Seelyville Coal--Major Unexploited Seam in Illinois: ABSTRACT

Abstract

New mapping has revealed that a major minable coal seam, the Seelyville Coal Member of the Spoon Formation, underlies a large area of eastern Illinois. Although the Seelyville coal has been actively mined in adjacent parts of Indiana for many years, and although its presence in Illinois has been known for some time, its extent in Illinois has not been determined. This study, which principally used geophysical logs from oil test holes, shows that the Seelyville Coal may be 4 to 8 ft (1.2 to 2.4 m) thick under an area of about 1,200 sq mi (3,120 sq km) of Clark, Crawford, Edgar, Lawrence, Cumberland, and Jasper Counties. In-place coal resources are estimated to be more than 7 billion tons. Much of this coalfield borders on the Wabash River, a potential locality for coal-con ersion plants. The Seelyville coal has seldom been tested by coal exploration companies, and large blocks of the coalfield are believed to be unleased. The Seelyville coal lies about 200 ft (61 m) below the Springfield (No. 5) Coal Member of the Carbondale Formation and ranges in depth from 300 to 1,500 ft (91 to 457 m) in the area studied. The Seelyville generally has one or more shale partings that range in thickness from a few inches to more than a foot. The number and thickness of partings are difficult to determine with available geophysical logs, thereby making coal resource estimates somewhat uncertain. The coal commonly has a siltstone or sandstone roof; in some areas cutouts in the coal are numerous. Core data are needed to confirm coal thickness and to evaluate the water content and stability of the sandstone and the quality of the coal. The Seelyville coal has significant resource potential and warrants the attention of co l exploration companies. End_of_Article - Last_Page 795------------