54 
Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
[vol. III. 
Report on the Coal at Kobba in the Bi las pur District, by W. T. Blanford, Esq., 
P. G. S., Ass., Royal School of Mines, Dep. Supdt., Geological Survey of India. 
1. Locality and mode of outcrop .—The village of Korba is situated in the eastern 
part of the Bilaspur district belonging to the Chhatisgarh (Chutteesgurh) division of 
the Central Provinces, and is the residence of a zemindar who owns a large portion of the 
surrounding country. It lies on the left or eastern bank of the Hasdo river, a large tributary 
of the Mahanaddi. This stream has in most places a broad Bandy bed, varying, however, from 
about 200 yards to above half a mile in breadth. The country around K o r b a for many 
miles in all directions is Hat or very gently undulating and usually covered with clay. 
Coal is exposed in two places close to the right (western) hank of the river just below 
Korba. The exposures are in the bed of the river, no section being seen in the bank itself, 
and, as will presently be shown, it is probable that both belong to the same seam of coal. 
A very slight rise in the river is sufficient to conceal both outcrops. 
The lower outcrop, which is about half a mile below the village, is the best suited for 
examination, as both the top and bottom of the seam are exposed. A considerable proportion 
of the section is above water during the dry season, although there is always a great thiek- 
uess concealed. The seam is remarkably thick, but owing to its mode of occurrence it is 
impossible to measure it exactly'. It may, however, be computed sufficiently closely for all 
practical purposes. The dip varies in inclination from 13° to about 18°, and in direction 
from N,-'30°-E., at the northern extremity of the section, to N.-l(!°-E. at the southern end. 
The horizontal breadth of the outcrop at light angles to the strike is 350 feet, and, taking 
the average dip at 15,° the corresponding thickness is 90 feet. This, I believe, is rather below 
the truth than in excess of it. 
Both above and below the coal massive felspathic sandstones occur. Below the seam 
hut a small thickness of those rocks is exposed, but above it at least 400 or 500 L'eet are seen 
in the river. 
2. Section of Coal seam and quality of Coal .—Of course the great thickness already 
mentioned does not consist throughout of workable coal. Bands of shale and of inferior 
coal ai'e interspersed, as is more or less the case with most Indian coal seams. From the 
imperfect manner in which the seam is exposed, especially towards the base and from the 
surface, as usually happens in similar positions, being extensively decomposed, it is impossible 
to obtain a correct idea of the quality of the coal without cutting into it. I consequently 
bad a series of small pits dug, six to seven feet deep, and from these and the portions of the 
seam fairly seen in the river bed, I obtained a good section of the whole thickness with the 
exception of about ten feet. To examine these few feet would have caused some delay with 
the means at my disposal, and I had already fully' ascertained the existence of a large pro¬ 
portion of good coal. 
The section of the seam thus ascertained is the following. Of all the bands of coal 
to which letters are attached specimens have been transmitted to Calcutta for analysis :— 
Sandstone. * Feet. Inch. 
Shale, about 
... 1 
0 
Coal of quality ... 
... 1 
0 
Inferior coal 
... 1 
0 
Shale and inferior coal 
... 3 
3 
Good coal, an inch or two of inferior coal here and there 
... 3 
9 a 
Good coal.., 
... 6 
Ob 
Shale and coal mixed 
... 1 
6 
Good coal... 
... 3 
Oc 
Shale with bands of coal 
... 3 
6 
Good coal... 
... 4 
0 d 
Coal and shale mixed 
2 
0 
Shale with hands of coal 
2 
0 
Coal of fair quality ... 
i 
6 
Inferior coaZ- 
... 0 
6 
Good coal... ... 
... 5 
6 e 
Shale 
... 0 
6 
Coal 
... 0 
3 
Shale 
... 2 
0 
Coal 
... 1 
0 
Shale and inferior coal 
... 2 
0 
45 3 
Carried over 
45 3 
