Exploration of coal and anthracitic carbonaceous shale resources, Narragansett Basin, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Final report, October 1, 1979-April 30, 1981
This report presents results of continuous core drilling primarily in two contiguous fields to evaluate the carbonaceous resource. The study also includes geological and analytical results, resource calculations, and evaluations of potential mining methods and conditions. Results of fieldwork and drilling in the Portsmouth, Rhode Island area have defined the coal-bearing structure as probably being a southerly plunging fold, with the western holes penetrating the western limb and the eastern holes penetrating the axial portion of the fold. The Portsmouth coal varies in thickness (2.0 to 12.0 feet) and quality, but the 17.08 million ton resource is classified as high rank anthracite/meta-anthracite based on USGS classifications. The incompetency of the roof and floor rock would tend to preclude underground mining methods. However, surface mining such as the open pit method would be feasible. In the Plainville, Massachusetts area, an E-W trending anticline was defined by fieldwork and exploratory drilling. The anthracitic carbonaceous shale seam folded by this structure varies in thickness (2.3 to 31.8 feet) and ash content along strike. Resource calculations, based on USGS standards, yield 4.2 million tons of the anthracite carbonaceous shale which is now being successfully extracted by the open cut method at the Masslite Quarry. Studies have been done successfully using carbonaceous shale in fluidized bed experiments in this country and full scale utilization of such deposits in power plants has been carried out in China in recent years. The feasibility of this type of utilization of the coal resource defined by this exploration should be studied concurrently with further drilling to extend the known fields and/or to define additional contiguous fields in the Narragansett Basin.
- Research Organization:
- Boston Coll., Weston, MA (USA). Weston Observatory
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC01-79RA20020
- OSTI ID:
- 5318417
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/RA/20020-T1; ON: DE82018223
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COAL DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
MASSACHUSETTS
RHODE ISLAND
ANTHRACITE
BOREHOLES
DRILL CORES
DRILLING
EXPLOITATION
GEOLOGY
PLANNING
STRATIGRAPHY
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CAVITIES
COAL
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION I
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
USA
011000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration