Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Maastrichtian Coals from the Anambra and Gongola Basins of Nigeria: Implications for Coal Quality, Resource Potential, and Agglomeration Characteristics
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Date
2024
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Abstract
Anambra and Gangula are part of inland sedimentary basins in Nigeria characterized by fossil fuels, and Nigeria has shifted the focus of its electricity generation to coal to solve its current energy problem. The studied charcoal was obtained from the two regions of Ankepa and Maiganga in the states of Kogi and Gombe, respectively. Charcoal was investigated to determine the quality, use, and potential of its resources. These charcoals have been decomposed using proximity, finite, elemental, mineralogy and electron microscopic analyses. The purpose of this study was to determine the coking capability, ranking, paleoanoic environments, hydrocarbon potential, and melting tendency of coals. The mean values of moisture, ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon content for Ankepa charcoal were 5.54, 16.43, 48.45 and 30.71 percent, respectively, and for Maiganga charcoal were 10.68, 8.60, and 44.33 percent, respectively. 36.41% which indicates subbituminous non-coking coals with high volatile content and are suitable for fuel and electricity generation. The Van Krulen diagram based on H/C vs. O/C showed that type IV kerogen is present. The results of XRD, correlation diagrams and values of pollutant and non-material index (DAI) of 7.49 and 13.46 for Ankepa and Maiganga charcoals showed that Ankepa charcoals were enriched with in-situ materials such as quartz, pyrite and calcite, while kaolinite and quartz are probable clastic materials in Maiganga charcoals. In summary, the accumulation of Ankepa charcoal based on acid/base ratio (B/A), silicon ratio (G), silica/alumina ratio (S/A), iron/calcium ratio (I/C), carbon/hydrogen ratio (C/H), and fixed carbon/evaporative matter ratio (FC/V) showed weak, medium and strong accumulation for Ankepa charcoal and strong accumulation for Meiganga charcoal, respectively.