Omprakash S. Sarate

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53, University Road, Lucknow-226 007, India

E-mail: ossarate@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

The present paper incorporates coal petrographic analysis of three sub-surface coal seams encountered in the Bore-hole No. A-146 from Belampalli coalfield of Godavari Valley, Telangana State, India. The topmost index seam contains high proportion of mineral matter and the coal is shaly in nature. The middle seam show a wide variation in its maceral content as depicted by the existence of vitric, fusic and mixed coal types. The bottom seam is marked by the presence of fusic coal. Similarly, from the random vitrinite reflectance (Ro mean%) study, it is inferred that the bottom seam has reached the rank of high volatile bituminous ‘C’ stage, whereas the middle seam contains coal with rank variation from sub- bituminous ‘B’ to high volatile bituminous ‘C’ stage. The facies diagram advocates prevalence of alternate oxic and anoxic moor conditions during the deposition of the bottom seam while, the middle seam has witnessed both wet moor with intermittent moderate to high flood as well as alternate oxic and anoxic moor conditions.

Keywords: Belampalli, Godavari Valley, Reflectance, Macerals, Depositional environment, Telangana State.