Study of Micro-structures and their Relation with Occurrence of Mineral Matter in Ramagundam Coals, Godavari Basin, India: Implications on Coal and Hydrocarbon Industries

This paper is an attempt to study the relationship between coal microstructures and mineral matter in Ramagundam Gondwana coal of Godavari basin. For this purpose, the occurrence and distribution of mineral matter in different lithotypes and microlithotypes have been investigated and their association with organic matter has been studied. The work has been accomplished through detailed petrography, SEM-EDS and XRD studies. Presence of clay minerals and pyrite, along with trace amounts of apatite, ankerite, hematite, calcite, dolomite and quartz has been revealed from the study. The lithotypes and bands have variable concentrations of mineral matter which occurs associated with different microstructures in coal. Optical microscopy reveals that mineral matter occurs maximum in dull-coal but it is almost equally distributed in dull-banded coal and banded-bright coal. The study also incorporates the nature of fracture and phyteral pores and their association with mineral matter. Vitrain is characterized by cleats, micropores and microfractures which are often filled up partially or completely with mineral matter; fusain has well preserved tracheids with open pits and partially homogenized cell structure filled with mineral matter. In durain and clarain lithotypes, the minerals are intimately intergrown with the organic constituents.

Automated summary

This study investigates the relationship between coal microstructures and mineral matter in Ramagundam Gondwana coal of Godavari basin. Through detailed petrography, SEM-EDS, and XRD studies, the presence and distribution of mineral matter in different lithotypes and microlithotypes are examined. The study reveals the occurrence of clay minerals, pyrite, and trace amounts of other minerals in the coal, and their association with organic matter.