This document discusses the Gondwana formation in Bangladesh and the Phulbari coal field. It begins with background on the breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana around 180 million years ago. It then discusses the Gondwana sediments found subsurface in northwest Bangladesh, including the Barapukuria and Phulbari coal deposits. The Phulbari coal field contains two major coal seams between 6-39 meters thick with high volatile bituminous coal. While it has potential reserves of 380 million tons, the proposed open-pit mine project was controversial and faced significant local opposition. In summary, the document outlines the geologic history and coal resources of the Gondwana formation in Bangladesh,
3. Gondwana formation:
Gondwana was an ancient supercontinent that broke up about
180 million years ago. The continent eventually split into
landmasses we recognize today: Africa, South America,
Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian
Peninsula.
Gondwana was half of the Pangaea supercontinent, along with a
northern supercontinent known as Laurasia
6. Reason:
During Gondwana's stint as the southerly supercontinent,
the planet was much warmer than it was today — there
was no Antarctic ice sheet, and dinosaurs still roamed the
Earth. By this time, it was the Jurassic Period, and much
of Gondwana was covered with lush rainforest.
Between about 170 million and 180 million years ago,
Gondwana from the other half of Gondwana. About 140
million years ago, South America and Africa split, opening
up the South Atlantic Ocean between them. Meanwhile,
on the eastern half of the once-supercontinent,
Madagascar made a break from India and both moved
away from Australia and Antarctica.
egan its own split, with Africa and South America breaking
apart.
7. Raniganj coal basin:
An example of Gondwana rift of west Bengal, India. In the Raniganj Coalfield the
coal seams can be divided into two blocks – Raniganj measures and Barakar
measures.
Raniganj Coalfield produces the best quality of non-coking coal in India, with
average ash percentage of less than 20%. The main features of this coal are
high volatile content, long flame, quick ignition and high heat value.
Coal Production = 33.90 million tonnes
Number of operating mines = 98
Number of underground mines = 77
Number of opencast mines = 21
8. Gondwana sediments are not exposed any where in Bangladesh, but
from the drill hole observation, it is discovered in some places
(subsurface of the north-western Bangladesh) i.e., Gondwana
formation containing the coal deposits in Bangladesh are found in the
subsurface on stable self region. Such as Kuchma (Bogura),
Jamalganj (Jaypurhat), Barapukuria (Dinajpur), Phulbari
(Dinajpur) and Rangpur areas.
Gondwana formation of
Bangladesh:
10. History:
In the Permian period, Bangladesh was part of
the supercontinent Gondawa. The late Permian
Paharpur formation was first recognized
through 11 boreholes in 1965 near the Paharpur
coal field. The formation is primarily gray,
feldspathic sandstone and some deposits of
kaolin material.
11. Formation:
Condition of deposition
Formed from the accumulation of vegetables debris
carried down by the rivers and sluggish drainage
Upper Gondwana formed by the lava flows of late
Jurassic to the early cretaceous age where the
Sibgonj formation was laid.
12. Economic importance of Gondwana
Sediments:
Coal is the most economically important materials of the
Gondwana rocks.
Besides this black gold, Gondwana have yielded good quality
building stones, clays and iron ores of importance.
14. Phulbari coal field:
The Phulbari Coal Project was an open-pit coal mine project in
Bangladesh proposed by Asia Energy Corporation, which is a
wholly owned subsidiary of London-based GCM Resources.
The project initially began when the Australian mining company
BHP Minerals discovered coal at Phulbari when conducting
surveying and drilling between 1994 and 1997. It is about 10 km
south of the Barapukuria coal field in Dinajpur.
Reserve: 380 million ton
16. Stratigraphy:
Phulbari coalfield lies in a half graben basin located
in the Rangpur saddle and just south of the
Barapukuria coalfield basin. In the Phulbari coal
basin, Archaean rocks of granitic composition is
unconformable overlain by Permian coal bearing
Gondwana group.
The thickness of the Gondwana group ranges from 60
to more than 150 meter.
17. Coal seam:
There are two major coal seams in the Phulbari coal field.
1. Upper seam comprises dull coal with shalcy to high ash phases. It
occurs at depth range of 152 to 287 meter, has thickness of 7 to 16
meter.
2. The main seam occurs at depth range of 150 to 340 meter, has
thickness of 6 to 39 meter.
There are three other minor seams that are thinner, discontinuous and
have high ash content.
19. Coal quality:
High volatile A & B bituminous
POccasional higher concentration of bright coal
Vitrinite content is relatively low.
Raw coal has very low coking properties.
redominantly dull banded dull
Ash content 15% to 19%
Through processing-7% to 13% possible for export market
20 to 35% for local industrial and thermal power stations
Volatile matter varies from 37.5% to less than 36%.
Sulphur usually less than 1%.
Ash- 14.1% to 27.4%
Fixed carbon -44.7% to 53%.
20. Reference:
M. Badrul Imam Sir, Energy Resources of Bangladesh .
Wikipedia/Non renowable
Wikipedia/Phulbari Coal mining field Bangladesh .
M.B. Imam, mineral resources of Bangladesh. Dhaka,
Bangladesh: university press ltd., 1997, 169pp (in Bengali).
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