Geochemical Characteristics of Coal Seams Within the Paleocene Patala Formation, Central Salt Range Coal Mines (punjab), Northern Pakistan

This study is focused on the investigation of the geochemical quality of coal samples from the Central Salt Range (Punjab Province) of Pakistan for its economically beneficial energy usage. The study utilizes new field data including a coal mines survey and analysis of 36 field samples from the Central Salt Range in Punjab (Pakistan). The field samples were tested using the proximate and ultimate analysis for coal ranking and quality determination. The proximate analysis included estimation of the moisture content, ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon, whereas ultimate analysis characterizes properties like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur content. The comparative analyses of coal quality of these coals were made for local coals from the Baluchistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan and Kutai Basin (Borneo) coal. The results confirmed that the coals have high ash (14.2–50.3%) and high sulfur (3.3–11.1%), belonging to the category of volatile sub-bituminous coals. The analyses demonstrate that the indigenous coal reserves have good energy potential and can be exploited to fulfill the growing energy demands. It is recommended that to use the investigated coal for power generation as an alternative energy resource, the sulfur content should be reduced through clean coal technology.