UNITED STATES.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

PROJECT REPORT
Pakistan Investigations
(IR)PK-55

GEOLOGY AND COAL RESOURCES OF THE LAKHRA COAL FIELD

HYDERABAD AREA, PAKISTAN

OPEN FILE REPORT

This report is preliminary and

has not been edited or reviewed for
conformity with Geological Survey
standards or nomenclature

Prepared under the auspices of the

Government of Pakistan and the
Agency for International Development
U. S. Department of State

1975
 GEOLOGY AND COAL RESOURCES OF THE

LAKHRA COAL FIELD, HYDERABAD AREA

PAKISTAN
by

M. A. Ghani
Geological Survey of Pakistan
f. i an,4
Robert L". Harbour and E. R. Landis
U. S. Geological Survey
with a section on mining operations
by
William 'fcebblish
U. S. Bureau of Mines
 CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION............................................... 2

Purpose and scope..................................... 2

Location, extent, and accessibility of the coal field. 2

Report history, responsibilities, and acknowledgments 4

GEOGRAPHY.................................................. 5

Topography and relief................................. 5

Drainage and water supply............................. 5

Vegetation, cultivation, and population............... 7

HISTORICAL REVIEW. ......................................... 8

GEOLOGY.................................................... 10

Ranikot Formation..................................... 12

Lower part....................................... 13

Lithology and internal stratigraphy......... 13

Contacts.................................... 14

Distribution and thickness.................. 14

Age and correlation......................... 14

Upper part....................................... 15

Lithology and internal stratigraphy......... 15

Contacts.................................... 15

Distribution and thickness .................. 16

Age and correlation......................... 16

Laki Limestone............................ ,%........... 17

Lithology and internal stratigraphy......... 17

Contacts.................................... 18
 Distribution and thickness................... 18

Age and correlation................... 0 ...... 18

"Basal Laki laterite".............................. 19

Lithology and internal stratigraphy.......... 19

Contacts..................................... 20

Distribution and thickness................... 20

Age and correlation.......................... 20

Manchhar Formation..................................... 21

Lithology and internal stratigraphy.......... 21

Contacts..................................... 21

Distribution and thickness ................... 21

Age and correlation.......................... 22

Alluvium............................................... 22

STRUCTURE................................................... 22

Folds.................................................. 22

Faults................................................. 23

ECONOMIC GEOLOGY............................................ 24

Coal................................................... 24

Characteristics of Lakhra coal.................... 24

Rank......................................... 25

Grade........................................ 26

Thickness and extent of beds................. 27

v Thickness of overburden...................... 28

Reserves............................................... 29

Mining factors......................................... 31

ii
 Zone of weathering....................... 31

Ground water table....................... 31

Rocks above and below the coal........... 32

Prospecting................................... 32

Other valuable materials ........................... 33

Limestone..................................... 33

Clay.......................................... 33

Gypsum........................................ 34

Glass sand.................................... 34
Laterite...................................... 34

MINING OPERATIONS-1969, by William Kebblish............. 38

Habibullah Mining Co............................... 38

Mine development program...................... 39

Mode of entry............................ 39
Mining method............................ 40
Method of coal transportation............ 41

Pumping.................................. 41
Ventilation.............................. 41

Power requirements....................... 42
Required equipment....................... 42

Conclusions and recommendations............... 42

Baluchistan Coal Co................................ 43

Mine development program...................... 44

Mode of entry............................ 44
Mining methods........................... 44

Method of coal transportation............ 45

iii
 Pumping...................................... 45

Ventilation.................................. 45

Power requirements........................... 46

Required equipment........................... 46

Comments and recommendations ...................... 46

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................. 48

SELECTED REFERENCES......................................... 49

APPENDIX.................................................... 53

ILLUSTRATIONS

TABLES

Table 1. Classification of coals by rank................... 25a

2. Analyses of Lakhra coals.......................... in pocket

3. Strip ratios in the Lakhra coal field............. 28a

4. Estimated coal reserves of the Lailian coal bed... 29

5. Chemical and mineralogic analyses of sample 1780.. 35

6. Analyses of laterite samples from the Lakhra area. 37

PLATES

Plate 1. Geological map and generalized sections of the

Lakhra coal field, Pakistan................. in pocket

2. Thickness map of the Lailian coal bed,

Pakistan......................................... in pocket

FIGURES

Figurel. Index map showing the Lakhra anticline and the out-
crop of the Ranikot Formation, Pakistan..... 4a

2. Correlation of coal horizons in the north-south

line of drill holes in the Lakhra coal field,
Pakis tan.................................... in pocket

3. Correlation of horizons in the east-west line of

drill holes at Lailian Colliery in the Lakhra
coal field, Pakistan........................ 27a

iv
4. Correlation of coal horizons in the east-west line of
drill holes, 3 miles north of Lailian Colliery,
Pakistan................................................ 27b

5. Correlation of coal horizons in the east-west line of

drill holes, 5 miles north of Lailian Colliery,
Pakistan................................................ 27c

6. Correlation of coal horizons in the east-west line of

drill holes, 1 mile south of Lailian Colliery,
Pakistan................................................ 27d
 GEOLOGY AND COAL RESOURCES OF THE LAKHRA COAL FIELD,

HYDERABAD AREA, PAKISTAN

/ by
M. A. Ghani, Geological Survey of Pakistan
and
Robert L. Harbour and Edwin R. Landis, U. S. Geological Survey

ABSTRACT

The Lakhra coal field is about 20 miles northwest of the ancient

city of Hyderabad on the west side of the Indus River Valley in the southern

part of Pakistan.

The Lailian coal bed in the lower part of the Ranikot Formation under-

lies an area of at least 64 sq mi on the Lakhra anticline, averages 3.6 feet

thick, but is locally as much as 8.2 feet thick. The estimated reserves in

the bed total 239.7 million long tons, of which 21.9 million long tons is

classified as measured reserves, 43.8 million long tons as indicated

reserves, and 174 million long tons as inferred reserves.

The coal is apparently subbituminous C and lignite A in rank. It lies at

depths of 83 to 439 feet below the surface of the gently dipping rocks along

the crest of the 43-mile-long Lakhra anticline. Though the coal is liable to

burn spontaneously, the simplicity of the structure, the shallow depth of the

coal bed, and the easy accessibility of the area should warrant large-scale

utilization of the coal in the Lakhra field.

 INTRODUCTION

Purpose and scope of the investigation

The Lakhra coal field was studied to ascertain the geology and

structure of the area and to collect coal resources data, including the

thickness and extent of beds; characteristics of the coal, roof, and

floor; structural configuration of the coal-bearing unit; position of the

coal beds with respect to the surface and zone of weathering; and position

of the coal beds with respect to the ground-water table. The thickness,

distribution, and chemical characteristics of a laterite deposit in the

area were also studied.

The present report summarizes data obtained during the period 1961

through 1966. The Lakhra coal field was mapped at a scale of 1 inch to

one mile. During the course of this work 34 holes totaling 13,804 feet

were drilled over a distance 20 miles north-south and 4 miles east-west.

Mr. Ishaque Durrazai, of the Geological Survey of Pakistan, supplied

subsurface information about two holes(L29 and L30) that were drilled in
i
the early part of 1965. Subsurface information about four holes (L31, 32,

33, and 34) drilled during the 1965-66 field season was supplied by

A. T. Moosvi of the Geological Survey of Pakistan.

Location, extent, and accessibility of the coal field

The coal-bearing area takes its name from the principal intermittent

drainage system called Lakhra Nala. Pak-Hunt International Oil Co.(Hunt

and others, 1953) used the term "Lakhra anticline" in their report on the

exploration for oil in the area. The anticline extends 43 miles north

to south and 15 miles east to west. The coal field area does not have a
well-defined boundary; however, in the present report, discussion of the

geology, structure, and coal resources is restricted to the area covered

by Survey of Pakistan topographic sheet 40 C/2 and part of sheet 40 C/l.

The lower part of the Ranikot Formation is exposed around Lailian

Colliery(lat 25°40'40" N and long 68 009'02" E; Survey of Pakistan grid

coordinates 2,358,900 yds. E and 975,400 yds. N), which has been used

as the main reference location in this report. The colliery is 85 miles

northeast of Karachi, 22 miles northwest of Hyderabad, and 12 miles west-

southwest of Khanot Railway Station(fig. 1).

It is about 40 miles by road from Hyderabad or Kotri to the center of

the coal field. The road is metalled to Khanot Railway Station, which is

28 miles from Kotri, by rail or by road. From Khanot to Lailian Colliery,

the road, although unmetailed, is maintained by Messrs. H. K. M. Habibullah

Mining Co. Burmah Oil Co. or Pak-Hunt International Oil Co. made a road

from Lailian to Band Virah, a police outpost that is connected with Kotri

by unmetalled road. The companies also graded a number of other jeep roads

in the area.

All the drill hole sites except L27 and L25 are easily accessible from

the Lailian Colliery. Sites L27 and L25 are approachable from Manjhand(fig. 1)
 Report history, responsibilities, and acknowledgments

This report includes the results of a cooperative program of coal

resource investigations in Pakistan conducted by the Geological Survey

of Pakistan with the assistance of the U. S. Geological Survey and the

U. S. Bureau of Mines. The program was sponsored by the Government of

Pakistan and the Agency for International Development, U. S. Department

of State, R. L. Harbour and M. A. Ghani shared

responsibilities for the Lakhra coal field investigations (Harbour and

Ghani, unpub. data, 1963). After Harbour's departure from Pakistan,

Ghani assumed responsibility for the collection and synthesis of informa-

tion, and prepared an earlier version of this report for submittal to

the Geological Survey of Pakistan prior to taking educational leave. In

1969, by agreement between the Geological Survey of Pakistan and the

Agency for International Development, E. R. Landis assumed responsibility

for review, revision, and additions, as required, of the report submitted

by Ghani, and for the subsequent fulfillment of publication plans.

Many of the personnel of the Geological Survey of Pakistan aided in

the investigation the help of A. S. A. Matin, Ishaque Durazzai, A. T. Moosvi,

and H. Rahman is especially acknowledged. William Kebblish and D. P. Schlick

of the U.S. Bureau of Mines kindly supplied analytical data and helped

acquire mining information. S. Anthony Stanin contributed the section on

the "basal Laki laterite" and analytical data on the laterite. The mining

companies in the field were very cooperative, and the hospitality and

cooperation rendered during the field work by M/s. K. B. H. M. Habibullah

Mining Co. and the Baluchistan Coal Co. are greatly appreciated.
 15' 68°30'

25°15
10 MILES
I i i
Figure 1. Index map showing the Lakhra anticline and the outcrop of the Ranikot Formation, Pakistan

4a
 . GEOGRAPHY

Topography and relief

Flat-topped hills, which slope down gently toward the Indus Plain,

stand out in the eastern, northern, and southern parts of the area. The

broad Lakhra valley crosses the central part of the area and is joined by

a number of tributary nalas.

The highest point in the area--686 feet above sea level--is 5.5

miles south- southeast of Lailian Colliery. The lowest point is located

at the confluence of Siph Nala and Lakhra Nala and is 238 feet above sea

level.

Drainage and water

Lakhra Nala with its tributaries forms the main drainage system in

the area. Lakhra Nala flows from northeast to south and then swings

southeast and finally to the east. Before turning to the east it is joined

by Siph Nala, an important tributary that flows across the crest of the

Lakhra anticline.

In the vicinity of drill holes L25 and L27, Occha Nala flows from

south to northeast. During the summer this river maintains a reservoir of

water 7 feet deep and a quarter of a mile in length at the maximum. This

was the source of drilling water for holes L25 and L27.
 The Hyderabad area receives a mean annual rainfall of 7.09 inches, of

which 6.03 inches fall between the months June through September. The

following table gives the distribution of rainfall throughout the year

(Ahmed, 1964):

Mean rainfall in inches

Station Jan. Feb. March April May June Ju ly Aug.

Hyderabad 0.17 0.24 0.20 0.07 0.19^ 0.39 2.98 2.03

Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Annua 1

Hyderabad 0.63 0.03 0.06 0.10 7.09

Nomadic people who visit the area sink wells 5 to 10 feet deep in

the alluvium of Lakhra Nala and other nalas, but these wells generally

become dry in the winter season. A number of permanent wells are present

near Ban Virah, Lailian, and a few other places. These wells are lined

with limestone slabs and can supply limited quantities of water throughout

the year.

Wells drilled to the water table might provide greater quantities of

water. The water table as recorded in the exploratory drill holes is more

than 100 feet below the surface in most places. In some holes, collapse

of the drill holes, the smaller diameter of the holes toward the bottom, or

casing in the holes prevented a satisfactory reading of the water table.

However, the regional water table appears to lie nearly 200 feet above

mean sea level. The record of the water table reading for each well is

given in the Appendix.

While exploring for oil in the area, Burmah Oil Co. and Pak-Hunt

International Oil Co. brought water from the Indus River by pipeline. The

Indus River is almost 14 miles northeast of Lailian Colliery.

 Vegetation, cultivation, and population
Because of scanty rainfall, the area is barren; the bald hills

have a few grassy patches on the slopes. However, trees and shrubs 10 to

15 feet tall are fairly common along the nalas.

Cultivation is limited to patches in comparatively low lying areas

where rainwater can accumulate. Small dykes or earthworks are built in

each cultivated plot to collect the rainwater; the concrete dam at Band

Virah is the most notable of such structures. These cultivated plots

are widely scattered, but many are in the western part of the area around

Kander, Band Virah, and nearby villages. In the northernmost part of the

area, the land around the village of Golara (topographic sheet 40 C/l) is

fairly well cultivated. Only one crop, generally maize, is grown, and

whether there is a crop or not depends on the mercy of rain.

Nomads with their cattle and goats visit the area during the winter

season when blades of grass grow on the hill slopes and in the valleys.

During that season they tend their cattle and plough land, but with the
coming of summer they move northward to higher altitudes or down to the
Indus valley. The winter villages of the nomads consist of a few shelter
huts. By the month of June the villages are deserted. A few families

live at Band Virah throughout the year. The nomadic people are poor, but
prefer their traditional way of life to mining coal.
 HISTORICAL REVIEW

As early as 1855, Baluch nomads during the course of sinking a well

in the valley reportedly struck 8 feet of coal at a depth of 41 feet. The

place was investigated by geologists from the Geological Survey of India.

Three experimental shafts were sunk a short distance from the original well,

to depths of 56, 44 and 28 feet, but no coal was found in any of them.

In 1857, a Mr. Inman put down a shaft at Lailian and encountered a coal bed

5 feet 9 inches thick that becomes very thin within a short distance. In

1867, W. T. Blanford made a hurried traverse from Kotri to Lainyan(Lailian)

and Ranikot to ascertain the prospect of additional discoveries of coal.

He gave a negative report. Later, in evaluating the deposit Blanford said,

"In short, as was shown by a discussion of all the data, there is nothing

which could properly be called a coal seam, but merely a mass of lignite

not extending much more than 50 yards in any direction." (Blanford, 1879,

p. 192-193.) Carter published a note in 1861 on the discovery of lignite

at Lailian. He briefly discussed the quality of the coal from Lailian

(Lainyan) and showed the coal to be similar to that of some other Tertiary

rock units.

The first systematic surveying of the area was carried out by Fedden

(1880) and Blanford(1876, 1878a, 1878b, 1879). A geological map of the

western part of the former province of Sind was prepared at a scale of

16 miles to an inch(Blanford, 1878a).

 Hunting Survey Corp. (1961) produced a reconnaissance geological map

of the area at a scale of 4 miles to an inch--geological map No. 7,

Hyderabad, covers the area. The map, along with the accompanying report,

was of great value and was used as a guide in the preparation of the

geological map (1:63,360 scale) of the present report.

Geologists of the Burmah Oil Co. prepared a geological map of the

central part of the Lakhra anticline at a scale of 4 inches to 1 mile.

The Burmah Oil Co. drilled one test well in the area (fig. 1) and recorded

coal cuttings from the following depth intervals: (1) 170-210 feet;

(2) 225-255 feet; (3) 420-421 feet; and (4) at 635 feet (Burmah Oil Co.

report "a").

Pak-Hunt International Oil Co. drilled four test wells in the area

(fig. 9). Coal cuttings recorded in the different wells are as follows:

Depth interval through which coal

Test well no. cuttings appeared in the flush sample

Pak-Hunt Lakhra No. 1 482-503 feet, at 830 feet,

1,520-1,570 feet.

No. 2 240-270 feet.

300-390 feet.
480-510 feet.
M II II
No. 3 480-510 feet, in nearly all samples
To a depth of 1,480 feet.
M II II
No. 4 240-270 foot depth; at 660 feet,
870-930 feet.
 GEOLOGY

The exposed rocks in the Lakhra field are assigned to the Ranikot

Formation, the Laki Limestone, and the Manchhar Formation. The Ranikot

Formation is divided into an upper part and a lower part. Sandstone, shale,

or claystone, and coal are the main constituents of the lower part of the

Ranikot Formation, whereas the upper part consists of limestone, sandstone,

claystone or shale, and siltstone. Only the uppermost 60 feet of the

lower part is exposed in the area, but it is more than 3,000 feet thick

in drill holes. The lower part is devoid of megafauna but some beds in

the upper part are profusely fossiliferous. The presence of fossiliferous

beds and limestone distinguishes the upper part of the Ranikot from the

lower part.

The Laki Limestone overlies the Ranikot Formation unconformably. A

highly ferruginous lateritic claystone, ranging from 0 to 25 feet in thickness

separates the Ranikot Formation from the overlying Laki Limestone in most

places. This laterite unit, considered by many previous workers to be the

lowermost unit of the Laki sequence, has been referred to as the "Basal Laki

laterite." The Laki Limestone is light gray, white to light yellowish gray,

finely crystalline, fossiliferous, hard, resistant, and cliff-forming.

The Manchhar Formation overlies the Laki Limestone unconformably.

Laterite, conglomerate, pebble beds, and friable sandstone are the

lithologic components of this unit. A thin cover of alluvium rests on the

Manchhar Formation.

10
 The lithologic succession of the rocks can be summarized as follows:

Unit ____ Thickness____________________Lithology________

Alluvium 0-10 feet Unconsolidated stream, colluvial, and eolian

deposits of sandstone, siltstone, and claystone
with limestone and sandstone pebble beds.

Manchhar 0-60 feet Laterite, pebble beds, conglomerate; soft

Formation and poorly sorted sandstone, siltstone,
(Miocene and and clay.
Pliocene?)
Unconformity-

Laki Limestone 68 feet Limestone, light yellowish-gray, finely

(Early Eocene?) exposed, crystalline, fossiliferous, hard, resistant,
330 feet cliff-former. Laterite at the base.
thick
nearby
Unconformity-

Upper part of the 450 to Fossiliferous limestone, sandstone, clay-

Ranikot Forma- 800 feet stone, or shale
tion(Paleocene,
Montian to Lan-
denian?)

Lower part of 60 feet Sandstone, shale, or claystone, coal; devoid

the Ranikot exposed, of megafauna.
Formation thickness at
(Danian to Pak-Hunt Lakhra
Montian?) No. 3 is 3083
feet

11
 Ranikot Formation

The Ranikot Formation was originally called the Ranikot "Series"

by W. T. Blanford(1876). The name comes from the old fort of Ranikot

(lat 25°52'45" N; long 67°55'00" E) in the Laki Range, northwest of

Kotri. The lower limit of the Ranikot "Series" was first extended downward

to include the Cardita beaumonti beds but subsequent descriptions by

Blanford(1878a, 1878b, 1879), Vredenburg(1906), Nuttal(1931), and others

have restricted the terms Ranikot "Series" or Ranikot Formation to a part

of the original unit, the lower strata being mapped separately as the

Cardita beaumonti beds. The Hunting Survey Corp.(1961) assigned Group

status to the Ranikot Series and included the Cardita beaumonti formation,

Lower Ranikot formation, and Upper Ranikot Formation in the Ranikot Group.

In this report the Ranikot is considered to be a formation divided informally

into an upper part and a lower part. The so-called Cardita beaumonti

formation is not exposed in the area and is not further discussed here.

None of the terminology used in tnis report has been formally

approved by the Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan.

12
 Lower part
The lower, nonfossiliferous, part of Blanford's (1879) "Ranikot

Series" is described here as the lower part of the Ranikot Formation.

Lithology and internal stratigraphy.--The unit is composed predominantly

of sandstone and subordinate amounts of claystone or shale, siltstone, and

coal. The unweathered sandstone is light gray, gray, white, and greenish

gray, but weathers into various shades of yellow, red, and brown. It is

coarse to fine grained, mostly subangular and poorly sorted, crossbedded

to massive, friable, loosely cemented. The claystone or shale and siltstone

are light gray to gray, pyritic, sandy, and gypsiferous; associated with

irregularly distributed coaly films; and range from nonlaminated to poorly

laminated. The highest minable coal bed, designated the Lailian coal

bed, is within this unit and is overlain and underlain by claystone in

most of the area. The coal is resinous and pyritic, and weathers into small

chips on exposure to air. The Lailian coal is about 125 feet stratigraphically

below the top of the lower part of the Ranikot Formation. It lies from a

minimum depth of 83 feet below the surface (at Lailian Colliery) to a

maximum depth of as much as 439 feet (in drill hole L 26). In addition to

the Lailian coal bed, other coal beds are at depths of 169, 268, 372, 345,

396, 420, and 435 feet in drill hole L 1, and at 290, 302, 337, 363, and

455 feet in drill hole L 2, but these other beds all seem to be very

lenticular.

13
 Contacts.--The lower part of the Ranikot Formation conformably overlies

the so-called Cardita beaumonti formation. The contact is not exposed in

the area but information is available from exploratory wells--Burmah Oil Co.

No. 1, and Pak-Hunt International Oil Co. Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The lower

part of the Ranikot is conformable with the overlying upper part of the

Ranikot formation.

Distribution and thickness.--The lower part of the Ranikot Formation

is exposed in an area of about 20 square miles(pi. 1) on the crest of

the Lakhra anticline. Only 60 feet of the unit is exposed, but it has been

cored to a depth of 837 feet at drill hole L27. The thickness as recorded

in Pak-Hunt International Oil Co. No. 3 is 3,085 feet (Hunt and others,

1953). The pre-Laki disconformity has stripped away part of this unit at

drill hole L25.

Age and correlation.--No marine megafossils were found in the cores

or exposed sections. However, at Pak-Hunt International Oil Co. Nos. 1

and 2, Operculina sp. was identified in this unit (Hunt and others, 1953).

Because of its conformable contact with the underlying Cardita beaumonti

formation of Danian age, and its conformable contact with the overlying

upper part of the Ranikot Formation of middle to late Paleocene age

(Montian to Landenian), a Danian to Montian age may be assigned to this

unit.

14
 Upper part

The fossiliferous part of Blanford's (1876) "Ranikot Series" is

identified herein as the upper part of the Ranikot Formation.

Lithology and internal stratigraphy.--The upper part of the Ranikot

Formation consists of sandstone, limestone, claystone or shale, and

siltstone. Sandstone is dominant in the basal beds, whereas limestone

is dominant in the upper part and alternates with sandstone and claystone.

The sandstone is thin to thick bedded, light gray, chocolate, yellow,

brown, and red in color; fine to coarse in texture with subangular to

subrounded grains; fossiliferous in certain layers; calcareous, and at

places grades into sandy limestone. It is hard and resistant where

calcareous and fossiliferous.

The limestone is light gray, weathered to yellow and brown; sandy;

fossiliferous; and in places grades into coquina. It is typically thick

bedded to massive, hard and resistant. The shale or claystone and siltstone

are light gray, stained yellow and brown, soft, slope-forming, and mostly

covered.

Contacts.--The upper part of the Ranikot conformably overlies the

lower part of the Ranikot Formation but unconformably underlies the Laki

Limestone. At places the Laki is missing and the Manchhar Formation

overlies the upper part of the Ranikot. The unit is of variable thickness

because of post-Ranikot erosion.

15
 Distribution and thickness.--The upper part of the Ranikot Formation

is exposed around the periphery of the area included on topographic sheet

40 C/2. The unit is 890 feet thick in the Bholari area, 450 feet in the

Khanot area, and completely missing around drill holes L25 and L27.

Age and correlation.--The unit is very rich in fossil Foraminifera,

mollusks, echinoids, and corals. Different workers of the Geological

Survey of India (Duncan, 1880; Duncan and Sladen, 1882-1885; Vredenburg,

1906; Nuttal, 1931; and others) give a voluminous account of the

paleontology of the unit.

Vredenburg(1928) regarded the unit as Thanetian in age and Nuttal(1925,

1931) correlated the unit to parts of the Thanetian and Montian stages of

Europe. The unit may range in age from Montian to Landenian.

16
 Laki limestone

The Laki Limestone is equivalent to the "Laki Series" of Vredenburg

(1906) who derived the term from the Laki hill range and village in the

western part of the Hyderabad Division.

Lithology and internal stratigraphy.--The formation consists of finely

crystalline limestone and very subordinate amounts of claystone or marl

and lateritic clay. The limestone is light yellowish-gray, white, and

light gray, stained yellow to brown, and weathers to light gray. It is a

nodular, hard, resistant, massive, cliff former. Foraminifera abound

throughout the formation, but most of the megafauna is present in the

middle part.

The claystone or marl in the Laki Limestone is light gray to gray,

and stained yellow. It is gypsiferous, fossiliferous, calcareous, soft,

and laminated, and forms lenses or thin beds in the lower half.

17
 Contacts.--The Laki Limestone is unconformable on the Ranikot Formation.

The old erosion surface transects the Ranikot at the rate of 23 feet per

mile from Bholari to Lailian and at 30 feet per mile from Lailian toward

drill hole L25. Little or no angular discordance can be seen at the

contact of the two units. The upper part of the Ranikot Formation is missing

at drill hole L25, but is as much as 800 feet thick in the surface sections

measured nearby. The economic importance of the unconformity between the

Ranikot and the Laki is shown by the fact that the Lailian coal is present

at the relatively shallow depth of 403 feet in drill hole L25, because the

upper part of the Ranikot and part of the lower part of the Ranikot were

stripped off by erosion prior to the deposition of the Laki.

The Laki limestone is overlain unconformably by the Manchhar Formation

in the northern and western parts of the area. In the eastern part, around

Khanot, alluvium rests on the Laki Limestone.

Distribution and thickness.--The Laki is 365 feet thick at drill hole

L25. In the area under discussion the Lakhra anticline is flanked by the

Laki on the east, north, and west sides.

Age and correlation.--The Laki is generally considered to be of early

Eocene age. Vredenburg (1928) considered the "Laki Series" to be early

Lutetian in age. Later work by Nuttall (1925, 1931) shows that the "Laki

Series" corresponds to the Ypresian.

18
 "Basal Laki laterite"

W. L. F. Nuttal(1925) subdivided the "Laki Series" of Vredenburg(1906)

into 4 units, of which the lower unit, a lateritic claystone, he named the

"Basal Laki laterite."

Lithology and internal stratigraphy.--In outcrops the "Basal Laki laterite"

is a highly ferruginous, dark red, maroon, dark brown, and yellowish-brown

massive claystone containing concretions of iron oxide, interbedded sandy

layers, and light tan pisolites in places. Locally, where the overlying lime-

stone has been stripped off by erosion, the laterite has a duricrust or hardpan

on exposed surfaces.

On the surface the "Basal Laki laterite" is a widespread, very conspicuous

lithologic unit in the Lakhra area; even partially exposed outcrops are

readily recognizable when viewed in the field from great distances. The

"lateritic" rocks are composed principally of highly ferruginous claystones

and siltstones, some of which are very gypsiferous. To acquire the prominent

color characteristics observed in the field, the rocks may have undergone a

period of subaerial weathering prior to deposition of the Laki Limestone, or

they may owe their present "red bed " surface appearance to the oxidation pro-

cesses that followed post-structure erosion and the denudation of these strata.

The possibility that the present surface lithologic character of the

"laterite" may be only surficial in nature is suggested by several factors.

Similar "lateritic" rocks crop out in surface sections in the Meting area,

which is south of the Lakhra anticline; however, no similar "lateritic" beds

have been recovered from exploratory core holes in the same area. From the

core data it appears that the "lateritic" or red bed" surface sections are

represented by unoxidized, dark-gray and gray pyritic claystone, and siltstone

19
in the subsurface. Moreover, many surface exposures of the Ranikot

Formation, particularly outcrops of the lower Ranikot sequences, display

"red bed" characteristics in the Lakhra and Meting areas, while subsurface

evidence of the same strata indicate that their unaltered equivalents are

actually dark gray and gray lithic units.

If these conditions apply to the "Laki laterite" and the present

discoloration and alteration surface features of the rocks are the result

of fairly "recent" oxidation processes, then in all probability the

so-called "Laki laterite" is not a true laterite.

Preliminary microscopic examinations were made on several thin sections

of "lateritic" rocks from the Lakhra area. In thin section, the rocks

appear to be composed principally of halloysite, deeply colored and irregularly

blotched with iron oxide, with very minor amounts of quartz grains and calcite

as accessory minerals.

Contacts.--Wherever observed, the contact between the "Basal Laki

laterite and the underlying Ranikot Formation does not show any angular

discordance; however, because the laterite is regarded as an integral unit

of the overlying Laki Limestone, the contact between the laterite and the

Ranikot Formation is considered to be unconformable.

The contact between the "Basal Laki laterite" and the overlying Laki

Limestone is considered to be conformable.

Distribution and thickness.--The "Basal Laki laterite" is lenticular,

and ranges in tnickness from 0 to 25 feet. The laterite was found to be

missing in drill holes L23, L25, and L 27.

Age and correlation.--No diagnostic fossils have been found in rocks of

the "Basal Laki laterite" by which to ascertain its age. Because the laterite

is regarded to be the lowermost unit of the Laki Limestone, it is considered

early Eocene(Ypresian) in age.

20
 Manchhar Formation

Blanford(1876, p. 9; 1879) described the Manchhar Formation and

named it after Manchhar Lake, which is a few miles west of Sehwan.

Lithology and internal stratigraphy.--East of Kander and in some

other places, the Manchhar Formation is composed of laterite and pebbles

of laterite and sandstone mixed with sand, silt, and clay. The laterite

is ferruginous and dark brown, red, and yellow in color. The pebbles are

composed of ferruginous laterite, ferruginous sandstone, and gray sand-

stone. They are brown, dark brownish red, and gray, smooth-surfaced, and

show a resinous lustre.

The Manchhar Formation west of Band Virah and Kander is of conglomeratic

sandstone, siltstone, and claystone. The conglomerate consists of pebbles of

sandstone, yellowish claystone, and limestone embedded in a sand and clay

matrix. The sandstone is gray to light gray in color with some streaks of

yellow and red; it is fine to coarse grained, loosely cemented, and poorly

sorted.

Contacts.--East and northeast of Kander the Manchhar Formation rests on

the upper part of the Ranikot Formation, but in other places it rests on the

Laki Limestone. Little or no angular discordance is observable, but the

unconformity marks a long period of erosion or nondeposition, from middle

Eocene to early Miocene time. In most localities, the Manchhar is overlain

by Holocene or Pleistocene alluvium. In some places the Manchhar closely

resembles the alluvium.

Distribution and thickness.--The Manchhar Formation is in discontinuous

patches east of Kander but is present over a large area west of Band Virah

and Kander. It ranges from 0 to 60 feet in thickness in the area.

21
 Age and correlation.--No fossils of value for age determination were

found in the Manchhar Formation. However, the Manchhar of the Lakhra area

(Blanford, 1876, 1879) can be correlated lithologically with that of the type

area, which has an assigned age of Miocene and Pliocene age. The formation

in the Lakhra area is therefore assumed to be Miocene and Pliocene age also.
Alluvium

The youngest rocks in the area are unconsolidated stream, colluvial, and

eolian deposits composed of sandstone, siltstone, clays tone, and limestone

and sandstone pebble and cobble beds. The alluvium is as much as 10 feet thick

or more in places and is widespread in the western part of the mapped area

where it is composed largely of colluvial and eolian deposits. Stream-laid

deposits are present In the larger water courses in the central and eastern

parts of the mapped area but are of mappable extent only along parts of

Lakhra Nala.

STRUCTURE

The rocks in the Lakhra field form a doubly plunging anticline, known

as the Lakhra anticline. The crest of the anticline can be traced from Bholari

Railway Station(topographic sheet 40 C/3) northward to near Golara village

(topographic sheet 40 C/l). Faults striking parallel to the crest line are

common and a few folds paralleling the major structure are present in the

southern part of the mapped area.

Folds

The Lakhra anticline is gently and symmetrically folded with almost

horizontal beds near the axis. Away from the crest line the dip increases

to as much as 6°.

22
 The lower part of the Ranikot Formation crops out in the center of the

anticline, whereas the upper part of the Ranikot Formation, the Laki Lime-

stone and the Manchhar Formation, are exposed on the flanks. The Ranikot

Formation dips from less than 1° to 3°. The Laki Limestone dips 3° to 6°.

In the central part of the area under discussion the crest line trends north,

but to the north it swings to the north-northeast, and further south it turns

south-southeast toward Bholari(pi. 1).

The Hunting Survey Corp. shows the extension of the crestline from Bholari

to Ochha Nala, a distance of nearly 40 miles(Hunting Survey Corp., 1961, map

no. 7). The anticline extends from east to west for nearly 15 miles and plunges

to north and south at a rate of 0.5° to 1°.

Small anticlines and synclines trend north, parallel to the main Lakhra

anticline in the southern part of the area, near Babar Bund and Manri Band.

South of Band Virah, a faulted anticline is oriented north-south. Its eastern

limb is faulted down and the Laki Limestone has been brought in contact with

the Manchhar Formation.

Faults

The rocks are broken by closely spaced faults parallel to the

regional structure. The faults strike north to south and dip 70° to 90°

toward the east in the eastern flank, and on the western flank the dip is

either vertical or toward the west. The throw ranges from a few feet to

as much as 100 feet.

23
 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY

Coal

Coal is "a readily combustible rock containing more than 50 percent by

weight, and more than 70 percent by volume of carbonaceous material, formed

from compaction or induration of variously altered plant remains similar to

those of peaty deposits. Differences in the kinds of plant materials(type),

in degree of metamorphism(rank), and range of impurity(grade), are char-

acteristics of the varieties of coal"(Schopf, 1956).

Characteristics of Lakhra coal

As pointed out in t;he preceding definition of coal, coals can be, and

commonly are, classified by rank, type and grade, of these classifications,

the classification by rank that is, by degree of metamorphism in the

progressive series that begins with peat and ends with graphocite(Schopf,

1966)--is most important. Classification by type of original plant material

is often done if enough mega- and microscopic description is available, and

classification by grade that is, by type and quantity of impurities--is

commonly used because of its importance in utilization of coal. Other

categorizations are possible and are commonly used in resource evaluations

such factors as the thickness of overburden and thickness and areal extent

of individual beds are commonly considered.

24
 Rank.--The position of a coal within the progressive series that begins

with peat and ends with graphocite--that is, its rank is dependent on the

temperature and pressure that the coal has experienced throughout time. Coal

is derived largely from plant material and is therefore composed largely of

carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, along with smaller quantities of nitrogen, sulfur,

and other elements. The proportions of the various constituents change as a coal

undergoes metamorphism--higher rank coals have more fixed carbon and less

hydrogen and oxygen than the lower ranks. Coals are analyzed by relatively

standardized methods evolved through the years by the cooperation of various

groups engaged in analytical work. In general use throughout most of the world

are two standardized forms of coal analysis: the prpxmiate analysis and the

ultimate analysis. In the proximate analysis, four constituents are reported--

moisture, volatile matter, fixed carbon, and ash. In the ultimate analysis,

hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur are determined. The calorific,

or heating, value is an important property and is commonly expressed in British

thermal units (Btu) per pound one Btu is the amount of heat needed to raise the

temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit(in the metric system,

heating value is expressed in kilogram calories per kilogram). Additional tests

are commonly made, particularly to determine the caking, coking, and other

properties, such as tar yield, which affect classification or utilization.

25
 TABLE I. CLASSIFICATION OF COALS BY RANK.'
c/)
Fixed Carbon Limits, Volatile Matter Calorific Value Limits,
per cent Limits, per ceut Btu per pound (Moist,"
(Dry, Mineral-Matter- (Dry, Mineral-Matter- Mineral-Mutter-
Free Basil) Free Basis) Free Basis)
Clun Group Agglomerating Character
Equal or Legs Greater Equal or Equal or Less
Greater Than Than Less Greater Tbun
Than Than Than

98 "2 2
I. Anthracite 02 08 8 yNonagglomerating
86 02 8 14
1. Luw volatile bituminous coal, .....,..,, 78 80 14 23
NJ 60 78 22 31
Ul 14 000''
P» II. Bituminous 60 31 Commonly agglom-
13 000' 14 000 erating*
5. High volatile C bituminous coal ........ ::: ( 11 500 13 000
10 500 11 500 Agglomerating
10 600 11 500
III. Subbituminoua ... 0 500 10 500 ft
8 300 0 500 Nonagglomeratlng
IV. Lignitic
... 6 300 8 300
L>. Lignite I?.............,............,. .., 0 300
0 This cluHwificution does not include a few coals, principally noiibanded varieties, which have unusual physical and chemical properties and which
coma within the limits of lived carbon or calorific value of tho high-volatile bituminous and aubbituruinous ranks. All of these coals either contain lees
than 48 per cent dry, mineral mutter-free fixed carbon or have more thai) 15,500 moist, mhieral-matter-frco British thermal units per pound.
6 Moibt refers to coal containing its* natural inherent maioturo but not including visible water on the surface of the coal.
If agglomerating, dandify in low-volatile group of the bituminous class. 9
Coahi having 60 per cent or more fixed carbon qn the dry, mineral-mattcr-free basis bhall be classified according to fixed carbon, regardless of CK»
calorific value. 81
It is recognized that there may bo nonngglruneral ing varieties in these groups of the bituminous class, and there are notable exceptions in high
volatile C bituminous group.
 One of the most widely used rank classifications is the "Standard Speci-

fications for Classification of Coals by Rank"(see table 1), adopted by the

American Society for Testing and Materials(1967). The ASTM system differentiates

coals into classes and groups on the basis of mineral-matter-free fixed carbon

or volatile matter and the calorific value, supplemented by determination of

agglomerating(caking) characteristics. Table 2 presents analyses of samples

of Lakhra coal determined by the Pittsburgh laboratories of the U. S. Bureau of

Mines and in the Quetta laboratories of the Geological Survey of Pakistan. The

eight analyses in which the heating value is reported indicate an apparent rank

of subbituminous C for three samples, lignite A for four, and lignite B for one.

In the absence of more reliable analyses, some of the Lakhra coal is assumed to

have an apparent rank of subbituminous C and some has an apparent rank of lignite

A.

Grade.--Classification of coals by grade, or quality, is based largely on

the extent of ash, sulfur, and other constituents that adversely affect

utilization. The Lakhra coal samples have an average ash content of about

15 percent and an average sulfur content of about 4 percent on an "as received"

or "air dried" basis. In contrast, selected analyses of 642 United States coals

(Fieldner, Rice, and Moran, 1942) have an average ash content of 8.9 percent and

an average sulfur content of 1.9 percent. The Lakhra coals would be classed as

medium to high ash and high sulfur grades.

26
 Thickness and extent of beds.--The Lailian coal bed is extensive but the

deeper coal beds appear to be of limited extent. The Lailian coal bed was

cored in 28 bore holes out of 34 holes, which are spaced over a distance of

20 miles from north to south and 4 miles from east to west (pi. 2). The

thickness of the bed is as much as 9.6 feet, including a shale interbed

that does not exceed 1.5 feet in thickness. The thickness of the coal

bed as struck in each drill hole is given in the drill logs (p. 55) and

represented in the columnar sections(figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6).

Other coal beds below the Lailian appear to be lenticular, although

present information is fragmentary. One bed reaches a thickness of

7.7 feet at a depth of 398 feet at hole L3, and it is 4.1 feet thick at

a depth of 396 feet at hole LI, and possibly 2.5 feet thick at a depth of

455 feet at drill hole L2. Its position at holes L6, L4, and farther east

is not known. The coal beds above the Lailian bed are thin and appear to

be very lenticular.

27
 400'

Loilion Colliery
pumping theft
3001

200'

17 302
l-l 313

Number to left of section is

2-5 depth of coal from collar in
feet, number to right of sec-
tion is thickness of coal

Figure 3. Correlation of horizons in the east-west line of drill holes at Lailian Colliery in the Lakhra coal field, Pakistan.
 L23
L26
i i Li2
L20
WEST '~
No~core
~ : ;: : EAST 400'
400'
TIT
..1 L. : '. '.

=ggg Fossil
'-
shells
300' 300'

; : ': :
P - 0.4
142

T f r

199
1.6 ___
- 0.5 I8°
^mmmmmmmmm^m 0.7 200'
200' OiG V 207
229 BMP
3m 3E3 r
"

a. ^ BBB
^ ^3__
OOl 0.6 ^^^>
100' . .
: : : : 333
ii 1.4
100'

EXPLANATION
^-=-=~
365 0.5 /

X Coal
__- :
Sea level Sea level
439 3.1 Cla>^stone or shale
43
T^'H- 3Q Number to left of section is
Z~7~Z -
depth of coal from collar in
feet, number to right of sec-
tion is thickness of coal Siltstone

100' 100'
Sandstone

. 1 1

1 1
Limestone

Figure 4. Correlation of coal horizons in the east-west Iwe of drill holes, 3 miles north of Lailian Colliery, Pakistan.
 L28
No core
I I
Vl/P
W C. A
*TI L 24 F AST 400'
400' 1 1
1 1 \ IO
Hl . . J
No core
^-TTUTf

300 300'

- ___
~-^~
Fossil
shells
129 0.37 |64 HE^EK 1.0
^ VBT-Ml

200' FXPI ANATION 200'

*»
I.O

197 mmm
i O rf^ OCO

__ __
d^^M^^^3
^irt 09 3.0
~^~:-^~
- ~: :~-

100' 100'
Claystone or shale

362 ^^^
"...
Z.
i3.5
5.5
Siltstone
^cr^aar^a

_-_ _
Sea level Sea level
Sandstone

^O v 1.4 1 i
_ 1
1 1
'. Limestone

P^ Number to left of section is

100' 100'
::::: feet, number to right of sec-
tion is thickness of coal

Figure 5. Correlation of coal horizons in the east-west line of drill holes, 5 miles north of Lailian Colliery, Pakistan.
 500

400

300

200

Number to left of section is

depth of coal from collar in
feet, number to right of sec-
tion is thickness of coal
100'

Sea level

100'

Figure 6.-. Correlation of coal horizons in the east-west line of drill holes, 1 mile south of Lailian Colliery, Pakistan.
 Thickness of overburden.--In many areas the amount of rock between the coal

beds and the surface is of considerable importance because of the relationship

of the overburden thickness to Exploration and mining methods, problems that

may be encountered during mining, and probable mining costs and other economic

factors. Because most of the mines in Pakistan begin on a coal outcrop, and

mining proceeds to only relatively shallow depths, the amount of overburden has

not in the past been of great importance. In parts of the world where under-

ground mining either has been, or probably will be, done at considerable depths,

coal resources have been categorized by thousands of feet of overburden

(Averitt, 1969, p. 24, 25). In areas where strip mining is possible, the

amount of overburden is extremely critical. In 1965 in the United States the

maximum economical ratio of overburden thickness to coal thickness--sometimes

called the strip ratio was about 30:1; the average thickness of overburden

removed was about 50 feet; and the maximum thickness of overburden removed was

in the 125-foot range(Averitt, 1968, p. 4). In 1968, about 34 percent of the

total United States coal production came from stip mines. Although the 30:1

ratio seems technically feasible for present and near-future strip mining, a

more limiting and probably much more realistic ratio is derived from the fact

that the average thickness of coal recovered in the stip mines of the United

States in 1965 was 5.2 feet, and the resulting ratio of average overburden

thickness to average coal thickness is about 10:l(Averitt, 1968, table 1).

28
 Table 3.--Strip ratios in the Lakhra coal field.

Inf orma - Strip ratio (over-

tion Depth of Depth to Lailian Thickness of Lailian burden thickness
point on weathering (L) bed or other (L) bed or other (feet) divided by
figure 2 (feet) (feet) (feet) coal thickness (feet)

Lailian Colliery ' 72

GSP drill 83 (L) 0.9(L) 92:1
hole:
LI 97 127 (L) 8.4(L) 15:1
L2 171 ?(L) 0 (L) --
L2 171 229 1.7 135:1
L3 78 136 (L) 7.9(L) 17:1
L4 91 134(L) 3.9(L) 34:1
L5 100 101 1.0 101:1
L5 100 119(L) 3.9(L) 40:1
L6 130 132 1.0 132: 1
L6 130 139 (L) 2.6(L) 53:1
L7 65 240 (L) 2.6(L) 92:1
--'
L8 59 -- 0 (L)?
L9 95 H1(L) 3.7(L) 30:1
L10 165 122 (L) 1.2(L)i' 100:1
Lll 142 88 (L) 4.5(L)2/ 20:1
L12 53 216(L) 4.5(L) 48:1
L13 111 U4(L) 3.0(L) 38:1
L13 111 122 2.7 45:1
L14 87 55 1.31/ 42:1
L14 87 170(L) 4.5(L) 38:1
L15 170 -- 0 (L) --
L16 *6()- <180 195 (L) 5.5(L) 35:1
L17 168 ?(L) 0 (L) --
L17 168 175 0.7 250: 1
L18 48 129 0.3 430:1
L18 48 197 (L) 3.5(L) 56:1
L19 63 133(L) 2.8(L) 47:1
L19 63 144 1.6 90: 1
L20 74 180 1.6 112:1
L20 74 258 (L) 3.0+(L) 86:1
L21 55 155 (L) 3.2(L) 48:1
L22 53 230(L) 3.3(L) 70:1
L23 98 333(L) 1 . 4+ (L) 238: 1
L24 96 252(L) 1.5(L) 168:1
L25 351 403 (L) 5.0(L) 81:1
L26 116 439(L?) 7.4(L?) 59:1
L27 220 288 2.0 144: 1
L27 220 355 (L) 2.7(L) 132: 1
L28 93 362(L) 10. 5 (L) 35:1
L29 -- 374 (L) 1.7(L) 220:1
L30 -- 293(L) l.O(L) 293:1
L31 187 141(L) l.KD 128: 1
L32 80 180 (L) 3.4(L) 53:1
L33 132 -- 0 (L) --
L34 99 -- 0 (L) --

!_/ Weathered
2/ Unweathered(?) 28a
 Table 3 presents the data pertinent to strippability of coals in the

Lakhra field. If the accepted parameters are (1) a maximum strip ratio of about

30:1, and (2) a maximum overburden of about 125 feet, coal that is potentially

strippable may be present at four locations. The least overburden is 88 feet

and the lowest strip ratio is 17:1. In comparison with strip-mining practice

in the United States, these deposits would certainly be considered marginally

strippable.

Another factor that limits strippability of coals in the Lakhra field is

the great depth of weathering. The depths of weathering listed in table 3

range from 48 to 351 feet and average about 115 feet. Weathering tends to

destroy the coals; in several drill holes where the Lailian bed was expected

at relatively shallow depths, within the weathered zone, it was absent--

presumably destroyed by oxidation. This factor indicates that unless unusual

conditions exist in local areas, the coal will probably not be found in

minable or usable condition at depths of much less than 80 to 100 feet.

Reserves

Reserve estimates are shown for the Lailian coal bed in table 4. The

bore-hole information is inadequate for estimating reserves of coal below

the Lailian bed.

Table 4.--Estimated coal reserves of the Lailian coal bed.

(In millions of long tons)
Measured Indicated Inferred Total
reserves____reserves______reserves___________________reserves
21.9 43.8 174.0 239.7

29
 Reserves were estimated for the 80-square-mile area that contains all

the borings in the Lakhra anticline. Within this area the average thickness

of the Lailian coal bed is about 3.6 feet. The coal is missing around holes

L2, L15, L17, L33, L34, and is weathered around hole L10, and it is assumed

that the coal is absent in an area of about 16 square miles.

"Measured" reserves were estimated by assuming that the same thickness

of coal as is present in each boring extends a quarter of a mile in all

directions. "Indicated" reserves were estimated by assuming that the coal

extends a quarter of amile in all directions beyond the perimeter of

"measured" reserves with the same thickness as was encountered in the boring.

For areas where the coal lies less than 120 feet below the surface, "indicated"

and "inferred" reserves were reduced 50 percent to allow for coal destroyed

by weathering. "Inferred" reserves were estimated by subtracting "measured"

and "indicated" tonnage from "total" reserves. "Inferred" reserves include

all coal lying more than one-half mile from any boring, but within the general

area of exploration. The specific gravity of the coal was assumed to be 1.5..

30
 Mining factors

Zone of weathering.--The primary colors of the rocks are altered to the

secondary colors yellow, brown, and red, to a certain depth in each hole.

These secondary colors are caused by the ferric oxide of iron, which is formed

by the weathering of ferrous iron, glauconite, and pyrite. The change of

color is abrupt from the weathered to the unweathered zone. In most places

the iron oxide cements the rock, making it coherent enough to support the

roof and walls of mining entries without extra timbering.

Coal within the zone of weathering is generally destroyed or turned

powdery by oxidation. The process of weathering might be one of the reasons

for the absence of the Lailian coal at holes L15 and L17, because the zone

of weathering extends far deeper than the expected depth of the Lailian coal.

The range in depth of the zone of weathering is from 48 to 351 feet, and averages

about 115 feet in the borings. The depth of the zone of weathering has been

noted in the drill logs of the bore holes and also in table 3.

Ground water table.--Because the position of the coal bed with reference

to the ground-water table is important, efforts were made to ascertain the

depth of the standing water level in each of the drill holes. In some drill

holes it was not possible to measure the water level because the hole collapsed,

or because the diameter of the hole was too small toward the bottom to allow

measurement. Also, in some holes, circulating drilling water interfered with

the accurate determination of the level of the water table. The standing water

level measured from the collar of the table ranges from depths of 10 feet along

stream courses to 262 feet measured at drill hole L 10, but drill hole L24 was

found to be dry to 300 feet. The water table lies below the zone of weathering

throughout the area. The measurement to the distance to this water table is

given in the log for each drill hole(p. 55). The drillers were not equipped
to take water samples, the quality of the water was not determined; however,
the water of the wells in the area is sweet.
31
 Rocks above and below the coal. The rocks overlying the coal are sand-

stone, siltstone, and claystone. The gross lithology is represented in the

columnar sections (figs. 2 to 6). Information on the materials above and below

the Lailian coal is contained in the drill logs. Claystone forms the roof over

the Lailian coal bed except in the northern part of the area, where sandstone

caps the coal bed. The sandstone is soft to moderately hard and is generally

harder within the zone of weathering. The claystone is moderately hard and

plastic, and contains films of pyrite and coaly matter.

The claystone roof appears to be strong and would require minimum support
\
in underground mining. Moreover, water seepage should not create any problems

because of the imperviousness of the claystone.

Prospecting

Prospecting by drilling or sinking test pits is necessary because of the

thick weathered zone and the variation in thickness of the coal. In sinking

test pits for coal, several factors should be considered:

1) Minable coal beds probably will not be found close to the

surface because these may have been destroyed by weathering.

2) Below the lowest fossiliferous beds, most of the rock is soft, easily

dug sandstone. Unlined vertical shafts have been sunk to depths of

90 feet, but deeper shafts may cave unless they are lined.

3) Light-gray claystone commonly will be found above and below the

Lailian coal bed. Prospect pits should be carried through the

claystone-coal sequence and well into the underlying soft sandstone

in order to avoid mistaking thin coal beds above the Lailian bed

for the main coal bed.

4) Chances of finding minable coal are best in the zone below the

water table, but mining in this zone will require pumping.

32
 Other valuable materials

Limestone and laterite are present in large quantities in the area.

Clay, gypsum, and glass sand also exist, but are not promising in quality

and quantity. Showings of gas were reported by Pak-Hunt International Oil

Co. and have been further explored by the Pakistan Oil and Gas Development

Corp.

Limestone

Limestone in the Ranikot Formation flanks the anticline on the east and

south. The yellow or brown color caused by the associated iron oxide might

be prejudicial for the manufacture of cement.

The Laki Limestone is yellowish gray and has only slightly yellow stains.

It is present in inexhaustible quantity at Lakhra and adjoining areas. The

Laki Limestone is being utilized for the manufacture of cement at the Zeal

Pak Cement Factory, Hyderabad. This limestone could also be used to manufacture

lime.

Clay

White clay was cored in drill hole L2 at depths of 17 feet and 100 feet.

Two samples were analyzed and the chemical data are given be low (in percent):
1A c , , SiOo. AloOQ
zz .____ FeoOQ
zz JJ______ CaO MgO Na90 Loss on
10-foot bed at f_f____________________f____ignition
110 feet 59 ?5 25.89 2.62 1.47 0.32 -- 9.91

3-foot bed at ^ 3Q ^ g5 : ?5 l Q2 Q 5g __ 1Q Q2
17 feet
White clay was not encountered in any other boring. Small pockets and

lenses were found in one of the Habibullah Go's, mines. The white clay is

probably lenticluar but present information is insufficient to show the extent.

33
 Gypsum

Lenses of gypsum and selenite are present in the claystones and soft

sandstones in the upper part of the Ranikot Formation, and small chunks of

selenite are scattered in the hill slopes. No large deposits have been

observed, and no gypsum bed was encountered in the drill holes.

Glass sand

Loose quartz sand was penetrated at shallow depth in all the bore holes.

At shallow depth the sand has secondary iron oxide colors, and is probably

undesirable for the manufacture of glass. Samples of white sand were

collected from 280 to 292 feet in drill hole L24. The samples contained

traces of dark minerals, and the sand is almost certainly too deep for

quarrying. Because of the depth of weathering, the possibility of finding

good quality glass sand in the area within shallow depth is remote.

Laterite

At the contact between the Ranikot and the Laki a layer of ferruginous

claystone and siltstone is present which has commonly been called "laterite."

The thickness measured in the area ranges from 7 to 19% feet. It is brick-

red to brown in color with sporadic white spots and is moderately hard. At

drill holes L23, L25, and L27, the so-called "laterite" is missing.

The The "laterite" in the Lakhra area was discussed by M. I. Ahmad of the

Geological Survey of Pakistan in an unpublished summary report on "laterite"

in Pakistan. Samples of this material were collected by S. H. A. Shah, of

the Geological Survey of Pakistan, and the following is the result of the

chemical and mineralogical analysis of one of his samples.

34
Table 5 .--Chemical and mineralogic analyses of sample 1780 (in percent).

^/Chemical analysis by Shapiro and others, U.S. Geological Survey,

by X-ray fluorescence and rapid melting; mineralogic analysis by

S. H. A. Shah, Pakistan Geological Survey, and T. Botinelly,

U.S. Geological Survey, estimated by fluorescent X-ray_/.

Chemical Mineralogic

Si0 2 12.5 Kaolinite 20

A1 2°3 30.7 Hematite 40

Fe 2 0 3 27.3 Boehmite 10

FeO 2.6 Calcite 10

MgO 3.3 Fluid 20

CaO 2.7

Na 2 0 .50

K2 0 .10
H20- 2.0

H2 0+ 12.5

Ti0 2 4.0

P 20 5 .19

MnO .50

C02 1.6

35
 The sample contains almost equal percentages of iron oxide and aluminum

oxide. Hematite constitutes 40 percent of the sample. This quantity of

hematite will give nearly 26 percent of iron.

S. A. Stanin of the U. S. Geological Survey collected 34 samples of

the so-called "laterite" from localities in the Lakhra area. The analyses

are given in table 6,

36
 Table 6. --Analyses of "laterite" samples from the Lakhra area (in percent).
/Analyses by the Chemical Laboratory of the G aologica Survey^ of Pakistan, Quetta/
Loss on
Location igni-
Latitude Longitude uab no. Field no. Si02 A1 2°3 Pe 2^3 feO Ti02 p2o5 CaO MgO tion

25°43 f 30" N. 68°08 f OO" E. 1245(1) 64-SAS-l 17.54 13.64 20.00 2.51 4.49 0.04 11.21 0.97 24.86
25 043'30" N. 68°08 f OO" E. 1245(2) 64-SAS-2 12.60 13.29 40.24 1.79 2.55 .08 5.04 .97 20.88
25°45'24" N. 68007'54" E. 1245(3) 64-SAS-3 7.34 4.41 2.51 7.14 .03 4.34 1.37 10.71
68°07'54" E. 61.03
25045' 24" N. 64-SAS-4 23.04. 20.53 24.43 9.69 3.57 .10 .28 2.06 16.05
25°45 f 24" N. 68°07 f 54" E. 1245(4)
1245(5) 64-SAS-5 11.88 2.04 .13 .14 1.26 15.13
12.84 51.88 1.79
25°45 I 33" N. 68°07'53" E. 1245(6) 64-SAS-6 22.62 15.63 40.69 1.07 3.57 .12 .28 1.08 12.85
25°45'33" N-. 68°07'53" E. 64-SAS-7 1.40 16.58
25°45 I 33" N. 68°07'53" E. 1245(7) 23.00 22.15 31.13 .35 3.78 .16 ! .83
25 045'33" N. 68°07'53" E. 1245(8) 64-SAS-8 21.68 26.29 26.41 .64 3.57 .12 .56 .76 19.96
1245(9) 64-SAS-9 22.22 22.52 32.32 .35 4.53 .05 1.40 ! .79 15.24
25°45'28" N. 68°07'32" E. 21.54 .86 3.57 .09 .84 .86 15.36
25°45'28" N. 68°07 f 32" E. 1245(10) 64-SAS-10 22.48 34.24
1245<11) 64-SAS-ll 23.44 20.42 34.24 .78 3.57 .11 .42 .94 16.04
25°42 f 21" N.
68007'25" E. 1245(12) 64-SAS-12 20.64 32.61 22.98 .86 3.54 .09 .70 .43 17.72
25°42'21" 68°07'25"
N. E. 1245(13) 64-SAS-13 18.48 18.78 41.89 .93 2.70 .04 ,.84 .51 15.34
25°42'21" 68°07'25"
N. E. 1245(14) 64-SAS-14 13.74 22.53 1.58 3.00 .60 1.40 1.33 16.51
25°42'21 r N. 39.89
68°07'25" E. 1245(15) 64-SAS-15 20.90 17.18 39.89 .65 2.20 .08 1.40 1.63 15.21
25°42'34" N. 68°07 f 31" E. 1245(16) 64-SAS-16 8.02 1.62 17.85 .50 .70 .07 36.40 1.19 32.78
25042-34" N. 68°07 f 31" E. 23.90 .04 1.82 1.73 15.32
1245(17) 64-SAS-17 33.40 19.94 .72 3.00
.72"
25°41'57" N. 68°12'18" E. 1245(18) 64-SAS-18 14.00 19.22 41.89 .65 2.50 .14 1.12 19.79
25°41'57" N. 68°12 f 18" E. 1245(19) 64-SAS-19 9.02 45.71 18.27 .43 3.00 .05 1.26 .90 21.16
25°41'57" N. 68°12'18" E. 1245(20) 64-SAS-20 13.30 26.34 38.71 .35 2.50 .07 1.12 1.37 15.62
25°42'25" N. 680 12'09" E. 1245(21) 64-SAS-21 26.60 26.58 25.86 1.14 2.80 .10 .58 1.77 14.48
25°42'25" N. 68°12 1 09" E. 1245(22) 64-SAS-22 11.68 36.36 25.77 .86 3.20 .12 .42 .61 20.84
25°42'25" N. 68°12'09" E. 1245(23) 64-SAS-23 10.62 39.58 23.66 1.14 3.40 .14 .56 .90 20.06
25°42'25" N. 68°12"I 09" E. 1245(24) 64-SAS-24 9.60 32.23 34.63 .43 2.70 .07 .98 .76 18.26
25°42'25" N. 68°12 r09" E. 1245(25) 64-SAS-25 11.80 44.99 17.71 .57 4.50 .07 1.40 1.10 17.18
25042 '25" N. 68°12 f 09" E. 1245(26) 64-SAS-26 14.12 45.39 11.41 .50 4.60 .10 .70 .76 21.90
25°42'25" N. 68°12'09" E. 1245(27) 64-SAS-27 24.74 29.57 29.84 .43 1.50 .10 .14 .32 12.56
25°32'07" N. 68°06'35" E. 1245(28) 64-SAS-28 11.60 39.24 21.95 .71 4.50 .13 .70 .57 20.28
25°32'07" N. 68°06'35" E. 1245(29) 64-SAS-29 8.72 30.72 34.79 .28 3.00 .18 .56 .86 20.26
25°32'07" N. 68°06'35" E. 1245(30) 64-SAS-30 5.44 22.27 39.89 .50 3.80 .04 2.80 1.23 23.42
25°32'07" N. 68°06'35" E. 1245(31) 64-SAS-31 5.22 23.56 43.88 .36 3.90 .10 1.82 1.81 18.94
25°32'07" N. 68°06 f 35" E. 1245(32) 64-SAS-32 7.66 27.97 31.91 .36 4.20 .06 2.80 1.52 23.62
25°32'07" N. 68006' 35" E. 1245(33) 64-SAS-33 11.32 1'7.79 45.87 .57 3.10 .07 1.96 1.26 17.68
25°32'07" N. 68°06'35" E. 1245(34) 64-SAS-34 11.04 14.03 39.89 .86 3.70 .12 8.40 2.36 18.80
 MINING OPERATIONS--1969

by

William Kebblish
U. S. Bureau of Mines

Since 1959 more than 20 coal prospecting and mining lenses have been

granted in the Lakhra coal field, but in June 1969, only four mining

companies were active in the field the K. B. H. M. Habibullah Goal Co.,

Baluchistan Goal Co., Indus Coal Co., and Khan Coal Co.

The following section on mining methods, operatins, and marketing deals

with the operations of the two largest producers in the field. The information

was extracted from a series of reports prepared as a part of the Mining

Technology and Development Project a joint effort of the Directorate of

Mineral Development, Government of Pakistan, and the United States Agency

for International Development. The project was established to help increase

production and efficient extraction of indigenous minerals by mining companies

throughout the country.

Habibullah Mining Co.

The Habibullah Mining Co. was granted licenses in 1959 for two leases,

each for 3,200 acres, in the Lakhra coal field. Development and exploitation

followed rapidly. Most of the coal is used by the brick industry, but a small

amount is used for process heating in the Hyderabad area.

Production averaged 126 tons per day in 1968; approximately a 50-percent

increase was planned for 1969. Total number of employees ranged from 200 to

500 and was directly related to market conditions.

38
 The nearly level coal bed in the lease areas is commonly 2 to 5 feet thick;

overburden ranges from 65 to 125 feet. The roof and bottom consist of dry shale

and slate. The upper strata consist of dry claystone, siltstone, and thin bands

of sandstone. The general roof and bottom conditions are good, and wide areas

can be mined while retreating without roof subsidence.

Management estimates that of the 6,400 acres in the leases, 5,000 acres

contain coal that averages 2% feet in thickness and has a specific gravity of

1.2. Reserves are estimated to be 18 million tons. With a production of

100 tons per day and a work year consisting of approximately 300 days, the life

expectancy, according to management, would be 600 years, considering full

extraction of the coal. Calculating a 60-percent recovery, with production

approaching 200 tons per day, coal reserves at the present rate of production

will last for approximately 180 years.

Mine development program

Mode of entry.--The system of gaining access to the coal bed is basically

the same throughout the coal field. Either shafts or inclined slopes are driven

The shafts are commonly 8 to 10 feet in diameter, are unlined except at the

shaft collar, and have a 50-foot chimney constructed at the top to be used as

a return airway. Inclines can be substituted for return air shafts at the

discretion of the management.

The inclined slope driven at a gradient of one in two or one in three

usually averages from 100 to 250 feet in length. Dimensions are approximately

6 feet high and 7 feet wide, the roof £ S supported by round bars and posts

approximately 4 inches in diameter, installed on 3- to 4-foot centers depending

upon the immediate roof. At times extra timber is set as conditions change.

39
 Mining method.--To prevent the loss of a large mine through fires due to

spontaneous combustion of the coal, the area is divided into 700-foot-square

blocks, each block being considered as one mine, and having a shaft and haulage

incline near the center. The area is subdivided underground into four equal

blocks, each being 350 feet square.

An air connection is made at the bottom of the incline and shaft and two

entries driven into the virgin coal to the boundary line of one block. Gross

cuts are driven between the two entries for air connections and the roof is

taken down or the bottom trenched to allow enough area for transportation of

bagged coal by the workers.

The room-and-pillar system is used to develop separately one of the four

350-foot square blocks. This is done by driving entries 5 feet wide on 37^

foot centers, with cross cuts on equal centers. Blocks approximately 35 feet

square remain for roof support and are mined while retreating.

After the mining has been completed in one of the four blocks, the second

is mined, followed in turn by the remaining two blocks. The shaft and incline

are sealed and mining is started in another four-panel block. The same system

is again used in new areas. This system allows management to operate many

different mines within a small area. Approximately 15 of these mines are in

operation, employing from 5 to 25 men.

This system has been proved to be successful and production can easily

be increased by employing more workers.

No machinery is used underground (the"coal is relatively soft and easily

mined,) and all coal is produced by means of hand tools.

40
 Method of coal transportation.--The conventional system is used for all

coal transportation. Coal is loaded at the working face into burlap bags

and carried by workers to the outside surface, a maximum distance of 800 feet.

This distance is reduced when a new panel is started or when the panel is

being completed.

The coal is unloaded on the surface, rebagged, and trucked approximately

12 miles by unimproved road to the Khanot Railway station, if railroad cars

are available, or trucked the remaining 30 miles by hard-surfaced road to

Kotri where a more dependable car supply exists.

Pumping.--Very little water is present in the mines and no pumps were seen

in visits to any of the underground workings.

At present, arrangements are being made to pump water from the Indus

River to the operating mines, a distance of 12 miles by pipeline; this will

be used as the main source of water supply. Filter beds are used for

purification purposes.

Ventilation.--Natural ventilating pressure is used by means of chimneys

that increase the vertical distance between intake and return, and improve

the ventilation system. The chimneys are approximately 50 feet high, and

tapered at the top to a 4-foot diameter opening.

Single wooden doors or brattice cloth are used underground to control

the air current. Stoppings are built of refuse plastered with mud and straw

to prevent air leakage.

Because of many working entries underground it is difficult to get the

maximum amount of air to each working face area. The temperature of the return

air current is very high, and the early morning shift is commonly the only one

worked in order to take advantage of lower outside air temperatures.

41
 Power requirements.--No power is used underground. One 10-kw generator

is available on the surface to supply needed electricity, if required.

Required equipment.--No additional equipment is needed at the present time.

Additional production would require more mine workers and some hand tools.

The equipment available at the mine is as follows:

2 air compressors, 200 psi.

1 generator, 10-kw.
7 Beco engines.
250 electric cap lights.
1 fan, 4%-foot diameter.
1 locally made ventilation fan.

Conclusions and recommendations

Although market conditions determine the mine production, the management

feels that extra production, when needed, can be achieved by opening more mines

and increasing the labor force. Eventually, however, the only alternative will

be through increased efficiency of the workers. This can be obtained by pro-

viding better tools, services, and mining plans for coal extractions.

At the present time, haulage of coal from the working face to the outside

by burlap bag is time consuming and inefficient. With faster movement of coal

through the mine, production could easily be increased. Haulage could be

improved through the use of roller conveyors in low working areas, track

haulage in main entries, and mechanized haulage inclines to the outside surface.

A higher percentage of coal recovery from the developed 350-foot square

coal blocks may be possible through a systematic system of splitting the block

until the coal is completely mined, and then allowing the roof to cave after

the maximum amount of timber has been recovered. This will accomplish three main

purposes. First, a systematic supervised system will be established; second,

less coal will be lost, resulting in a higher percentage of recovery for each

shaft and incline installation; and third, a maximum amount of timber will be

recovered, which will lower the cost of roof supports.

42
 Additional ventilation, through the use of exhaust fans and mining systems

designed to have a minimum amount of control and regulation, should lower the

temperature in the mine and improve production.

Coal ignition due to spontaneous combustion has presented another

problem. Although distant markets are available, the coal cannot be

transported long distances because of the fire danger. This factor reduces

potential markets. The railroad has been assisting the mining industry in

trying to provide faster transportation to consumers, but conditions do not

permit improvements at this time.

To prove the coal bed throughout the two leases a regular pattern of core

samples should be taken. If more productive systems of mining are adopted, this

information will be necessary for future planning of the mine workings.

t
Baluchistan Goal Go.

Baluchistan Goal Go. was granted a 3-year coal prospecting license in 1965

in the Lakhra field by the Department of Mineral Development. The lease

contains 3,099 acres, with provision for the inclusion of an additional 916 acres.

This lease area is south of the mines being operated by the Habibullah Go.

An unimproved road approximately 12 miles long connects the mine with the

Khanot Railway Station where coal can be loaded into railroad cars when available,

or trucked an additional 30 miles to the Kotri siding where car supply is more

dependable.

During the first two years of prospecting, 4,820 tons of coal were produced.

At present(1969) approximately 70 workers are employed, who produce 30 tons per

day. Because of the lack of demand for the coal, the mines are only operated

during the three to four coldest months of the year. The company plans to develop

the mines in anticipation of improved market conditions. At present the bed being

worked is from 3 to 4 feet thick and has an overburden of approximately 125 feet.

The coal is used primarily in the Hyderabad area for the brick kiln industry and

home-heating purposes.
43
 The prospecting lease area has not been core drilled extensively enough

to determine the reserves, but management estimates reserves in excess of one

million tons. The life expectancy has not been calculated because reliable

information is not available, and production cannot be predicted.

Mine development program

Mode of entry.--Four parallel inclines, each 400 feet apart driven on a

gradient of 1 in 3, have been driven to the coal bed. Each incline is

slightly more than 400 feet long. Number 2 incline has a 20-foot chimney

constructed on the surface to improve the natural ventilating pressure and

this incline is considered as a return airway. Number 3 and 4 inclines serve

both as intake airways and haulage inclines. Number 5 incline has been driven

408 feet as an exploratory incline to prove the coal bed. Number 1 prospecting

incline had been driven in another location to prove the bed, without results.

The inclines are driven approximately 6 feet high and 8 feet wide, the

roof being supported by round 4- to 5-inch-thick wooden posts and cross bars on

4-foot centers. Weaker strata requires extra timber sets with wooden lagging

strung on the top of the bars for extra roof support.

Mining methods.--This area is considered a prospecting lease and 4,820 tons

of coal were produced in the first 2 years of operation. Two bore holes have

been drilled by the Geological Survey of Pakistan in this immediate area with

encouraging results.

Three inclines, nos. 2, 3, and 4, have been connected underground and a

natural ventilation system established. The entries have been driven from the

incline bottoms on an unsystematic pattern. The general method of development

by the workers, who are on a production basis, is to drive parallel entries, and

cross cuts or breakthrough for air connections.

44
 The mining of the coal bed diverts the entry toward the thicker parts,

resulting in convergence of parallel entries.

Roof or bottom is removed along the main haulageways to provide the

necessary height for the workers who transport the coal underground. The

refuse derived is packed in the entries between the intake and return,

providing a support for the roof, and when sealed with mud and straw provides

a stopping that prevents shorting of the air current.

All mining is done with hand tools. Coal is mined by picks at the

working face and shoveled into burlap bags. Hand saws are used to cut posts

and wooden bars and all timbers and sets are tightened with hammers. Air-

compressor equipment and tools are required when driving haulage inclines

through sandstone, limestone, or slate.

The roof was found to be adequately supported in all haulage inclines

and underground workings.

Method of coal transportation.--All coal at the working face is loaded

into burlap bags containing approximately 150 pounds when full, and carried

to the outside surface. If a winch has been installed in the haulage incline,

the coal is pulled to the surface, eliminating the extra 400-foot haul for the

men. Coal is trucked to the Kotri railhead and loaded into railroad cars.

This method of coal transportation is typical of that used in the majority of

mines throughout the country.

Pumping.--Pumps are not commonly required because the area is very dry.

Ventilation.--Natural ventilating pressure is provided by the use of

chimneys which are approximately 20 feet high and are tapered at the top to a

3-foot diameter opening. The chimneys increase the vertical distance between

intake and return, thus improving the ventilation system.

45
 Either single wooden doors or brattice cloth is used underground to

control the air current. Stoppings are built of mine refuse plastered with

mud and straw to prevent air leakage. With many working entries underground

it is difficult to get the maximum amount of air to each working face area.

The temperature of the return air current is generally very high and the early

morning shift is usually worked to take advantage of lower outside air

temperatures.

Power requirements.--No electric power is used underground. Some

electricity is produced by small diesel-operated generating sets for electric

motors and surface illumination purposes.

Required equipment.--Management plans to procure a 50-kw power-generating

set and a second air compressor. A small amount of equipment is required with

the present system of mining.

Comments and recommendations

Systematic core drilling of the entire lease would enable management to

gain valuable information with which reserves could be determined and suitable

mining plans could easily be adopted. Without known reserves, mechanization

of the present property may prove costly, if development is based primarily on

probable reserves.

Management should consider the following if the present mining system is

used:

1). A mining system adopted in strict compliance with the original

mine plans. This will allow the mine to be developed on a predetermined

plan and will result in uniform operations.

2). Surveyors should install stations, sites, or spads underground to

allow workers to drive entries in a straight and parallel line,

with air connections made at regular intervals.

46
 3). Improved ventilation underground consisting of exhaust fans

capable of delivering 15,000 to 20,000 cubic feet of air per

minute, with effective control and regulation. Increased

quantities of air underground will lower the temperature, improving

conditions for production.

4). The transportation of coal underground could be improved by using

roller conveyors to transport the bagged coal to the main haulage

road and installing track in main entries. Use of either flat cars

for bagged coal or mine cars for the bulk coal, would be helpful.

Electric hoists could easily haul the coal cars to the surface.

5). For faster coal transportation, underground, chain, or belt conveyors

should be considered.

6). Air-compressor tools used at the working face would allow easier

mining of the coal. Compressors could be installed on the outside

surface and the air piped underground.

From the above-mentioned six items, those concerning mine planning,

improved haulage and increased ventilation are of most importance and should

be considered in future planning. Market requirements will determine the amount

of mechanization at each mine and plans should be formulated at the present

time to meet this eventual occurrence.

47
 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Lailian coal bed lies at a shallow depth of 83 to 439 feet for

an area of at least 64 square miles. Easy accessibility, low dip of the

beds, simplicity of the structure, large reserves, favorable roof and floor

material, and the possibility of obtaining a supply of timber from the

neighboring areas, all favor large-scale mining of this bed.

The coal is subject to spontaneous combusion. The effect of this

factor, can, however, be minimized to a great extent by making fuel

briquettes out of the coal. Petroleum asphalt is generally used as binding

material. Excluding water, binders usually constitute 6 to 8 percent of the

total raw material. The binders or adhesives form a thin coating over the

coal and thereby protect it from direct contact with the oxygen of the air

and prevent spontaneous combustion. In this matter the coal could be

transported in the form of briquettes for industrial and domestic use.

To make optimum use of the coal resources, the possibility of utilizing

the Lailian coal for the manufacture of coal chemicals, and possibly a high-

carbon char, should be investigated. Several interesting processes have

already been developed in the United States and Europe for producing metal-

lurgical fuel from non-coking or poorly coking coals. These processes are

now in the pilot stage or in limited commercial production.

48
 The availability of ample coal, limestone, and clay suggests the

possibility of establishing a cement plant at Khanot or Kotri to supple-

ment the output of the Pakistan Industrial Corporation which is already

producing cement at Hyderabad. Although natural gas is used in the Hyderabad

cement plant and also in the manufacture of electricity for the region,

future development of the coal at Lakhra for cement, electricity, and coal
>
chemicals seems worth considering to help the local mining industry, to

facilitate the diversification in coal utilization, and to conserve the

natural gas for use elsewhere.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Ahmad, M. I., (?), Potential aluminous deposits of Pakistan: Unpublished

report, Geol. Survey Pakistan.

Ahmed, K. S., 1964, A geography of Pakistan: Pakistan Branch, Oxford Uni-

versity Press, Civil and Military Press Ltd., Karachi.

Ahmed, W., 1960, Further possibilities in the development of Sind coal

. fields: Unpublished report, Geol. Survey Pakistan.

American Society for Testing and Materials, 1967, Standard specifications

for classification of coals by rank (ASTM Designation D388-66), in

Gaseous fuels; coal and coke, issued 1967: Am. Soc. Testing Materials,

pt. 19, p. 73-78.

Averitt, Paul, 1968, Stripping-coal resources of the United States: U. S.

Geol. Survey Bull. 1252-C, 20 p.

Averitt, Paul, 1969, Coal resources of the United States: U. S. Geol. Survey

Bull. 1275, 116 p.

Blanford, W. T., 1867, Note on the geology of the neighborhood of Lynyan and

Runnekot, northwest of Kotree, in Sind: India Geol. Survey Mem., v. 6,

pt. 1, p. 1-15.

49
Blanford, W. T., 1876, On the geology of Sind: India Geol. Survey Recs.,

v. 9, pt. 1, p. 8-22.

Blanford, W. T., 1878a, Account of the geology of Sind, with an exhibition

of a geological map: Asiatic Soc. Bengal, Proc., p. 3-8.

Blanford, W. T., 1878b, On the geology of Sind(second notice): India Geol.

Survey Recs., v. 11, p. 171-173.

Blanford, W. T., 1879, The geology of western Sind: India Geol. Survey Mem.,

v. 17, pt. 1, p. 1-210.

Burmah Oil Co., (no date), Lithologic succession from flush samples, Lakhra

Number 1; unpub. rept. -a; unpub. rept. b_; on file at Repository, Nat.

Stratigraphic Library, Geol. Survey Pakistan, Quetta.

Carter, H. H., 1861, On contributions to the geology of western India including

Sind and Baloochistan: Asiatic Soc. Bombay, Jour., v. 6, p. 161-206.

Duncan, P. M. , 1880, Sind fossil corals and Alcyonaria: India Geol. Survey

Mem., Paleont. Indica, ser. 14, v. 1, 110 p.

Duncan, P. M., and Sladen, W. P., 1884, 1885, Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous

fossils of western Sind: India Geol. Survey Mem., Paleont. Indica, ser.

14, v. 1, No. 3, Fasc. 1, The fossil Echinoidea from the strata beneath

the Trap (Cardita Beaumonti beds), p. 1-20, 1882; Fasc. 2, The fossil

Echinoidea from the Ranikot series of Nummulitic strata in western Sind,

p. 25-100, 1882; Fasc. 3, The fossil Echinoidea from the Kirthar series

of Nummulitic strata in Western Sind, p. 101-246, 1884; Fasc. 4, The fossil

Echinoidea from the Nari series, the Oligocene formation of western Sind,

p. 247-272, 1884; Fasc. 5, The fossil Echinoidea from the Gaj or Miocene

Series, p. 273-367, 1885; Fasc. 6, The fossil Echinoidea from the Makran

series (Pliocene) of the coast of Baluchistan and of the Persian Gulf,

p. 369-382, 1885.

50
Fedden, F., 1880, On the distribution of the fossils described by Messrs.

d 1 Archaic and Haime in the different Tertiary and Infra-Tertiary groups

of Sind: India Geol. Survey Mem. 17, p. 197-210.

Fieldner, A. G., Rice, W. E., and Moran, H. E., 1942, Typical analyses of

coals of the United States: U. S. Bur. Mines Bull. 446, 45 p.

Harbour, R. L., and Ghani, M. A., 1963, Results of core drilling for coal at

Lakhra anticline from December 1961 to May 1964: Unpublished report,

Geol. Survey Pakistan.

Hunt, N. B., Hunt, G. L., and Hunt, Lamar, 1953, Final report Lakhra area,

including Pak-Hunt Lakhra Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4: Unpublished report;

Repository, Nat. Stratigraphic Library, Geol. Survey Pakistan, Quetta.

Hunting Survey Corporation, Ltd., 1961, Reconnaissance geology of part of

Pakistan: Colombo Plan cooperative project, published for the

Govt. of Pakistan by the Govt. of Canada, 550 p.

Nuttall, W. L. F., 1925, The stratigraphy of the Laki series (Lower Eocene)

of parts of Sind and Baluchistan (India); with a description of the

larger Foraminifera: Geol. Soc. London, Quart. Jour., v. 81, p. 417-425

Nuttall, W. L. F., 1926, The zonal distribution and description of the middle

and lower Kirthar series (Middle Eocene) of parts of Western India:

India Geol. Survey Recs., v. 65, pt. 2, p. 306-313.

Schopf, J. M., 1956, A definition of coal: Econ. Geology, v. 51, no. 6,

p. 521-527.

Schopf, J. M., 1966, Definitions of peat and coal and of graphite, that

terminates the coal series (Graphocite): Jour. Geology, v. 74, no. 5,

pt. 1, p. 584-592.

51
Vredenburg, E. W., 1906, The classification of the Tertiary System in Sind with

reference to the zonal distribution of the Eocene Echinoidea described

by Duncan and Sladen: India Geol. Survey Recs., v. 34, pt. 3, p. 172-

198.

Vredenburg, E. W., 1928, A supplement to the Mollusca of the Ranikot Series;

edited with notes by G. de P. Cotter: India Geol. Survey Mem., Paleont.

Indica, new ser., v. 10, no. 4, 75 p.

52
 APPENDIX
Measured sections and drill hole logs LI - L34

53
 Measured sections, Lailian Colliery

Lailian Colliery
Location of pumping shaft: At site labelled "well" on Survey of Pakistan
sheet 40 C/2.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,358,900 yds. E. , 975,400 yds. N.
(Lat 25°40'40 M N. , Long 68 0 09'02" E.)
Ground elevation: 316 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 72 feet?
Depth of standing water level: Near top of coal at 83 feet.
Section measured from bottom of pumping shaft to the surface at the entry of
the main incline 230 ft to the southwest.

Thickness (ft) ______________Stratum, ground level_______________

1.0 Sandstone, dark red, ferruginous
6.0 Sandstone, gray
2.0 Shale, light gray, containing hard brown ferruginous layers
44.0 Sandstone, orange and light gray, thinly bedded, friable
3.2 . Claystone, light yellow, chalky
0.1 Coal
0.5 Claystone, light brown
0.2 Claystone, coaly
8.0 Claystone, light gray, massive, lenses of friable sandstone
1.0 Shale, reddish-orange
1.4 Shale and coal, interlaminated
2.0 Shale, red and yellow
0.3 Shale, black, coaly
12.0 Claystone and siltstone, light gray, laminated
0.8 Claystone black
0.4^ Coal, Lailian bed, average of two measurements
0.3 Shale, average of two measurements
0.5^ Coal, Lailian bed, mine wall, average of two measurements
0.2 Claystone, dark brown, coaly. Bottom of mine.

J/ Proximate and ultimate analyses, Table 2

54
 Drill-hole logs
Drill hole LI
Location: 0.5 mile east of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,359,800 yds. E. , 975,400 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 347 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone weathering: 97 feet Depth of standing water level: 120 feet
Total depth: 468 feet.
Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
0.3 Coal
4.0 Claystone
Coal
115 Claystone
1.3 Coal
10.1 Claystone, light gray
127 4.9 J/ Coal, Lailian bed
1.3 Claystone
3.5 j/ Coal, Lailian bed
Claystone floor

Coaly shale roof

189 2.1 Coal
Coaly shale floor

Sandstone roof
268 1.3 Coal, sandy at top
1.2 Claystone
0.3 Coal, dirty
Siltstone floor

Claystone roof
327 1.7 Coal
Coaly shale floor

Claystone roof
345 1.1 Coal, shattered, possibly as thick as 3.5 ft
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
396 1.7 Coal
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
420 Coal, dirty
Claystone
Coal, shattered, but at least 1.7 ft thick
Claystone
Coal, very dirty
9.4 Claystone and siltstone
435 0.8 Coal
0.6 Coaly shale
2.9 Coal, between 2.4 and 3.8 ft thick
Claystone floor
]/ Proximate analysis, Table 2
±/Most depths given only for potentially economic coal beds. Depths to smalTeT
beds can be extrapolated by adding or subtracting the figures in thickness column.
Drill hole L2

Location: 1.1 mile east-southeast of Lailian Colliery shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,360,600 yds. E., 974,500 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 317 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 171 feet.
Depth of standing water level: 235 feet.
Total depth: 462 feet.

Lailian coal seam is missing in this hole.

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Sandstone roof
0.3 Coaly shale
229 1.3 Coal
0.1 Coaly shale
0.1 Coal
0.3 Clay and siltstone
0.1 Coal
0.1 Siltstone
0.2 Coal
Coaly shale floor

Clays tone roof

0.2 Coaly shale
0.6 Coal
0.9 Shale
302 - 2.5 Coal
4.8 Siltstone and claystone
313--------- 0.5 Coal, between 0.2 and 1.6 ft thick
0.5 Coal, dirty
Claystone floor

Claystone roof?
337---------- 0.7 Coal, shaly; because of core loss coal
may be as thick as 3 ft
Claystone floor

Sandstone roof?
363---------- 2.5 Coal, between 1.0 and 4.2 ft thick
Siltstone floor

Sandstone roof?
455---------- 2.5 Coal, badly shattered; because of core
loss, coal may be as thick as 6 ft
Claystone floor

56
Drill hole L3
Location: 1 mile west of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,357,100 yds. E., 975,450 yds. N,
Ground elevation: 355 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 78 feet.
Depth of standing water level: Not known
Total depth: 501 feet
Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
136 - 0.2 Sandstone
0.8 Coal
8.5 Claystone
3.5 J/ Coal, Lailian bed
1.2 Claystone
3.7 J/ Coal, Lailian bed
0.5 Claystone
0.7 Coal
Claystone floor

Sandstone roof
200 2.3 Coal, shattered core, at least 1.3 ft thick
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
1.3 Coal
0.2 Dirty coal
0.2 Coal
2.2 Coaly shale
0.3 Coal, clayey
398 7.7 J Coal, shattered core, 3.8 ft recovered
in core
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
453 2.5 J/ Coal, dense, hard, dull luster
0.4 Shale, coaly
0.3 Siltstone
Claystone floor

J/ Proximate analysis, Table 2.

57
 Drill hole L4
Location: 2 miles east of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,362,400 yds. E., 975,250 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 362 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 91 feet.
Depth of standing water level: More than 95 feet.
Total depth: 412 feet.
Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) _______________Stratum____________

Claystone roof
134 - 3.9 J/ Coal, Lailian, 3.5-ft core recovered but
bed could be as much as 5.6 ft thick
Claystone floor

Below 142 feet little core was recovered

J/ Proximate analysis, Table 2.

58
Drill hole L5

Location: 0.5 mile west of the Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,258,000 yds. E., 975,400 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 329 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 100 feet.
Depth of standing water level: At least 130 feet.
Total depth: 433 feet.
Description of thicker coal cores
Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum
Claystone roof
101 1.0 Coal
0.7 Coaly shale
0.5 Coal
Shale floor

Claystone roof
0.2 Coal
0.3 Shale
119 3.0 Coal, Lailian bed
1.8 Claystone
0.3 Coal
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
267 1.2 Coal, shattered
0.1 Siltstone, coaly
Sandstone floor

Sandstone roof
352 1.7 Coal, shattered core, but not thicker than
2.1 ft
3.8 Claystone and shale, not thicker than 5.2 ft
1.0 Coal
0.1 Claystone
3.1 Coal, between 2.4 and 5.6 ft thick
Claystone floor

59
Drill hole L5 (cont'd)

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

398 1.0 Coal, between 0.9 and 1.4 ft thick

2.4 Shale and clays tone
0.2 Coal
1.0 Claystone
0.4 Coal, between 0.2 and 2.0 ft thick
0.2 Shale
402 0.8 Coal
Shale
Coal
0.2 Shale
0.6 Coal
0.4 Shale
0.2 Coal
0.3 Shale
0.1 Coal
Shale floor

Siltstone roof
421 0.3 Coal
0.2 Shale
2.0 Coal
0.1 Siltstone
0.8 Coal, clayey
Claystone floor

59a
Drill hole L6
Location: 1.5 miles east of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,361,500 yds. E., 975,300 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 328 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 130 feet
Depth of standing water level: At least 150 feet.
Total depth: 155 feet.
Description of thicker coal cores
Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
132 1.0 Coal
0.3 Claystone
0.1 Coal
0.5 Claystone
0.5 Coal
4.8 Clays tone and siltstone
0.3 Coal
0.3 Claystone
139 2.6 Coal, Lailian bed
0.1 Shale, coaly
Claystone floor

Drill hole L7
Location: 2 miles west of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,355,400 yds. E., 975,500 yds. N,
Ground elevation: 388 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 65 feet.
Depth of standing water level: 184 feet.
Total depth: 499 feet

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft)_____Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
240 2.6 Coal, Lailian,bed
Claystone floor

Sandstone roof
1.0 Claystone
334 2.0 Coal, between 1.8 and 2.5 ft thick
0.4 Coal, dirty
0.9 Claystone
Sandstone floor

60
 Drill hole 13
Location: 2.6 miles east of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,363,900 yds. E., 975,200 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 389 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 59 feet.
Depth of standing water level: At least 184 feet.
Total depth: 393 feet.

No coal was cored. The Lailian bed is probably missing, and the driller
reports no show of coal from the cuttings at any depth.

Drill hole L9

Location: 3 miles south of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,358,700 yds. E., 970,200 yds. N.

Ground elevation: 274 feet above sea level.

Depth of zone of weathering: 95 feet.

Depth of standing water level: 194 feet.

Total depth: 303 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
1.0 Coal
0.5(7)
Ill 3.7 Coal, Lailian bed
11.3 Claystone
126 2.6 Coal, clayey
0.1 Claystone
0.6 Coal, Clayey
6.1 Claystone
0.6 Coal, clayey
0.8 Claystone
137 1.1 Coal
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
258 1.6 Coal, dirty
Claystone floor

61
Drill hole L10
Location: 1 mile north of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,358,900 yds. E., 977,300 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 350 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 165 feet.
Depth of standing water level:
1) 133 feet at 340-foot depth of hole.
2) 202 feet at completion of hole.
Total depth: 426 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Sandstone roof
122 1.2 Coal, Lailian bed, claystone, and gypsum,
powdery, deeply weathered
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
0.1 Coal
0.7 Claystone
258 1.8 Coal, between 1.8 and 2.2 ft thick
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
360 1.5 Coal, between 1.5 and 2.0 ft thick
Claystone floor

62
Drill hole Lll

Location: 1 mile south of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,358,800 yds. E., 973,600 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 306 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: (1) 0 to 82 feet and (2) 121 to 142 feet.
Depth of standing water level: More than 118 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
0.1 Coal, very clayey
88 4.5 Coal, Lailian bed, between 3.8 and 6.0 ft thick
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
0.1 Coal
0.5 Claystone
0.4 Coal
0.3 Claystone
111 2.2 Coal, good quality, between 1.9 and 3.3 ft
thick
Claystone floor

Drill hole L12

Location: 3 miles north of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,359,100 yds. E., 980,000 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 421 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 53 feet
Depth of standing water level: 152 feet
Total depth: 289 feet
Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
216 4.5 Coal, slightly clayey: Lailian bed between 4.5
and 6.4 ft thick
8.4 Claystone and clayey siltstone
229 1.3 Coal, clayey at top and bottom
0.7 Claystone
2.1 Coal, slightly clayey
Claystone floor

63
Drill hole L13
Location: 2 miles south of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,358,600 yds. E., 971,950 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 276 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 111 feet.
Depth of standing water level: More than 102 feet.
Total depth: 175 feet.
Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
114 Coal, Lailian bed
Claystone and dirty coal
Coal, appears slightly weathered, between
1.8 and 6.0 ft thick
4.7 Claystone
122 2.7 Coal, appears slightly weathered, between
2.5 and 5.0 ft thick
Claystone floor

64
Drill hole L14
Location: 2 miles north of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,359,000 yds. E., 978,900 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 387 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: (1) 0 to 40 ft and (2) 67 to 87 feet.
Depth of standing water level: 159 feet,
Total depth: 278 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Sandstone roof
1.0 Claystone, coaly, fossil shells
55 1.3 Coal, clayey
Sandstone floor

Claystone roof
170 4.5 Coal, Lailian bed
0.3 Claystone
1.5 Coal, clean, Lailian bed
0.2 Coal, clayey
Siltstone floor

Claystone roof
0.6 Coal
1.4 Claystone, coaly
194 1.7 Coal, good quality
3.6 Claystone
0.3 Coal
Claystone floor

Clayey siltstone roof

0.3 Claystone
210 0.2 Coal
0.1 Claystone
3.0 Coal, good quality between 2.1 and 4.2 ft thick
Claystone floor

65
Drill hole L15

Location: 1.4 miles southwest of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,357,000 yds. E., 973,700 yds. N.

Ground elevation: 324 feet above sea level.

Depth of zone of weathering: (1) 0 to 145 feet and (2) 150 to 170 feet.

Depth of standing water level: more than 133 feet.

Total depth: 400 feet.

No coal found in the drill hole. Both Lailian bed and thick coal bed found
at depth of 398 feet in drill hole L3 are missing.

66
 Drill hole L16

Location: 4 miles north of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,359,100 yds. E., 982,350 yds. N,
Ground elevation: 415 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: Between 60 and 180 feet.
Depth of standing water level: 223 feet.
Total depth: 261 feet
Depths cored: (1) 0 to 60 ft; and (2) 180 to 261 ft.

Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
195 -- . r> f. i/
Coal, Lailian bed
0.2 Claystone
1.9 J Coal
0.8 Claystone
0.6 Coal
0.1 Claystone
0.4 Coal
2.9 Claystone
one __ _ ----- 1. Z
ZU j Coal, clayey in upper 1 in.
9.1 Claystone
0.6 Sandstone
z Coal
0.9 Claystone
0.4 Coal
5.0 Claystone
,_ _ o O
Coal,may be slightly clayey
Claystone floor

J/ Proximate and ultimate analyses, Table 2.

Drill hole L17

Location: 2.2 miles south-southwest of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,356,950 yds. E., 972,000 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 313 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 168 feet.
Depth of standing water level: More than 194 feet.

The only coal found was 0.7 feet at a depth of 175 feet. Lailian coal
bed is missing at an expected depth of 50 feet within the weathered zone.
The thick bed found at a depth of 398 feet in drill hole L3 is also missing

67
Drill hole L18

Location: 5 miles north of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,359,300 yds. E., 984,300 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 369 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 48 feet.
Depth of standing water level: 255 feet.
Total depth: 261 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Soft sandstone roof
129 0.3 Coal, thickness uncertain because of
7 ft of lost core
Claystone floor

Soft sandstone roof

169 1.8 Coal, thickness uncertain; 7 ft of core lost
1.4 Claystone
0.2 Coal
Claystone and siltstone floor

Claystone roof
197 3.5 Coal, Lailian bed, between 2.5 and 4.1 ft thick
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
0.3 Coal
3.8 Claystone
0.4 Coal, clayey
219 1.6 Coal, clean, between 1.1 and 4.1 ft thick
1.6 Claystone
0.6 Coal
4.1 Claystone
227 3.0 Coal, between 2.7 and 3.7 ft thick
1.8 Claystone
0.2 Coal
Claystone floor

68
Drill holes L19 and L19A:

Location: 4 miles south of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates:2,358,500 yds. E., 968,500 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 291 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: (1) 0 to 48 ft, and (2) 53 to 63 ft
Depth of standing water level: 197 feet
Total depth: 208 feet

Description of Lailian coal bed

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
133 2.8 Coal, Lailiar bed, between 2.5 and 3.3 ft thick
8.7 Claystone, silty
144 1.6 Coal
Claystone floor

Drill hole L20

Location: 3.2 miles north-northeast of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,360,800 yds. E. , 980,700 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 410 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 74 feet.
Depth of standing water level: 226 feet.
Total depth: 311 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
180 1.6 Coal, slightly clayey at top and bottom
Claystone floor

Soft sandstone roof

0.1 Claystone
258 0.4 Coal, Lailian bed
0.2 Claystone
2.6 Coal, Lailian bed, 2.4 ft was recovered;
coal is between 2.8 and 8.0 ft thick
Claystone floor

69
-Drill holeL21

Location: 5 miles south of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,358,600 yds. E., 966,900 yds.N.
Ground elevation: 236 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 55 feet plus.
Depth of standing water level: (1) 61 ft at 142 ft depth of hole; (2) More
than 158 ft at completion of hole.
Total depth: 217 feet.
Depths cored: 49 to 217 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
0.6 Coal
11.8 Claystone
155 3.2 Coal, Lailian bed
Claystone floor

Drill hole L22

Location: 6 miles north of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,359,350 yds. E. , 986,100 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 379 feet above sea level
Depth of zone of weathering: 53 feet.
Depth of standing water level: More than 230 feet.
Total depth: 285 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Soft sandstone roof
0.6 Sandstone, hard
230 3.3 Coal, Lailian bed
0.4 Claystone
1.8 Coal, Lailian bed
Claystone floor

70
Drill hole-L23

Location: 3.6 miles northeast of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,362,600 yds. E., 980,600 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 446 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 98 feet.
Depth of standing water level: Not measured.
Total depth: 351 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Sandstone roof
0.4 Clays tone
330 1.4+ Coal, Lailian bed, between 1.4 and 6.0 ft thick
Claystone floor

Drill hole L24

Location: 4.9 miles north-northeast of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,362,250 yds. E., 983,350 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 387 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 96 feet.
Depth of standing water level: More than 300 feet.
Total depth of hole: 354 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Claystone roof
252 1.2 Coal, Lailian bed
0.1 Claystone
0.3 Coal
Claystone floor

71
 Drill hole,L25

Location: 15 miles north and 2 miles west of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft,
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,356,580 yds. E., 1,001,830 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 153 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 351 feet.
Depth of standing water level: 30 feet.
Total depth of hole: 426 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) Stratum

Sandstone roof
403 5.0 J/ Coal, Lailian bed, recovered 4.5 ft
Sandstone floor

J/ Proximate and ultimate analyses, Table 2

Drill holeL26
Location: 3.5 miles north-northwest of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,355,580 yds. E., 980,650 yds. N,
Ground elevation: 427 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 116 feet.
Total depth of hole: 471 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) ___________Stratum__________

Sandstone roof
439 3.1 Coal, Lailian bed?
1.4 Claystone
4.3 Coal, upper 0.3 ft dirty
Siltstone floor

72
Drill hole L27

Location: 13 miles north and 2 miles west of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,356,450 yds. E., 998,300 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 478 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 220 feet.
Depth of standing water level: Could not be measured because of the collapse of
hole.
Total depth of hole: 890 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) ___________Stratum__________________

Sandstone roof
288 2.0 Coal, recovered 1.4 ft
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
355 2.7 Coal, Lailian bed, core was broken; actual
thickness was difficult to measure; upper
0.2 ft dirty coal

Drill holeL28

Location: 5.3 miles north-northwest of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: 2,355,750 yds. E., 984,280 yds. N.
Ground elevation: 440 feet above sea level.
Depth of zone of weathering: 93 feet.
Depth of standing water level: Dry up to 250 feet. Hole collapsed beyond
this depth.
Total depth of hole: 551 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) ________ Stratum

Claystone roof
362 1.2 Coal
0.2 Claystone
0.35 Coal
1.0 Claystone
364.8______ 3.5 Coal, Lailian bed
Claystone floor

Claystone roof
369 5.5 Coal
Claystone floor

73
Drill hole L29

Location: 11 miles north and 2 miles west of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: not available.

Dapth of zone of weathering: not measured.

Depth of standing water level: not measured.

Total depth: 465 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft.) Thickness (ft.) _______Stratum____

Sandstone roof, light gray,

fossil shells, fine grained
0.1 Claystone, black, carbonaceous
1.7 Coal, Lailian bed, lignitic,
pyritic, clayey?, loss of
5.7-ft-core in the run
suggests greater thickness
Sandstone floor, soft, loose

74
Drill hole L30

Location: 9 miles north and 2 miles west of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: not available.

Depth of zone of weathering: not measured.

Depth of standing water level: not measured.

Total depth: 383 feet.

Depth cored: 8 to 383 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness(ft) Stratum

5.0 Sandstone roof, soft
199 - 1.0 Coal, brownish black, friable,
pyritic, gypsiferous, loss of core
suggests greater thickness
6.0 Claystone floor, light gray, coal
partings, pyritic

1.0 Shale or claystone roof, sandy, coal

partings
292 1.0 Coal, friable, pyritic
5.5 Claystone floor, carbonaceous

7.5 Claystone roof

332 1.0 Coal, thickness might be greater
because of loss of 5 ft core; Lailian
coal bed?
8.0 Claystone floor, sandy

75
Drill hole L31

Location: 2 miles east and 1 mile south of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.
Survey of Pakis tan Grid coordinates: Not available.
Ground elevation: 331 feet.
Depth of zone of weathering: 187 feet?
Depth of standing water level: Not measured.
Total depth: 403 feet.
Depth cored: 390 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) ___________Stratum___________

0.6 Claystone roof
1.1 Coal, friable, gypsum-bearing, Lailian bed
0.9 Claystone floor

Drill hole L32

Location: 2 miles west and 1 mile south of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft.

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: not available.

Ground elevation: 400 feet above sea level.

Depth of zone of weathering: 80 feet.

Depth of standing water level: not measured.

Total depth: 402 feet.

Depth cored: 390 feet.

Description of thicker coal cores:

Depth (ft) Thickness (ft) _________Stratum___________

1.1 Shale and siltstone roof
95 ---- 1.2 Coal, lignitic, friable
1.0 Shale, floor

6.1 Claystone roof

180 _________ ---- 3.4 Coal, pyritic, friable, Lailian bed
2.0 Siltstone floor, moderately hard

191 ______-_----_-_ 1.4 Coal, pyritic, friable

1.5 Claystone floor

76 '.
Drill hole L33
Location: 3 miles south and 1.93 miles east of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft

Survey of Pakistan Grid Coordinates: not available.

Ground elevation: 373 feet above sea level.

Depth of zone of weathering: 132 feet.

Depth of standing water level: not measured.

Total depth: 267 feet.

Lailian coal bed and other coal beds of minable thickness are missing in
this drill hole.

Drill hole L34

Location: 5.3 miles south and 2 miles west of Lailian Colliery pumping shaft

Survey of Pakistan Grid coordinates: not available.

Ground elevation: 292 feet above sea level.

Depth of zone of weathering: 99 feet?

Depth of standing water level: not measured.

Total depth: 322 feet.

Depth cored: all through.

Lailian coal bed and other coal beds are missing in this hole.

77
 Table 2.--Analyses of Lakhra coals

USBMl/ North face AR 31.8 30*0 29.2 9.0 6.8 42.1 0.8 38.0 3.3 7,530 Non- caking.
H-51788 Lailian Colliery MF -- 43*9 42.9 13.2 4.8 61.7 1.1 14.3 4.9 11,050 Ash fuses at 2520° -2680°F.
MAF -- 50*6 49.4 __ 5.5 71.7 1.3 16.4 5.7 12,730

USBM Northwest entry AR 31.8 30.8 30.0 7.4 6.8 43.0 ; 0.8 38.4 3.6 7,660 Non-Caking; ash fuses at 2620° -2730° F.
H-45314 Lailian Colliery MF -- 45.1 44.1 10.8 4.9 63.1 1.2 14.7 5.3 11,230
Lailian bed MAF -- 50.6 49.4 -- 5.4 70.7 1.3 16.6 6.0 12,590

USBM Lailian Colliery AR 39.4 25.3 20.7 14.6 6.4 28.8 0.6 47.8 1.8 4,630 Ash initial deformation temperature 2910°-»-F.
H- 33049 100 ft W. of pump MF -- 41.8 34.0 24.2 3.4 47.4 1.0 21.1 2.9 7,640
shaft MAF -- 55.1 44.9 -- 4.4 62.5 1.3 28.0 3.8 10,080

USBM Drill hole L16 AR 35.7 28.0 25.8 10.5 7.0 38.7 0.7 39.3 3.8 7,010 Non-caking.
H-51789 Lailian bed MF -- 43.5 40.1 16.4 4.7 60.3 1.1 11.5 6.0 10,910 Ash fuses at 2000° -2260°F.
MAF -- 52.0 48.0 -- 5.7 72.1 1.3 13.8 7.1 13,040

USBM Khan Coal Mine AR 27.7 26.2 22.7 23.4 5.6 33.3 0.6 30.6 6.5 6,040 Ash initial deformation temperature 2100°F.
J-37993 (northern part of MF -- 36.3 31.4 32.3 3.6 46.1 0.8 8.2 9.0 8,360
coal field) MAF -- 53.6 46.4 -- 5.3 68.1 1.2 12.1 13.3 12,350

USBM Indus Coal Co. AR 24.3 29.5 26.3 19.9 5.7 38.7 0.7 29.4 5.6 7,020 Ash initial deformation temperature 2060°F.
J-37989 (about 2 mi. south MF -- 38.9 34.8 26.3 3.9 51.1 1.0 10.3 7.4 9,280
of Khan Mine) MAF -- 52.9 47.1 -- 5.3 69.4 1.3 13.9 10.1 12,600

USBM Habibullah Coal AR 31.0 29.2 26.4 13.4 6.3 38.8 0.8 36.3 4.4 6,900 Ash initial deformation temperature 1940°F.
J-37987 Co. (central part MF -- 42.4 38.1 19.5 4.2 56.2 1.1 12.6 6.4 10,000
of coal field) MAF -- 52.6 47.4 -- 5.2 69.8 1.4 15.6 8.0 12,410

USBM Baluchistan Coal AR 30.0 27.7 26.8 15.5 6.2 38.4 0.8 35.9 3.2 6,770 Ash initial deformation temperature 2080°F.
J-37990 Co. (south-central MF -- 39.5 38.3 22.1 4.1 54.8 1.1 13.4 4.5 9,670
part of field) MAF -- 50.3 49.2 -- 5.3 70.3 1.4 17.2 5.8 12,410

GSP 2/ Drill hole LI AD 6.5 37.3 38.8 17.4 _. -- -- -- 4.6 -- --

1162(4) Lailian bed MF -- 39.9 41.5 18.6 _. -- -- -- 4.9 -- --
MAF -- 49.0 51.0 -- -- -- -- -- 6.0 -- --

GSP Drill hole L3 AD 7.4 42.8 39.8 10.0 __ __ 3.2 __ »«

1162(1) Lailian bed MF -- 46.2 43.0 10.8 -- -- -- -- 3.5 --

MAF -- 51.8 48.2 -- -- -- .. -- 3.9 -- --

GSP Drill hole L3 AD 7.2 39.1 35.1 18.6 ,. _ __ _~ 5.8 ._

1162(2) 7-ft bed at MF -- 42.0 37.9 20.1 -- -- -- 6.3 --
398-ft depth MAF -- 52.7 47.3 -- -- -- -- 7.8 --
S. Geologrica.1 Survey ,-/- »
GSP Drill hole L3 AD 5.5 42.3 38.2 13.5 _ .. _- _- __ 4.9 _. > U.OPEN FILE REPORT "2^/53
1162(3) 3-ft bed at MF -- 45.3 40.4 14.3 -- -- -- -- 5.2 --
This report is preliminary a^d has
453-ft depth MAF -- 52.8 47.2 -- -- - 6.0 ~
not been edited or reviewed for
^ conformity with GeoU £ : cal Survey
25.0 -- » » 2.1
GSP Drill hole L4 AD 8.8 36.7 29.5 standards or nomenclature.
-- 40.3 32.3 27.4 _- -- -- -- 2.3 -- --
1162(5) Lailian bed MF
"" » * " 3.2
MAF 55.5 44.5

I/ USBM, analysis by the U. S. Bureau of Mine's, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2/ GSP, analysis by the Geological Survey of Pakistan, Quet^a, Pakistan.
Basis: AD, air dried; AR, as received(moist) sample; MF, moisture free; MAF, moisture and ash free.