Coal Lecture Notes

1. GEOLOGY: COAL KJD,2015
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COAL
- (C135H96O9NS)
- alteredremainsof originallylushvegetation
- 50 to 350 millionyearsago
- MostlyMiocene to pliocene
- consistof macerals (carbonaceousmaterials
evolvedfromvariousbotanical componentsof
the initial vegetativedebrisduring coalification)
TYPES OF COAL
 Thermal- steamcoal
 Metallurgical- cokingcoal
PHASES IN COAL FORMATION
• Microbial Stage
– Initial PeatFormation
– Repeatedgrowthanddecayof plantsin
swamps,marshand bogs
• Biochemical Stage
– Initial conversionof peattocoal
– Coveringof peatbedsbysedimentary
deposits
• Geochemical Stage
– As depthof sedimentarylayers
increased,the peatbecame tightly
compacted,alteringthe structure of the
plantdebris
– Hightemperature &pressure (20-fold
reductioninthicknessof the original
material)
*Coal isclassifiedaccordingtoitsqualityandrank
Lignite--- subbituminous--- bituminous--- semi-
anthracite---anthracite
*Coal isidentifiedaccordingtoextentof Coalification
Coalification- resultsinadecrease in
moisture,oxygenand
volatile matterandan
increase infixedcarbon
– Coal rank – referstothe degree of
coalification(maturity)
– Coal grade – refersto the quantityof
impuritiescontainedincoal
• Typesof impurities:
– Inherent
– Segregated
COAL CONSTITUENTS
• Formedby macerals – may range from 2
microns– several centimetersindiameter,non-
crystalline
• Coal petrography – systematicmicroscopic
studyand quantificationof the proportionand
characteristicsof constituentscontainedincoal
• reflectance – proportionof directincidentlight
that isreflectedfromaplane polishedsurface
underspecifiedconditionsof illumination
COAL MACERALS
• Vitrinite
– Coalificationof celluloseorlignin
structure (stems,leaves,etc.)
– Major componentof vitrainanddurain
– Mediumgray colorin reflectedlight
• Exinite
– Coalificationof waxes/resins
– Major constituentof clarain
– Pale gray inreflectedlightbutdarker
than vitrinite
• Inertinite
– Highreflectance (yellowishwhite)
– Highlyalteredplant remainsincoal
COAL OCCURENCESIN THE PHILIPPINES
- 2.37 billionmetrictonsestimatedcoal resource
potential
o 446 MMT coal reserve (Dec31, 2005)
 40% SemiraraIsland
 15% Lalat andMalangas area in
SibugueyPeninsula,South
Mindoro
*DOE –governmentagency thatadministersand
regulatesfuel/energyresources
- Limnitictosemi-Athracitic
- Grades:
o 1% ->3% sulfur
o <8%- >15% ash
- 70% lowerheatingvalue (9000Btu/lb)
GEOLOGY
- Faults,Foldsandintrusionresultedinawide
range of coal rank----- Rise incoal qualityis

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attributedtoigneousandothergeological
activities
- Structural deformation=15 to 90 degrees
*as the qualityof coal increases,difficultiesof
explorationanddevelopmentare multiplied
6 major coal block of Phil. Coal District
(Wardell-Armstrong and BED 1985)
-blocked per 1000 hectare (since commonwealth)
1. EasternMindanao
2. WesternMindanao
3. VisayasBasin
4. LuzonBlock
5. EasternSeabord
6. Westernseaboard
2009 COAL PRODUCTION
• Semirara : 4.85 millionMT
• SemiraraCoal Corporation(93.64% of
Phil.production)
• Albay/Batan : 50.45 thousandMT
• Batan Coal
• Samaju
• Ibalong
• Cebu(Southern) : 23.93 thousandMT
• Adlaon/Inimaco
• Ibalong/Manguerra
• Surigao : 121.25 thousandMT
• MG Mining
• Zamboanga : 30.74 thousandMT
• PNOCEC (23.76 thousandMT, down)
• Filsystems
• SSCM : 102.97 thousandMT
• Negros
• ZamboangaSibugay(62.03 thousand
MT)
• Bicol
• Cebu(33.545 thousandMT)
Total : 5.18 millionMT
USES OF COAL
• Fuel forpowerplants,cementplants,canning
• Reducingagentforiron ore smelting(coking
coal,too rich indissolvedcarbon)
• Ethanol production
• Liquefaction(canbe convertedtoliquidfuels –
hydrogenationorcarbonization)orGasification
• Coal accounts for19% of the country’sfinal
energyconsumptionmix asof 2007
COAL EXPLORATION ACTIVITY
1. Geological Mapping- outcropcharacterization
and plotting
2. Chemical analysis –todetermine coal quality
3. Geophysics- toinfersubsurface occurrenceof
the coal seam
4. Trenching- todetermine the thicknessof coal
seam
5. Drilling- toverifyoccurrence anddepth
SEMIRARA MINING CORPORATION
- Onlylarge-scale coal producerinthe Philippines
- Opencut mining
- Panianmine,SemiraraIsland,Antique
- 55 sq. km
- 350 kmsouthof Manila
- Coal product:
o SubBituminous
 Heatingvalue- 8600 to 10,450
BTU/lb
 Moisture- 11 to 15%
 Ash- 5 to10%
 Sulfur- 0.3- 0.9%
PETROLEUM
REQUIRMENTS TO PETROLEUM ACCUMULATIONS:
1. Source rock
- Anyrock in w/csufficientorganicmatterto
formpetroleumhasbeenaccumulated,
preservedandthermallymatured
- Commonlyfine-grainedrocks
o Shale (65% worldoccurrence)
- Fine-grainedcarbonates
o Lime mud(21%)
- Mud carbonate
o Marl (12%)
- Coal (2%)
2. Reservoirrock
- Portioncontainingthe oil/gasfound
underground

3. GEOLOGY: COAL KJD,2015
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o Hydrocarbonstorage capacity- effective
porosityandsize of reservoir
3. Trap
- Anygeological structure orsedimentaryfeature
that will confine the oil
o Structural traps
o Stratigraphictraps
o Combinationtraps
4. Impermeable seal/cap rock
- Limitsthe petroleumfluidatthe stratigraphic
level of reservoir
5. Migration path
- Mainlythrough interconnectedporesbutcould
alsobe throughanytype of openingswithinthe
rocks or fractures
PETROLEUM EXPORATION ACTIVITY
1. Surface geology
2. Subsurface survey
3. Drilling
4. Chemical analysis
5. FeasibilityStudy
PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AREAS
Offshore WestPalawan
1. SouthwestPalawan
2. Northwest Palawan
3. Reedbank
SuluRegion
1. East Palawan
2. Suluseabasin
a. Balabac sub-basin
b. Bancauan
c. Sandakan