Pak Coal

Coal is seemingly the cheapest and most essential source of energy. Here is a list of all the major uses of coal.

Generating Electricity
Production of Steel
Industries
Gasification and Liquefaction
Domestic Use

Pakistan’s largest coal reserves are found in Sindh with approximately 184,123 million tonnes.

Sindh: Lakhra, Sonda,Thatta, Jherruck, Thar, Others 184,123 COAL (MILLION TONNES)

Punjab: Eastern Salt Range, Central Salt Range, Makerwal 235 COAL (MILLION TONNES)

Baluchistan: Khost-Sharig-Harnai, Sor Range/Degari, Duki, Mach-Kingri, Musakhel Abegum, Pir Ismail Ziarat, Chamalong 617 COAL (MILLION TONNES)

Total 184,975 COAL (MILLION TONNES)

The coals of Pakistan are high in Sulphur and ash contents. The moisture percentage is also high in Sindh coal, especially in the Thar coal. The ranks of Pakistani coals range from lignite to high-volatile bituminous. The demonstrated Thar coalfield has the largest resources (over 175 billion tonnes in situ) and out of that about 12 billion tonnes are ‘demonstrated reserves’ (of which 2.7 billion classed as ‘measured’). Small tonnages of indigenous coal are used for electricity generation and by households, but by far the largest portion is used to fire brick kilns.

The coal industry takes the issue of safety very seriously. Coal mining deep underground involves a higher safety risk than coal mined in opencast pits. However, modern coal mines have rigorous safety procedures, health and safety standards and worker education and training, which have led to significant improvements in safety levels in both underground and opencast mining. There are still problems within the industry. The majority of coal mine accidents and fatalities being occurred in countries. Most accidents are in small scale town and village mines, often illegally operated, where mining techniques are labor intensive and use very basic equipment.

The way that coal is transported to where it will be used depends on the distance to be covered. Coal is generally transported by conveyor or truck over short distances. Trains and barges are used for longer distances within domestic markets, or alternatively coal can be mixed with water to form a coal slurry and transported through a pipeline.

Coal straight from the ground, known as runoff-mine (ROM) coal, often contains unwanted impurities such as rock and dirt and comes in a mixture of different-sized fragments. However, coal users need coal of a consistent quality. Coal preparation – also known as coal beneficiation. The treatment depends on the properties of the coal and its intended use. It may require only simple crushing or it may need to go through a complex treatment process to reduce impurities. To remove impurities, coal is crushed and then separated into various sizes. As the coal is lighter, it floats and can be separated off, while heavier rock and other impurities sink and are removed as waste. Alternative methods use the different surface properties of coal and waste. In ‘froth flotation’, coal particles are removed in a froth produced by blowing air into a water bath containing chemical reagents. The bubbles attract the coal but not the waste and are skimmed off to recover the coal fines. Recent technological developments have helped increase the recovery of ultra-fine coal material.

Coal is mined by two methods – underground mining and Opencast mining.

Finding Coal?

Coal reserves are discovered through exploration activities. The process usually involves creating a geological map
of the area, then carrying out geochemical and geophysical surveys, followed by exploration drilling. This allows an accurate picture of the area to be
developed. The area will only ever become a mine if it is large enough and of
sufficient quality that the coal can be economically recovered. Once this has
been confirmed, mining operations begin.

What are the types of Coal?

What is Coal?

The build-up of silt and other sediments, together with movements in the earth’s crust buried these swamps and peat bogs, often to great depths. With burial, the plant material was subjected to high temperatures and pressures. This caused physical and chemical changes in the vegetation, transforming it into peat and then into coal. Coal formation began during the Carboniferous Period – known as the first coal age – which spanned 360 million to 290 million years ago. The quality of each coal deposit is determined by temperature and pressure and by the length of time in formation.

Coal mining at Lakhra, Sindh Province, Pakistan. A team was appointed to visit the area, visit coal mining site, as it is only underground mining,