The Bogdanka coal mine, the only currently operating mine in the Lublin Coal Basin (LCB),

extracts coal from the Upper Carboniferous formations of the LCB. The average sulfur content in

the No. 385/2 seam is 0.98%, while in the case of the No. 391 seam it is slightly higher and amounts

to 1.15%. The iron sulfides (pyrite and marcasite) in bituminous coal seams form macroscopically

visible massive, vein, and dispersed forms. A microscopic examination has confirmed their complex

structure. Massive forms contain euhedral crystals and framboids. The sulfide aggregations are often

associated with a halo of dispersed veins and framboids. Pyrite and marcasite often fill the fusinite

cells. Framboids are highly variable when it comes to their size and the degree of compaction within

the carbonaceous matter. Their large aggregations form polyframboids. The cracks are often filled

with crystalline accumulations of iron sulfides (octaedric crystals). The Wavelenth Dispersive Spectrometry

(WDS) microanalysis allowed the chemical composition of sulfides in coal samples from the

examined depoists to be analyzed. It has been shown that they are dominated by iron sulfides FeS2 –

pyrite and marcasite. The examined sulfides contain small admixtures of Pb, Hg, Zn, Cu, Ag, Sb, Co,

Ni, As, and Cd. When it comes to the examined admixtures, the highest concentration of up to 0.24%,

is observed for As. In addition, small amounts of galena, siderite, and barite have also been found in

the examined coal samples. The amounts of the critical elements in the examined samples do not allow

for their economically justified exploitation. Higher concentrations of these elements can be found in

the ashes resulting from the combustion process.

The new boreholes drilled between 2009 and 2012 enabled a detailed exploration of the profile of the Kraków sandstone series in the Dąb area between the “Sobieski” and “Janina” mining plants, USCB (Upper Silesian Coal Basin). The core from the No. 111. bituminous coal seam was selected for further analysis. 30 intervals corresponding to the defined lithotypes were separated in the seam with a thickness of 116.8 cm. The thickness of lithotypes ranges from 10 mm to 89 mm. A microprofile of the examined seam was made using the modified method of determining microlithotypes. A quantitative determination of the maceral composition was performed for each interval corresponding to the separated lithotypes. This allowed petrographic and facies characteristics of the seam to be determined. Its lower part is dominated by lithotypes with a large share of bright coal – vitrain coal. This section of the profile was formed under conditions of a strongly flooded wet forest swamp. In the upper section of the seam, a higher macroscopic share of dull coal – durain was observed. The microscopic analysis has shown that the conditions dominant during the formation of this section were typical for swamp forest peats. New technologies also require expanding knowledge about the structure of coal seams. This is only possible with a detailed profiling of the coal seam on a macro scale combined with micro-profiling and a detailed petrographic description of the isolated lithotypes. This methodology is also useful in the facies analysis of bituminous coal seams.

The quality of coal has been analyzed basing on the data from geological exploration and chemical – geological analyses of coal carried out on the samples obtained from the boreholes and mining pits. The operated coal seams indexed as 382 and 385/2 reveals the changeable morphology due to the thickness of carbon shoals and stent intergrowths. The other parameters, such as the ash content or the calorific value are strongly linked with the non-coal rock interlayers, which presence causes the decrease in the calorific value and increase in the amount of after-burning ash. These parameters are less dependable on the sedimentation environment of the coal formation material. The content of total sulfur in the analyzed seams does not show any link with the values of the parameters analyzed before. The total sulfur is made up from sulphide gathered in coal and sulphates deriving from the decomposition of plants and supplied by deposit waters in different phases of coal seam formation. The obtained results could be useful in the reconnaissance of the prospective seams lying below the currently exploited ones (e.g. 389) and the seams in the neighboring areas.