Facies development of coal seams in the Knurow deposit (Upper Silesia, Poland)

This paper presents the first attempt to develop the facies model of the entire coal deposit belonging to the Carboniferous productive sequence located in the western part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. To achieve this objective, six seams from the Knur acute accent ow deposit were examined. The deposit belongs to the largest producer of coking coal in Europe, which is Jastrzebska Sp acute accent olka Weglowa SA (Polish state-run coking coal producer). The maceral composition, vitrinite reflectance, ash yield content, moisture content, gross calorific value, and volatile matter yield were determined. Coals from the Knur acute accent ow deposit are classified as ortho-bituminous and meta -bituminous coals. Their average degree of coalification, determined by vitrinite reflectance, is R-O = 0.79% to R-O = 1.09%. Petrographic indices and the analysis of facies diagrams were used to develop the facies model. It was shown that the facies development and sedimentological evolution of the Knur acute accent ow deposit were determined by the river system extended to the upper delta plain. In accordance with the stratigraphic succession, the oldest deposits are dominated by the reed facies (mainly Calamites) growing in oxbow lakes and dry streambeds. With the passage of time, the importance of the river system for the development of the paleo-environment decreased. Transitional bogs with mixed plant communities were formed. This started the conversion of wetlands into areas occupied by wet forest. At the end of the sedimentation of the documented coal seams in the Knur acute accent ow deposit, lowland bogs (fens), which were subject to frequent fires, dominated the landscape. Based on a detailed maceral analysis and facies diagram analysis, a strong correlation between fault occurrence and coal facies developed under paleo-river influence was displayed. The aim of the study is to show environmental changes during deposit formation in the context of geological exploration.

Automated summary

This paper presents the first attempt to develop the facies model of the entire Carboniferous coal deposit in the western part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The study reveals the sedimentological evolution and facies development of the Knur coal deposit, indicating the influence of the river system and the correlation between fault occurrence and coal facies.