Mineralogical and elemental variation in the Genesee mine, Alberta

The Ardley coal zone was sampled in the Genesee mine of the Nest-central Alberta Plains. Vertical variation samples of non-coal and coal samples and lateral whole seam samples were taken. These samples were analyzed for proximate analysis, total S, coal petrography, mineralogy (XRD of LTA and SEM/EDX on unashed samples) and trace elements. The Genesee coals are subbituminous in rank and huminite-rich. The mineralogy of the coals is dominated by quartz and clay minerals. The detrital mineral assemblage has been altered within the depositional environments. Authigenic minerals consist of those syngenetic with peat formation and those formed from by-products of the maturation of the coal. Trace element contents are mostly within the range of world coals and compare well with previous results from the Wabamun area. High concentrations of Ni and Cr are related to concentrations of detrital chromite-magnetite derived from ultrabasic deposits in British Columbia.