on A-B line
A BH-2 projected on A-B line A by vertical projection
along strike of the plane – required elevation correction
 GEOLOGICAL CROSS-SECTION

1. High angle to section line 2. Low angle to section line

F B B

F
60m
60m

F
A A
F

Fault plane dip = 60º à = tanˉˡ (tan 60 x Sin ɵ)

à = apparent dip
ɵ = angle between fault plane
and section line (along true-dip)
 PROJECTION OF FAULT ON SURFACE

Trace of fault Trace of fault

On surface On surface

Geological map
Geological map
X BH-1 X BH-1
θ (60°) θ (60°)

Y = 400m

Y > 600m

600m
600m

X = Y / tan60º X = Y / tan60º
Seam Band Sample
Thick M%
depth depth A% VM%
No. SEAM
530.50 STRUCTURE
0.80 OF
531.30
SEAM-III
0.20
531.50 531.50
0.30 6.3 14.1 30.9 MC-7/29
531.80
0.30 4.7 15.4 31.7 MC-7/30 M% A%
1.50 532.10
10.0 34.2 MC-7/31
VM%
0.60 4.9
532.70
0.30 4.6 12.1 33.7 MC-7/32
533.00 533.00

1.00

534.00
 ISOPACH & ISO-CHORE MAPS

Iso-chore are contours showing points of equal vertical thickness

of strata - also known as “True Vertical Thickness (TVT) Map”

Isopach are contours joining parts of a stratigraphic unit that have

the same thickness - also known as “True Stratigraphic
Thickness (TST) Map”

Isopach = Iso-chore, if strata are horizontal

Thick and regionally persistent coal seams

Isopach of different coal seams encountered in study area can
be drawn
 Effect of structural features

1.50m

BH-1 1.50m

BH-5 BH-8
F BH-2 BH-12

F
F

BH-4
F
BH-7

BH-11

BH-3 BH-6 BH-9

BH-10
1.50m
1.50m
 FENCE & PANEL DIAGRAMS

A network of geological cross-sections

Profile of the surface and strata along the selected baseline
Stratigraphic changes
Geometry and development pattern of coal seams
Disposition of coal seams along discontinuity planes (Fault)
Base map having formational contacts, faults and boreholes
A baseline on base map connecting boreholes
Borehole log containing depths of all formations and coal
seams
Faults
 PREPARATION
OF
FENCE DIAGRAM

BH-1 BH-2
F
BH-6
BH-4
BH-7 F
F

BH-8
F
BH-3
BH-5
 PREPARATION
OF
FENCE DIAGRAM

BH-1 BH-2
F
BH-6
BH-4
BH-7 F
F

BH-8
F
BH-3
BH-5
PANEL DIAGRAM
FENCE DOAGRAM SHOWING THE GEOMETRY OF
COAL SEAMS & SANDSTONE SEQUENCE
 Geological map of the block
Graphic litholog
Geological Cross-section
Details of boreholes
Summarized litholog
Correlation of coal seams
Report on quality of coal seams
Details of coal seams to be considered for resource
estimation
Geological survey of India

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