82 
BALL AND SIMPSON: COALFIELDS OF INDIA. 
Bisrampiir area by a fault and a belt of Talchirs. In 1882 BalP 
wrote concerning the field as follows : — 
" The coal-bearing rocks are Barakars, and they contain several 
seams of coal. The best seam outcrops in the Chandnai river near 
Kutkona ; it is 5 feet 6 inches thick and contains about equal 
parts of good, fair and burnable shaly coal." 
He suggested borings within a mile radius of Ambera and 
Kutkona, and considered that there was a good prospect of coal 
being found of fair quantity and quality at no great depth and 
in aproximately horizontal beds. 
In 1885-87 the whole field was examined by Lala Hira Lal,^ 
who estimated the total area to be 340 square miles. He mentions 
outcrops of coal seams as occurring on the Mani stream near its 
confluence with the Rer river, near Salih, near Rode, on the Ranai 
stream near Khorbahar, near Kohikundra, on the Atem stream 
north of Parsa, on the Chornai stream, on the Bisrar stream N. 
and N. E. of Kedai and in other localities. The thickness of coal 
varies from 3 to 9 feet, whilst the ash varies from 5 to 28 per cent. 
A typical) lample from a seam exceeding 5 feet 6 inches in thick- 
ness on the Atem stream, north of Parsa gave on analysis : — 
Moisture 7-50 
Volatile matter 28-70 
Fixed carbon 50-90 
Ash 12-90 
None of the samples possessed caking qualities. 
PancJibhaini. — In Paharbula, Sarguja. This is a small area 
of about 4| square miles. According to Lala Hira Lal^ there 
are several seams of good quality, varying from 18 to 40 inches in 
thickness. 
Sendurgar.^ — This outlier of the Lakhanpur coalfield is sit- 
uated in Mahtin, and lies some 5 miles west of the Hestho river. 
The coal measures form a plateau of about 20 square miles in 
1 Bee, 0. S. I., Vol. XV, p. 108 (1882). 
2 MS.Bepori,lS85-87. 
3 MS. Report, 1885-86. 
* Lala Hira Lai : MS. Beport, 1885-8(;. 
