A GIS-aided resource estimation of coalfields in Kangal basin, Sivas province, Turkey

Abstract

This paper presents the procedures used for determining and defining the tonnage and grade of the coalfields of Kangal basin from the developed GIS-aided block model. In this work, firstly, all the lithological logs of drill holes and chemical analysis data of core in the basin were analyzed with the help of geostatistics, and then the digital raster maps of each one of the attributes such as the thickness, calorific value (LCV), ash content (AC%), moisture content (MC%), and surface maps of lignite seams were mapped in GIS environment. In the second stage, quantities of the overburden and resources with different categories were calculated on the basis of field-based quality and volume queries with the help of the digital maps on GIS platform. As a result, it was estimated that the Kalburcayiri field had a tonnage of 116 Mt of lignite with an LCV of 1308 kcal/kg, the Hamal field had a tonnage of 30 Mt of lignite with an LCV of 987 kcal/kg, and the Etyemez field had a tonnage of 48 Mt of lignite with an LCV of 1282 kcal/kg. Also it was estimated that almost 24,278,151 tons of lignite in the Hamal and Etyemez fields had a quality of less than 950 kcal/kg that could be directly fired without the blending process in the power plant. As a consequence, the Hamal and Etyemez fields should go into production as soon as possible and be fired in the power plant after being mixed with the lignite in the Kalburcayiri field so that they can be redounded to economy.