Organisational Structure - Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany

Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany
Component 3: Sedimentary organic matter characterization of Indian lignites
Twenty selective resinites from lignite beds
of H.D. Patel block of Panandhro, Bhuri Devi areas
of Rajpardeeh, Kharsalia and Ghogha areas of
Bhavnagar were processed for Fourier Transform
Infrared studies. The characteristic pattern of FTIR
peaks of the chronostratigraphically different resins
indicate the similar plant source. Variations in the
aromatic and aliphatic peak pattern were noticed in
fresh and oxidized resin. Three papers on the intraand
inter-seam characterization have been finalised.
Further work is in progress. A field work was carried
out to collect fresh materials at Panandhro, Jara
dome, Jhura dome, Rajpardeeh, Vastan, Ghalla nala,
Surat in Gujarat; Akli and Sindri areas of Barmer
and Kuldhar nala of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
R. Saxena & J. Rai
Component 4: Biopetrography and geochemistry of coals, oil shales and organic matter in Late
Palaeocene-Oligocene sediments from northeastern India
Petrographic investigation on coal and non-coal
samples from 18 m (Main seam: 60 Feet Seam) and
A (A1-A3: 4 m – 2 m thick) group of seams
respectively from Tikak Parbat colliery of Makum
coalfield and 5D Incline of Dilli-Jeypore coalfield
was completed. Under normal incident mode, the
coals are exhibit high vitrinite macerals (48-72%),
mainly the telocollinite and desmocollinite. Mainly
resinite and subordinate amounts of sporinite, cutinite
and suberinite macerals form the liptinite macerals
(up to 15%). Maceral exsudatinite is present
sporadically. The macerals of inertinite group are
generally low to moderate in amount (9-16%)
constituted mainly by semifusinite, fusinite and very
commonly present fungal spores, sclerotia and
hyphae. Pyrite, clastics and calcite are the main
associated mineral matter (7-18%) of the coals. Pyrite
is usually the dominant mineral occurring both in
primary (framboids, euhedra and granules) and
secondary (encrustations and in-fillings) forms. Under
fluorescence mode, the coals appear to be rich in
perhydrous vitrinite, liptodetrinite and resinite
macerals with low quantities of sporinite, cutinite and
suberinite. Fluorinite and exsudatinite macerals are
sporadic to common. Rank of the coals varies
between high volatile bituminous C to B stages (R o max.
0.66-0.72%). However, the coals from Dilli-Jeypore
are of relatively lower rank than those of the Makum.
The coals from Makum and Dilli-Jeypore coalfields
appear to have originated from autochthonous woody
tropical vegetation predominantly under mildly
alkaline anoxic milieu.
B.K. Misra
Thrust Area : Floristics of Petroliferous Basins
Project 7: Morphotaxonomy, floristics, biostratigraphy and
sedimentological studies of Tertiary sediments of Lesser Himalayas
Component 1: Floristics and biostratigraphy of Pre-Siwalik sediments
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