THE ESTIMATION OF COAL QUALITY

AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TASKS

OF MINIG GEOLOGIST

IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES

OF UPPER SILESIAN COAL BASIN

The application of combination Surfer and AutoCAD software

THE ESTIMATION OF COAL QUALITY

AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TASKS

OF MINIG GEOLOGIST

IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES

OF UPPER SILESIAN COAL BASIN

The application of combination Surfer and AutoCAD software

Marek MARCISZ PhD, DSc., Eng., Assoc. Prof.

Silesian University of Technology, Institute of Applied Geology

Gliwice, POLAND

The geologist task is giving the information, which allows for exploitation of deposit with the

guarantee of:

the safety of people and machines,

the clean of deposit exploitation,

minimal devastation of the natural environment

(in the consequence of exploitation).

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

The informations expected by miner from geologist can be divided in 4 groups:

I group – information about the deposit form – indispensable to open out the deposit,

II group – information about the type and quality of the mineral – indispensable in estimation of the utilization

value of mineral and designing of the enrichment type,

III group – information about deposit reserves (about mineral quantity in the deposit and about spacing of the

mineral in the deposit) – indispensable in estimation of the economic value of deposit and designing of the

exploitation method,

IV group – information about mining-geological conditions of the exploitation.

The geologist tasks include:

the geological charting of the deposit,

the sampling,

reserves esimation.

All results of the geologist tasks are presented on the map.

THE MAP IS ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY SOURCES OF GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION.

THE MAP IS USED FOR:

THE PREPARATION OF THE DRAFT OF MINE,

RUNNING THE EXPLOITATION,

ESTIMATION OF THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF DEPOSIT.

The digitalization of maps has became more popular recently, however majority of mining maps is

still kept in original (analog) form.

The digital drawing up the maps is useful because of:

the easiness of storing,

the easier accessibility to the data,

the easiness in modification and completing.

I. OBJECT AND RANGE OF THE

AutoCAD AND SURFER COMBINATION

I. OBJECT AND RANGE OF THE

AutoCAD AND SURFER COMBINATION

The GIS (Geographical Information Systems) software is very expensive so the combination of the Surfer and

AutoCAD software can be an alternative.

This method takes into consideration the specificity of the mine maps.

This method allows to combine:

different methods of the contour maps drawing (from the Surfer),

with

the scaling of maps (optional choice of maps format) and adequate selection of the mining-geological

details (from the AutoCAD).

Moreover, this software were chosen, because of the fact that both, Surfer and AutoCAD use

the CAD’s format of data transfer .dxf.

This method is used for the construction of maps of the chemical-technical and

petrographical parameters of coal.

Coal quality parameters, for which the maps were constructed, are based on national (Polish

Standards) and international standards (ECE Geneva).

These standards are based on the:

parameters of technical analysis like:

moisture content Wa [%],

ash content Aa [%], Ad [%],

volatile matter content Vdaf [%],

gross calorific value GCVdaf [MJ/kg],

calorific value CVdaf [MJ/kg],

parameters of elementary analysis like:

sulphur content Sta [%], S

td [%],

coking parameters like:

contraction a [%],

dilatation b [%],

Roga Index RI [-],

Swelling Index SI [-],

physical parameters like:

vitrinite reflectance in oil immersion R [%],

petrographic composition:

content of vitrinite group macerals Vtmmf [%],

content of liptinite group macerals Lmmf [%],

content of inertinite group macerals Immf [%],

Data including values of these parameters come from the drill-holes cards and

cards of the results of the channel samples’ analysis.

The maps of selected coal quality parameters (coking parameters: Roga Index and

Swelling Index) from the 2 coal seams (403 and 406) from one of Polish mine will

present this method.

II. CONSTRUCTION OF THE COAL QUALITY

CONTOUR MAPS

II. CONSTRUCTION OF THE COAL QUALITY

CONTOUR MAPS

2.1. MAKING OF THE TABULAR DATA BASE2.1. MAKING OF THE TABULAR DATA BASE

p. 403/1 p. 406/3

X Y RI [-] X Y SI [-] X Y RI [-] X Y SI [-]

-14979 -24726 82 -18401 -25144 6,0 -19010 -25363 75 -19010 -25363 8,5

-18401 -25144 63 -19004 -26272 8,0 -19200 -25512 72 -19200 -25512 8,0

-19004 -26272 69 -17884 -25732 7,0 -18849 -25248 75 -18849 -25248 8,0

-17884 -25732 68 -16835 -27004 7,5 -18710 -25142 58 -18710 -25142 7,5

-16835 -27004 76 -18135 -27796 7,0 -18532 -25006 74 -18532 -25006 8,5

-18135 -27796 80 -15088 -26049 6,5 -18332 -24856 70 -18332 -24856 8,5

-18827 -25910 71 -16789 -24946 6,0 -19318 -25317 69 -19318 -25317 7,5

-18693 -26875 73 -16848 -24732 4,5 -19122 -25168 64 -19122 -25168 6,0

-17800 -27199 87 -19147 -25450 5,0 -18924 -25020 58 -18924 -25020 5,0

-15088 -26049 75 -19117 -25494 5,0 -18658 -24814 62 -18658 -24814 7,5

p. 403/1 p. 406/3

X Y RI [-] X Y SI [-] X Y RI [-] X Y SI [-]

-14979 -24726 82 -18401 -25144 6,0 -19010 -25363 75 -19010 -25363 8,5

-18401 -25144 63 -19004 -26272 8,0 -19200 -25512 72 -19200 -25512 8,0

-19004 -26272 69 -17884 -25732 7,0 -18849 -25248 75 -18849 -25248 8,0

-17884 -25732 68 -16835 -27004 7,5 -18710 -25142 58 -18710 -25142 7,5

-16835 -27004 76 -18135 -27796 7,0 -18532 -25006 74 -18532 -25006 8,5

-18135 -27796 80 -15088 -26049 6,5 -18332 -24856 70 -18332 -24856 8,5

-18827 -25910 71 -16789 -24946 6,0 -19318 -25317 69 -19318 -25317 7,5

-18693 -26875 73 -16848 -24732 4,5 -19122 -25168 64 -19122 -25168 6,0

-17800 -27199 87 -19147 -25450 5,0 -18924 -25020 58 -18924 -25020 5,0

-15088 -26049 75 -19117 -25494 5,0 -18658 -24814 62 -18658 -24814 7,5

seam number

p. 403/1 p. 406/3

X Y RI [-] X Y SI [-] X Y RI [-] X Y SI [-]

-14979 -24726 82 -18401 -25144 6,0 -19010 -25363 75 -19010 -25363 8,5

-18401 -25144 63 -19004 -26272 8,0 -19200 -25512 72 -19200 -25512 8,0

-19004 -26272 69 -17884 -25732 7,0 -18849 -25248 75 -18849 -25248 8,0

-17884 -25732 68 -16835 -27004 7,5 -18710 -25142 58 -18710 -25142 7,5

-16835 -27004 76 -18135 -27796 7,0 -18532 -25006 74 -18532 -25006 8,5

-18135 -27796 80 -15088 -26049 6,5 -18332 -24856 70 -18332 -24856 8,5

-18827 -25910 71 -16789 -24946 6,0 -19318 -25317 69 -19318 -25317 7,5

-18693 -26875 73 -16848 -24732 4,5 -19122 -25168 64 -19122 -25168 6,0

-17800 -27199 87 -19147 -25450 5,0 -18924 -25020 58 -18924 -25020 5,0

-15088 -26049 75 -19117 -25494 5,0 -18658 -24814 62 -18658 -24814 7,5

coordinates of sampling points

p. 403/1 p. 406/3

X Y RI [-] X Y SI [-] X Y RI [-] X Y SI [-]

-14979 -24726 82 -18401 -25144 6,0 -19010 -25363 75 -19010 -25363 8,5

-18401 -25144 63 -19004 -26272 8,0 -19200 -25512 72 -19200 -25512 8,0

-19004 -26272 69 -17884 -25732 7,0 -18849 -25248 75 -18849 -25248 8,0

-17884 -25732 68 -16835 -27004 7,5 -18710 -25142 58 -18710 -25142 7,5

-16835 -27004 76 -18135 -27796 7,0 -18532 -25006 74 -18532 -25006 8,5

-18135 -27796 80 -15088 -26049 6,5 -18332 -24856 70 -18332 -24856 8,5

-18827 -25910 71 -16789 -24946 6,0 -19318 -25317 69 -19318 -25317 7,5

-18693 -26875 73 -16848 -24732 4,5 -19122 -25168 64 -19122 -25168 6,0

-17800 -27199 87 -19147 -25450 5,0 -18924 -25020 58 -18924 -25020 5,0

-15088 -26049 75 -19117 -25494 5,0 -18658 -24814 62 -18658 -24814 7,5

parameters and their values

2.2. CONSTRUCTION OF THE CONTOUR MAPS OF THE

COAL QUALITY PARAMETERS

2.2. CONSTRUCTION OF THE CONTOUR MAPS OF THE

COAL QUALITY PARAMETERS

The map of the Roga Index

for the coal seam 403

The map of the Roga Index

for the coal seam 406

The map of the Swelling Index

for the coal seam 403

The map of the Swelling Index

for the coal seam 406

These maps are constructed by Surfer using one of the contouring method:

Inverse Distance to a Power,

Kriging,

Minimum Curvature,

Modified Shepard's Method,

Natural Neighbor,

Nearest Neighbor,

Polynomial Regression,

Radial Basis Function,

Triangulation with Linear Interpolation,

Moving Average,

Data Metrics,

Local Polynomial.

The kriging is the most useful method for the precise estimation changes of the

quality parameters values.

The maps constructed by this method should be saved in .dxf format.

2.3. CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAPS OF THE COAL SEAM2.3. CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAPS OF THE COAL SEAM

The map of the coal seam 403 The map of the coal seam 406

The picture below is the example of a matrix of the typical coal seam map with the most

fundamental elements like:

the coordinate system

the mine field border

the faults

the seam outcrop

Depending on the destination, the maps can be completed with necessary details, like:

the localization of the drill-holes

the sampling points

the underground structure of the mine,

mine workings

the details of the underground mine

surveying system

III. THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE

AutoCAD AND SURFER COMBINATION

III. THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE

AutoCAD AND SURFER COMBINATION

The contour maps (constructed by Surfer) scaled in the special way are coated as

followed layers on the seam map (constructed by AutoCAD).

3.1. THE MAPS OF THE ROGA INDEX (RI)3.1. THE MAPS OF THE ROGA INDEX (RI)

The map of the coal seam 403 The map of the coal seam 406

3.2. THE MAPS OF THE SWELLING INDEX (SI)3.2. THE MAPS OF THE SWELLING INDEX (SI)

The map of the coal seam 403 The map of the coal seam 406

3.3. THE CONTOUR MAPS SUPERPOSITION3.3. THE CONTOUR MAPS SUPERPOSITION

VARIANT I:

It is possible to impose the isarithms of the different parameters (for instance the Roga Index RI

and the Swelling Index SI) in the same coal seam (for instance in 403 seam or 406 seam).

The map of the coal seam 403 The map of the coal seam 406

RI + SI RI + SI

Variant I: the same coal seam but other parameters

VARIANT II:

It is also possible to compile the maps of the same parameter (for instance Roga Index RI or

Swelling Index SI) from different coal seams (for instance 403 seam and 406 seam) and

observe the changes of the pararameter values in relation to depth.

The maps of the coal seams 403 and 406 The maps of the coal seams 403 and 406

RI SI

II variant: different coal seams but the same parameter

The contour maps of the quality parameters allow to determinate the possibilities of the coal

utilization.

According to the Polish Standards the coal quality is determinated only on the base of the 5

parameters:

volatile matter content Vdaf [%],

Roga Index RI [-],

dilatation b [%],

Swelling Index SI [-],

calorific value CVdaf [MJ/kg].

3.4. THE MAPS OF THE TYPES OF COAL3.4. THE MAPS OF THE TYPES OF COAL

The appropriate ranges of the values of these parameters allow to distinguish types of coal.

On the base of the types of coal it’s possible to determinate very precisely the way of the coal

utilization in different branches of industry:

power coals,

coking coals

and the others.

The map of the coal seam 403 The map of the coal seam 406

Type 34 – the coking coal Type 34 – the coking coal

It is possible to impose the maps of the technological types of coal of different coal seams.

The maps of the coal seams 403 and 406

Type 34 – the coking coal

The possibility of imposing different, selected layers allows to present only the essential data.

This procedure allows to reduce the amount of the needless details on the maps.

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

The scaling of maps makes possible to plot whole maps or their fragments in different formats.

Digital form of the map saving is conducive to easier storing, easier accessibility of the data and

easier modification and completing.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION