52 
BAIiL AND SIMPSON: COALFIELDS OF INDIA. 
Section across the Upper measures at Murulidih. 
Nauic of seam. 
Coal in feet. 
Strata in feet. 
Top 
0 
Not Kuch worked. 
200 
Middlo 
8 
Do. 
Bottom 
9 
28 
The most recently published estimate of the quantity of coal 
within the field was made in 1890 by T. H. Ward,^ who calcu- 
lated that in seams Nos. 12 and 13 with thicknesses of 11| and 5 
feet respectively, there are nearly 1,287 million tons of coal. Since 
then mining operations have proved the value of Nos. 10, 
11, 12, 13, 14, 14A, 15 16, 17 and 18 seams with an aggregate 
thickness of more than 150 feet, about half of which is of first 
class quality. It is difficult, however, to give even an approximate 
estimate of the coal available, for recent sinkings and borings in the 
richest part of the field, i.e., between Bhulanbarari and Balliari, 
have proved that much of the coal to the dip of the collieries 
now being worked is burnt and valueless. It is to be hoped that 
valuable stores of fuel exist to the dip of the burnt zone, but so far 
as is known at the present time the extent of the burnt areas 
increases with the depth. 
Presuming that an average thickness of 100 feet of coal is work- 
able to a depth of 500 feet between Bhulanbarari and Katras 
(about 12 miles) the amount of coal would be 840 millions of tons. 
Of this quantity only about 6 per cent, has been already mined. 
If half the estimated quantity be considered of first class quality 
it appears that within the limits given above there is not more 
than 100 years' supplj of first class coal. As in the Raniganj coal- 
field there are vast stores of coal of second class and lower grade 
quality. There is a marked deterioration in the quality of the coal 
on the west of the coalfield, and there is no colliery of importance 
being worked west of Katras. 
Besides the great fault forming the southern boundary of the 
field there is a number of minor faults coursing chiefly in a direction 
I Eec, G. S. I., XXV, 110 (1892). 
