6s 
BALL AND SIMPSON: COALFIELDS OF INDlA. 
S miles a little north of west from the civil station of Hazaribagh. 
It consists of Talchir and Barakar rocks and has an area of about 
three-fourths of a sq. mile. There is only one coal-seam with a 
thickness of about 4 feet but it is found over a very small portion 
of the area and is of poor quality. Ball ^ considered that some 
of the coal might be made use of locally for brick and lime-burning. 
Itkhuri. — At a very much lower elevation and nearly 20 miles 
north of the Chope field another small area of Talchir-Barakar 
rocks is found on the Mohoni, a tributary of the Gya river. The 
Barakars occupy only about \ a sq. mile, or 4-5 th of the area. 
They contain three seams of coal of from 4 to 8 feet in thickness, 
but the quality is inferior, the average coal containing more than 
30 per cent, of ash. Hughes ^ estimated that from \\ to 2 
million tons of coal were available, but did not predict its use 
for more than lime and brick-burning purposes in the locality. 
Auranga. — This field lies some 6 miles west of the Karanpura 
field and is situated in the valley of the Auranga river, a tributary 
of the Koel, which itself flows into the Son. It is within the 
boundaries of the Palamau district of Chota Nagpur. It has an 
area of 97 sq. miles and the rock groups represented range from 
the Mahadevas to the Talchirs, with a total thickness of 4,500 
feet. The shape of the area is extremely irregular owing to the 
numerous dislocations of the rocks which have taken place. There 
appears to be an absence of trap intrusions. The whole of the 
workable coal is confined to the Barakars which cover an area of 
58| sq. miles, and contain numerous coal-seams, sorne of which are 
of great thickness. In the sections exposed, however, the quality 
is, as a rule, inferior ; the average analysis of 6 samples from 
different localities is as follows : — 
Moisture 700 
Volatile matter 28-50 
Fixed carbon 36-50 
Ash 28-00 
It has been estimated^ that about 20 million tons of coal of the 
quality indicated by the above analysis are available. 
1 Mem., G. 8. I., Vol. VIII, p. 347 (1872). 
2 Mem., G. S. I., Vol. VIII, p. 321 (1872). 
^ Ball: Mem., G. S. I., Vol. XV, pp. 1-127 (1878). 
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