Integrated Geological and Geophysical Investigation for Coal Resource Estimation at Inyi a

Abstract

t Exploration of coal is key in growing alternative energy reserve in many of the world economies. Often limited data available from few drill holes could hardly provide sufficient data for adequate evaluation. This paper presents an approach which integrates borehole, outcrop mapping and resistivity data to evaluate the coal reserve at Inyi to determine if the reserve is big enough to support a thermal power plant to complement other energy sources that contribute to the national electricity grid in Nigeria, and hence boost economic activity in Southeast region of Nigeria. Abem Terrameter SAS 1000 was used for both 5 vertical electrical sounding (VES) and 2D tomography using Schlumberger and Wenner profiling configurations respectively. Geo-electric layers interpreted using WinResist were correlated across the lithologies together with the electrical resistivity tomographies (ERTs) from Res2DInv software. The coal seams were interbedded within thin shale layers at some places with significant resistivity contrast with the shale, sandstone, and shale/sandstone units. Two coal seams at 14 m were delineated in the eastern part of the study area, (Agbariji, Amankwo and Obule communities) while in the western part, towards Akpugo, only one coal seam was identified at 76 m, both dipping westward. . The ERTs showed the coal seam to be undulating with varying thicknesses ranging between 1.2 - 2.4 m in places with no evidence of faulting as observed from the results. The result showed good continuity of the coal seam across the study area. The estimated probable reserve is 51.87 million tons, indicating good economic reserve to support a thermal plant for electricity generation which could boost the economic activity in the Southeastern Nigeria region.

Publication Info:

Author: Ugbor, C.C.1*, Madu, O.C.1and Eze, M.O.2

Volume: 59

Issue: September

Published By: Journal of Mining and GeologyVol. 59(2) 2023. pp. 217 - 232, 2023-09-01