Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy - Division of Geology and Mineral Resources

Coal

Coal is defined as "a readily combustible rock containing more than 50% by weight and more than 70% by volume of carbonaceous material including inherent moisture, formed from compaction and induration of variously altered plant remains similar to those in peat. Differences in the kinds of plant materials (type), in degree of metamorphism (rank), and in the range of impurity (grade) are characteristic of coal and are used in classification…” (Bates and Jackson, 1987). With time, coupled with the effects of increasing depth of burial beneath deposits of overlying geologic strata, the plant material undergoes a series of complex chemical reactions that transforms it first into peat, then brown coal or lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous and finally into anthracite coal.

Coal deposits in Virginia occur primarily in three geologic provinces of the State including the Mesozoic-age basins, the Valley and Ridge, and the Appalachian Plateaus. The Eastern Coalfields are situated within five relatively small Mesozoic-age basins in east-central Virginia (Figure 1). The Valley Coalfields comprise eleven long, narrow Early Mississippian-age coal-bearing areas in the Valley and Ridge physiographic province situated in the western part of the State. The Southwest Virginia Coalfield is hosted by Pennsylvanian-age rocks that are prominent in Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise Counties. Each coalfield contains coal resources with different quality and physical properties. Coals range from high-volatile bituminous to natural coke in the Richmond basin area of the Eastern Coalfields (Wilkes, 1988), medium-volatile bituminous to semi-anthracite in the Valley Coalfields (Brown and others, 1952), and low- to high-volatile bituminous in the Southwest Virginia Coalfield (Wilkes and others, 1992).

Location of coalfields in Virginia
Figure 1. Map showing the location and distribution of coal areas.
Modified from Virginia Division of Mineral Resources (2003), digital representation of the 1993 geologic map of Virginia.

Year of first production in Virginia: 1748
Location of first production in Virginia: Richmond
Year of Last Production in Virginia: currently producing
Location of Last production in Virginia: producing in the Southwest Virginia Coalfield in Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, Lee, Tazewell, and Wise counties

Since the 1950s, virtually all of Virginia’s coal production has come from the Southwest Virginia Coalfield. This coalfield is part of the extensive Appalachian Coal Basin, which extends from Pennsylvania to Alabama. The coals mined in Virginia are Pennsylvanian in age (290 to 323 million years old), low- to high-volatile bituminous in rank, and generally very high quality (less than 1 percent sulfur, less than 10 percent ash, and high energy content). Although quality parameters vary locally, volatile matter generally increases from east to west and up section from older to younger coals beds – where it ranges from about 18 percent in the Pocahontas No. 3 coal bed to nearly 40 percent in coal beds in the upper part of the Wise Formation (Wilkes and others, 1992).

From 1999 to 2003, coal was produced from approximately 40 distinct coal beds each year. The Virginia Division of Geology and Mineral Resources (DGMR) recognizes five major geologic formations within the Lower to Middle Pennsylvanian stratigraphic interval that contain coal beds mined in the Southwest Virginia Coalfield. The formations from youngest to oldest include the Harlan, Wise, Norton, Lee, and Pocahontas formations. These geologic formations make up a stratigraphic interval that varies in thickness from 800 feet up to 5,150 feet. The increased thickening of these formations from west to east is due to a paleo-depositional environment in which sediments were provided from east of the basin.

Coal is the most valuable single mineral resource produced in Virginia, with an estimated value in 2006 totaling $1.7 billion. During 2006, about 29.5 million short tons of coal was mined (Figure 2). Virginia consistently ranks among the top ten coal-producing states in the nation, making it an important contributor to the U.S. energy profile. From 1999 to 2003, underground mining accounted for approximately 70 percent of total production of coal (averaging 22.7 million tons per year), and surface mining accounted for the remaining 30 percent of total production (averaging 9.6 million tons per year). As Figure 2 indicates, coal production peaked in Virginia in 1990, the year during which a total of 46.6 million short tons was produced.

Coal production, 1980-2006.

Figure 2. Virginia Coal Production, 1980-2006.

Total value of Virginia Coal, 1980-2006.

Figure 3. Estimated Value of Coal Produced in Virginia, 1980-2006.

Data sources: Tonnage from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Division of Mines, Big Stone Gap, Virginia (updated yearly). Unit price from the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Agency, Washington, D. C. (updated yearly). Data available upon request.

The major uses of coal include electrical power generation (50%), producing coke (35%), and supplying industrial users. Although specific distribution and consumption markets change annually in response to national and global economic trends, the high quality coals with low sulfur and high energy content produced from the Southwest Virginia Coalfield are well suited for generating electricity (steam coal), producing coke (metallurgical coal), and supplying industrial users (other industrial coal). In addition, the geographic location of Virginia provides proximity to major electric utility generating facilities in the southeastern U.S., steel making facilities in the eastern U.S., and major international ports along the mid-Atlantic and southeastern U.S. coastline. This often gives Virginia coal a transportation (delivered total cost) advantage over other coal producing states in the Appalachian Basin to both domestic and foreign customers.

Approximately 75 percent of total Virginia coal distribution was shipped domestically, and only about 65 percent of this coal was used to generate electricity. The remaining 25 percent of Virginia coal was shipped to foreign consumers, and 90 to 100 percent of this was classified as metallurgical coal. Collectively (total domestic plus total foreign distribution to a single consumer sector), only about 50 percent of total Virginia coal distribution was shipped as steam coal to generate electricity, and about 35 percent of total Virginia distribution was shipped as metallurgical coal to produce coke. Recognized internationally, some of the world’s highest quality metallurgical coals are mined in Virginia, and these generally command a higher price than steam or industrial coals.

An emerging growth market for Virginia coal appears to be distribution directly to domestic industrial plants. While nationally about 10 percent of total U.S. distribution is shipped directly to the domestic industrial sector, this market has grown steadily from about 10 percent of total Virginia distribution in 1999 to 27 percent in 2003.

Current DGMR Coal Projects:

Coal Bed and Key Stratigraphic Unit Correlation Chart

Selected References:

Bates, R.L., and Jackson, J.A., eds, 1987, Glossary of Geology. The American Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA, 3rd ed.

Brown, Andrew, Berryhill. H. L., Jr., Taylor, D. A., and Trumbull, J. V. A., 1952, Coal resources of Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 171, 57 p.

Gilmer, Amy K., Enomoto, Catherine B., Lovett, James A., and Spears, David B., 2005, Mineral and Fossil Fuel Production in Virginia (1999-2003): Virginia Division of Mineral Resource Open File Report 05-04, 77 p.

Sites, Roy, 1995, VDMR Brochure “Coal and Virginia”

Wilkes, Gerald P., 1988, Mining History of the Richmond Coalfield of Virginia: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Publication 85, 51 p.

Wilkes, G. P., Bragg, L. J., Hostettler, K. K., Oman, C. L., and Coleman, S. L., 1992, Coal sample analyses from the Southwest Virginia Coalfield: Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Publication 122, 431 p.

Coal

Current DGMR Coal Projects:

Selected References:

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