Marek MARCISZ PhD, DSc., Eng., Assoc. Prof.
Silesian University of Technology, Institute of Applied Geology
Gliwice, POLAND
THE ESTIMATION OF COAL QUALITY
AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TASKS
OF MINIG GEOLOGIST
IN UNDERGROUND COAL MINES
OF UPPER SILESIAN COAL BASIN
The application of combination Surfer and AutoCAD software
INTRODUCTION

The geologist task is giving the information, which
allows for exploitation of deposit with the guarantee of:

the safety of people and machines,

the clean of deposit exploitation,

minimal devastation of the natural environment
(in the consequence of exploitation).

The informations expected by miner from geologist can
be divided in 4 groups:

I group – information about the deposit form – indispensable to
open out the deposit,

II group – information about the type and quality of the mineral
– indispensable in estimation of the utilization value of mineral
and designing of the enrichment type,

III group – information about deposit reserves (about mineral
quantity in the deposit and about spacing of the mineral in the
deposit) – indispensable in estimation of the economic value of
deposit and designing of the exploitation method,

IV group – information about mining-geological conditions of the
exploitation.

The geologist tasks include:

the geological charting of the deposit,

the sampling,

reserves esimation.

All results of the geologist tasks are presented on the
map.

THE MAP IS ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY SOURCES
OF GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION.

THE MAP IS USED FOR:
 THE PREPARATION OF THE DRAFT OF MINE,
 RUNNING THE EXPLOITATION,
 ESTIMATION OF THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF
DEPOSIT.
I. OBJECT AND RANGE OF THE
AutoCAD AND SURFER COMBINATION

The digitalization of maps has became more popular
recently, however majority of mining maps is still kept in
original (analog) form.

The digital drawing up the maps is useful because of:
 the easiness of storing,
 the easier accessibility to the data,
 the easiness in modification and completing.

The GIS (Geographical Information Systems) software is very
expensive so the combination of the Surfer and AutoCAD
software can be an alternative.

This method takes into consideration the specificity of the mine
maps.

This method allows to combine:

different methods of the contour maps drawing (from the
Surfer),
with

the scaling of maps (optional choice of maps format) and
adequate selection of the mining-geological details (from the
AutoCAD).

Moreover, this software were chosen, because of the
fact that both, Surfer and AutoCAD use the CAD’s
format of data transfer .dxf.

This method is used for the construction of maps of the
chemical-technical and petrographical parameters
of coal.

Coal quality parameters, for which the maps were
constructed, are based on national (Polish Standards)
and international standards (ECE Geneva).

These standards are based on the:
 parameters of technical analysis like:
moisture content Wa [%],
ash content Aa [%], Ad [%],
volatile matter content Vdaf [%],
gross calorific value GCVdaf [MJ/kg],
calorific value CVdaf [MJ/kg],
 parameters of elementary analysis like:
sulphur content Sta [%], Std [%],
 coking parameters like:
contraction a [%],
dilatation
b [%],
Roga Index RI [-],
Swelling Index SI [-],
 physical parameters like:
vitrinite reflectance in oil immersion R [%],
 petrographic composition:
content of vitrinite group macerals Vtmmf [%],
content of liptinite
group macerals Lmmf [%],
content of inertinite group macerals Immf [%],

Data including values of these parameters come
from the drill-holes cards and cards of the
results of the channel samples’ analysis.

The maps of selected coal quality parameters
(coking parameters: Roga Index and Swelling
Index) from the 2 coal seams (403 and 406) from
one of Polish mine will present this method.
II. CONSTRUCTION OF THE COAL
QUALITY CONTOUR MAPS
2.1. MAKING OF THE TABULAR DATA BASE
p. 403/1
X
Y
RI [-]
X
p. 406/3
Y
SI [-]
X
Y
RI [-]
X
Y
SI [-]
-14979 -24726
82 -18401 -25144
6,0 -19010 -25363
75 -19010 -25363
8,5
-18401 -25144
63 -19004 -26272
8,0 -19200 -25512
72 -19200 -25512
8,0
-19004 -26272
69 -17884 -25732
7,0 -18849 -25248
75 -18849 -25248
8,0
-17884 -25732
68 -16835 -27004
7,5 -18710 -25142
58 -18710 -25142
7,5
-16835 -27004
76 -18135 -27796
7,0 -18532 -25006
74 -18532 -25006
8,5
-18135 -27796
80 -15088 -26049
6,5 -18332 -24856
70 -18332 -24856
8,5
-18827 -25910
71 -16789 -24946
6,0 -19318 -25317
69 -19318 -25317
7,5
-18693 -26875
73 -16848 -24732
4,5 -19122 -25168
64 -19122 -25168
6,0
-17800 -27199
87 -19147 -25450
5,0 -18924 -25020
58 -18924 -25020
5,0
-15088 -26049
75
5,0 -18658 -24814
62 -18658 -24814
7,5
-19117 -25494
seam number
p. 403/1
X
Y
RI [-]
X
p. 406/3
Y
SI [-]
X
Y
RI [-]
X
Y
SI [-]
-14979 -24726
82 -18401 -25144
6,0 -19010 -25363
75 -19010 -25363
8,5
-18401 -25144
63 -19004 -26272
8,0 -19200 -25512
72 -19200 -25512
8,0
-19004 -26272
69 -17884 -25732
7,0 -18849 -25248
75 -18849 -25248
8,0
-17884 -25732
68 -16835 -27004
7,5 -18710 -25142
58 -18710 -25142
7,5
-16835 -27004
76 -18135 -27796
7,0 -18532 -25006
74 -18532 -25006
8,5
-18135 -27796
80 -15088 -26049
6,5 -18332 -24856
70 -18332 -24856
8,5
-18827 -25910
71 -16789 -24946
6,0 -19318 -25317
69 -19318 -25317
7,5
-18693 -26875
73 -16848 -24732
4,5 -19122 -25168
64 -19122 -25168
6,0
-17800 -27199
87 -19147 -25450
5,0 -18924 -25020
58 -18924 -25020
5,0
-15088 -26049
75
5,0 -18658 -24814
62 -18658 -24814
7,5
-19117 -25494
coordinates of sampling points
p. 403/1
X
Y
RI [-]
X
p. 406/3
Y
SI [-]
X
Y
RI [-]
X
Y
SI [-]
-14979 -24726
82 -18401 -25144
6,0 -19010 -25363
75 -19010 -25363
8,5
-18401 -25144
63 -19004 -26272
8,0 -19200 -25512
72 -19200 -25512
8,0
-19004 -26272
69 -17884 -25732
7,0 -18849 -25248
75 -18849 -25248
8,0
-17884 -25732
68 -16835 -27004
7,5 -18710 -25142
58 -18710 -25142
7,5
-16835 -27004
76 -18135 -27796
7,0 -18532 -25006
74 -18532 -25006
8,5
-18135 -27796
80 -15088 -26049
6,5 -18332 -24856
70 -18332 -24856
8,5
-18827 -25910
71 -16789 -24946
6,0 -19318 -25317
69 -19318 -25317
7,5
-18693 -26875
73 -16848 -24732
4,5 -19122 -25168
64 -19122 -25168
6,0
-17800 -27199
87 -19147 -25450
5,0 -18924 -25020
58 -18924 -25020
5,0
-15088 -26049
75
5,0 -18658 -24814
62 -18658 -24814
7,5
-19117 -25494
parameters
and their values
p. 403/1
X
Y
RI [-]
X
p. 406/3
Y
SI [-]
X
Y
RI [-]
X
Y
SI [-]
-14979 -24726
82 -18401 -25144
6,0 -19010 -25363
75 -19010 -25363
8,5
-18401 -25144
63 -19004 -26272
8,0 -19200 -25512
72 -19200 -25512
8,0
-19004 -26272
69 -17884 -25732
7,0 -18849 -25248
75 -18849 -25248
8,0
-17884 -25732
68 -16835 -27004
7,5 -18710 -25142
58 -18710 -25142
7,5
-16835 -27004
76 -18135 -27796
7,0 -18532 -25006
74 -18532 -25006
8,5
-18135 -27796
80 -15088 -26049
6,5 -18332 -24856
70 -18332 -24856
8,5
-18827 -25910
71 -16789 -24946
6,0 -19318 -25317
69 -19318 -25317
7,5
-18693 -26875
73 -16848 -24732
4,5 -19122 -25168
64 -19122 -25168
6,0
-17800 -27199
87 -19147 -25450
5,0 -18924 -25020
58 -18924 -25020
5,0
-15088 -26049
75
5,0 -18658 -24814
62 -18658 -24814
7,5
-19117 -25494
2.2. CONSTRUCTION OF THE CONTOUR
MAPS OF THE COAL QUALITY PARAMETERS
The map of the Roga Index
for the coal seam 403
The map of the Roga Index
for the coal seam 406
The map of the Swelling Index
for the coal seam 403
The map of the Swelling Index
for the coal seam 406

These maps are constructed by Surfer using one of the
contouring method:












Inverse Distance to a Power,
Kriging,
Minimum Curvature,
Modified Shepard's Method,
Natural Neighbor,
Nearest Neighbor,
Polynomial Regression,
Radial Basis Function,
Triangulation with Linear Interpolation,
Moving Average,
Data Metrics,
Local Polynomial.

The kriging is the most useful method for the
precise estimation changes of the quality
parameters values.

The maps constructed by this method should be
saved in .dxf format.
2.3. CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAPS OF THE
COAL SEAM
The map of the coal seam 403
The map of the coal seam 406

The picture below is the example of a matrix of the
typical coal seam map with the most fundamental
elements like:
 the coordinate system
 the mine field border
 the faults
 the seam outcrop

Depending on the destination, the maps can be
completed with necessary details, like:
 the localization of the
drill-holes
 the sampling points
 the underground
structure of the mine,
mine workings
 the details of the
underground mine
surveying system
III. THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE
AutoCAD AND SURFER COMBINATION

The contour maps (constructed by Surfer) scaled
in the special way are coated as followed layers
on the seam map (constructed by AutoCAD).
3.1. THE MAPS OF THE ROGA INDEX (RI)
The map of the coal seam 403
The map of the coal seam 406
3.2. THE MAPS OF THE SWELLING INDEX (SI)
The map of the coal seam 403
The map of the coal seam 406
3.3. THE CONTOUR MAPS SUPERPOSITION
VARIANT I:

It is possible to impose the isarithms of the different
parameters (for instance the Roga Index RI and the
Swelling Index SI) in the same coal seam (for instance
in 403 seam or 406 seam).

Variant I: the same coal seam but other parameters
RI + SI
RI + SI
The map of the coal seam 403
The map of the coal seam 406
VARIANT II:

It is also possible to compile the maps of the same
parameter (for instance Roga Index RI or Swelling
Index SI) from different coal seams (for instance 403
seam and 406 seam) and observe the changes of the
pararameter values in relation to depth.

II variant: different coal seams but the same parameter
RI
SI
The maps of the coal seams 403 and 406 The maps of the coal seams 403 and 406
3.4. THE MAPS OF THE TYPES OF COAL
The contour maps of the quality parameters allow to
determinate the possibilities of the coal utilization.
 According to the Polish Standards the coal quality is
determinated only on the base of the 5 parameters:
 volatile matter content Vdaf [%],
 Roga Index RI [-],
 dilatation b [%],
 Swelling Index SI [-],
 calorific value CVdaf [MJ/kg].


The appropriate ranges of the values of these
parameters allow to distinguish types of coal.

On the base of the types of coal it’s possible to
determinate very precisely the way of the coal utilization
in different branches of industry:
 power coals,
 coking coals
and the others.
Type 34 – the coking coal
Type 34 – the coking coal
The map of the coal seam 403
The map of the coal seam 406

It is possible to impose the maps of the technological
types of coal of different coal seams.
Type 34 – the coking coal
The maps of the coal seams 403 and 406
CONCLUSIONS
The possibility of imposing different, selected layers
allows to present only the essential data.
 This procedure allows to reduce the amount of the
needless details on the maps.


The scaling of maps makes possible to plot whole maps
or their fragments in different formats.

Digital form of the map saving is conducive to easier
storing, easier accessibility of the data and easier
modification and completing.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION