FOSSIL FUEL : COAL

Mremi, William
Outline
1.Coal Formation
2.Coal classification
3.Coal mining
4.Industrial uses of coal
300Mya
Most of our coal was formed about 350 million years ago,
when much of the earth was covered by steamy swamps

Flourishing of plant Oxygen

was 35% of the atmosphere
compared to present day
levels of 21%.
The quality of each coal deposit is determined
by:
•Types of vegetation from which the coal originated
•Depths of burial
•Temperatures and pressures at those depths
•Length of time the coal has been forming in the
deposit
 USES OF COAL

Major uses
Electric power generation
Metallurgical industries
 chemicals; cement, stone clay,and glass;
paper; and food processing

Minor uses
Residential uses: Cooking fuel
 COAL EXPLORATION
 Coal reserves are discovered through exploration activities.
 The process usually involves creating a geological map of the area, then carrying out
geochemical and geophysical surveys, followed by exploration drilling. This allows an
accurate picture of the area to be developed.
 The area will only ever become a mine if it is large enough and of sufficient quality that
the coal can be economically recovered. Once this has been confirmed, mining
operations begin.
Tanzania Coal  The majority of the coal reserves in
Tanzania exist along
the Songea Karoo belt in Southern
Tanzania. Coal fields exist in three
regions of the country
in Rukwa, Mbeya and the largest
in Njombe.
 The country has total coal reserves of
around 1.9bn tonnes with 0.4 billion
tonnes of proven reserves. With recent
geological exploration, the authorities
believe there is a potential of 5 billion
tonnes of potential reserves.
 The largest reserves are currently found
in Mchuchuma, where there are
reserves of over 400 million tonnes.
The currently exploited coal in Tanzania is used for industrial applications.
particularly in cement factories and agro-processing industries, while
coal briquettes for cooking are being promoted
 Coal resources of good quality occur in the Ruhuhu basin
(Ketawaka-Mchuchuma),Rukwa basin, Ngaka basin and
Songwe-Kiwira basins in the Southwest Tanzania. A total of about
1 .9 billion tonnes in reserves (unproven) have so far been
identified.

Coal in Tanzania is currently exploited in small scale at Kiwira

Coal Mine in Mbeya Region (STAMICO) and Tancoal Energy
Limited Mine at Ngaka in Ruvuma Region.
Coal market
 Coal seam methane
 Methane (CH4) is a gas formed as part of the process of coal formation. When coal is mined,
methane is released from the coal seam and the surrounding disturbed rock strata. Methane
can also be released as a result of natural erosion or faulting
 The methane content in coal seams generally increases the deeper the seam, and also with
age. As the depth of the coal seam increases, so does the pressure level. This in turn reduces
the level of permeability, causing the methane to be much more tightly bound to the coal
and surrounding rock strata.
 Underground mining can therefore produce substantially greater levels of methane than
surface mining
 Methane is highly combustible – its release can have serious implications for the safety of mine
operations. It is also a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). Tackling methane emissions is therefore
an important step in meeting the challenge of safety of mining operation climate change
 Methane can also act as a valuable source of energy- it is the principal constituent of natural
gas - allowing countries to further diversify their energy supplies.