USGS Circular 1272: The World Coal Quality Inventory

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The World Coal Quality Inventory
Oral Presentation

By Robert B. Finkelman

U.S. Geological Survey, Mail Stop 956, Reston, VA 20192 - rbf@usgs.gov

ABSTRACT

National and international policymakers require accurate information on coal, including coal quality data, to make informed decisions regarding international import needs and export opportunities, foreign policy objectives, technology transfer policies, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues. Unfortunately, the information needed is generally not available. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in conjunction with partners in about 50 countries, is developing an integrated electronic database, the World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI), which will contain coal quality information for samples obtained from major coal beds in countries having significant coal production as well as from many countries producing smaller volumes of coal, emphasizing information for coals currently being burned. The information that will be incorporated into the database includes but is not limited to proximate and ultimate analyses, sulfur-form data, major-, minor-, and trace-element analysis, semiquantitative analyses of minerals, modes of occurrence, petrography, and other factors that affect technological behavior, economic byproduct recovery, and environmental impact. The coal quality information will be linked to Geographic Information System databases that show coal basins and sample locations along with geologic, land use, transportation, industrial, and cultural information. WoCQI will be accessible from the USGS web page and updated on a regular basis. This multinational collaboration is developing a global coal quality database that contains a broad array of technologic, economic, and environmental parameters that should help to ensure the efficient and environmentally compatible use of global coal resources in the 21st century.

THE ISSUE

The concepts of a global environment and a global economy are well established. These concepts are strongly and irrevocably linked to global energy issues. Worldwide coal production and international coal trade are projected to increase during the next several decades (International Energy Outlook, 2002). Therefore, worldwide coal use will play an increasingly visible role in global environmental, economic, and energy forums.

National and international policymakers require accurate information on the quantity and quality of coal resources to make informed decisions regarding international import needs and export opportunities, foreign policy objectives, technology transfer policies, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues. Therefore, information on world coal quality may have a significant impact on global coal use.

THE PROBLEM

Unfortunately, the comprehensive information usually needed to make these policy decisions generally is not available. Although millions of coal analyses have been performed worldwide, most existing national coal quality databases are of limited use because of the following:

Much of the data are in obscure publications commonly in the native languages of the authors, or the data reside in paper files that are not readily accessible.
Geographic coverages of the country's coal deposits are not comprehensive.
Analytical data may not be accurate or may be incompatible with standard analytical schemes.
The coal samples analyzed may not be representative of the entire deposit, or the samples represent coal that was mined years to decades ago.
Information is lacking on important trace elements, mineralogy, and modes of occurrence of the elements of environmental concern.

In summary, no single, accessible, integrated source of reliable worldwide coal quality and related information exists.

THE SOLUTION

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in conjunction with partners from other coal-producing countries, is developing an integrated electronic database called the World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI). The coal quality parameters that will be incorporated into the database include but are not limited to proximate and ultimate analyses, sulfur-form data, and major, minor, and trace elements. These coal quality parameters will be determined on every sample. Semiquantitative analyses of minerals, element modes of occurrence, petrography, and other factors that affect technological behavior, economic byproduct recovery, and potential environmental impact of coals will be determined on selected samples.

Major-, minor-, and trace-element analyses will be conducted on all samples in the USGS laboratories using uniform sample preparation and analytical procedures. Thus, the data in WoCQI will have the highest possible degree of internal consistency.

The World Coal Quality Inventory will contain coal quality information for samples obtained from important coal beds in all of the major coal-producing countries as well as from many of the smaller coal producers. The database will emphasize information from currently mined coals. Priority has been given to developing cooperative agreements with representatives of coal-producing countries. In most agreements, the host country is responsible for collecting the samples according to USGS sample collection protocols, and the USGS is responsible for sample characterization, database development, and information dissemination.

The coal quality information generated in WoCQI will be linked to Geographic Information System (GIS) databases in order to integrate geographically related information such as coal basins, sample locations, land use, transportation, environment, and human health information. The WoCQI will be accessible from the USGS Geo-Data Explorer (GEODE) (http://geode.usgs.gov/), an interactive map and information web page (fig. 1). GEODE will be updated on a regular basis and can also be accessed through the USGS Energy Program Homepage at http://energy.usgs.gov/.

Figure 1. Example of output from USGS Geo-Data Explorer (GEODE) for Turkey. The red points indicate the locations of WoCQI coal samples.

The WoCQI database will emphasize information from coals currently being burned. The sources of coal quality information that will be incorporated into the database include existing computerized databases and information from publications and hardcopy files. However, the highest priority will be given to developing cooperative agreements with representatives of coal-producing countries.

THE STATUS OF WoCQI

Representatives from about 60 coal-producing countries have agreed to participate in WoCQI. Coal samples or coal quality information have already been obtained from about 40 countries. Approximately 3,000 samples have been analyzed, and an additional several hundred coal samples are currently being processed for analysis. Several hundred more samples are currently being collected and shipped to the USGS. Samples from every operating coal mine and even from some mine prospects have been secured from several countries (fig. 2).

Figure 2. World map showing the status of sample acquisition for WoCQI as of July, 2003. Active = coal samples being analyzed. Developing = country contacts have agreed to provide coal samples. Pending = contacts made, waiting for commitment. No Current Activity = no recent attempts to obtain coal samples.

Digital maps of the geology, coal basins, cultural features, health issues, and so on of selected countries are being produced by the USGS. A map depicting the coal-bearing regions and structural sedimentary basins of China and adjacent seas has been produced as a CD-ROM and is also available as a paper map. The map, Coal-Bearing Regions and Structural Sedimentary Basins of China and Adjacent Seas (USGS Open-File Report 00-047), is also available on the web at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/of00-047/index.html.

Two new CD-ROMs have been published: "Coal Geology, Land Use, and Human Health in the People's Republic of China" (USGS Open-File Report 01-318) (fig. 3) and "Coal Quality and Resources of the Former Soviet Union -- An ArcView Project" (USGS Open File Report 01-104) (fig. 4).

Figure 3. Coal mines, coal fields, and geologic ages of coal-bearing regions in the People's Republic of China (Karlsen and others, 2001).

Figure 4. Coal basins of the Former Soviet Union (Brownfield and others, 2001).

THE FUTURE

To ensure the most economically and environmentally efficient global use of coal, we must strive to develop coal quality GIS databases that anticipate the potential future uses of the coal quality information. Multinational cooperation in developing a reliable, comprehensive, global coal quality database that contains a broad array of technologic, economic, and environmental parameters should help to ensure the efficient and environmentally compatible use of our global coal resources in the 21st century. Building on the recent significant progress, we are seeking additional collaborators to collect additional coal samples, provide relevant information including electronic map coverages, provide support for testing of technological properties, and recommend improvements in the WoCQI database and in data dissemination.

REFERENCES

Brownfield, M. E., Steinshouser, D. W., Povarennykh, M., Yu., Eriomin, I., Shpirt, M., Meitov, Y., Sharova, I., Goriunova, N. and Zyrianova, M., V., 2001, Coal quality and resources of the Former Soviet Union -- An ArcView project: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-104, 1 CD-ROM.

International Energy Outlook, 2002, Report DOE/EIA-0484 (2002): Washington, D.C., Energy Information Administration, 273 p.

Karlsen, A. W., Schultz, A. C., Warwick, P. D., Podwysocki, S. M., and Lovern, V. S., compilers, 2001, Coal geology, land sse, and human health in the People's Republic of China: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-318, 1 CD-ROM.

Podwysocki, S. M., and Lovern, V. S., compilers, 2000, Coal-bearing regions and structural sedimentary basins of China and adjacent seas: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-047, 1 CD-ROM.

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The World Coal Quality Inventory Oral Presentation