- Email: [email protected]
Inkohlung und erdöl: Beiträge der kohlenpetrologie zur prospektion auf erdöl und erdgas — Ein symposium. Fortschritte in der geologie von Rheinland und Westfalen, vol.24
Book Reviews Fuels and Combustion Samir Sarkar P. B. Adarkar (Orient 482 pp, Rs 45
Longman
Ltd),
Bombay,
1974,
This book,
as the title indicates, gives a comprehensive coverage of the preparation and properties of fuels and their combustion. What makes this book significantly different from the majority of fuel and combustion books currently available in the English language is that all the examples and references are with respect to the practice in India. The book was written to serve as a text-book for undergraduates in Indian Universities undertaking engineering degree courses where fuel and combustion is taught as an auxiliary subject. The approach, apart from some basic Generally it is well calculations, is largely qualitative. written although the diagrams are frequently of poor quality. The book starts with a review of the world energy situation and then surveys the conventional and nuclear energy resources of India. The importance of coal in the Indian energy scene is reflected in that half of the section devoted to the properties of fuels is concerned with solid fuels coal, l&rites, peat, wood and cow dung. In view of the fact that 50 million tons of cow dung is burnt every year in India, together with vast quantities of wood, cocoanut shells, etc., the contribution of the latter to the Indian economy is of some major significance. The section concerned with coal is entirely devoted to Indian coals and Indian Standard Test Methods. Likewise the sections dealing with petroleum and natural gas, whilst in principle of a more universal nature, are again related to Indian practice. The sections on combustion follow the usual pattern whilst other brief sections deal with alternative energy sources, such as solar radiation, methanol, etc. The nature of the book is thus such that it is of considerable value to students in India or people who are about to be concerned with the Indian Fuel Industry; for others it can only be of general interest. Alan Williams
lnkohlung und Erdiil: Beitrtige der Kohlenpetrdogie zur Prospektion auf Erdd und Erdgas - Ein Symposium. Fortschritte in der Gedogie von Rheinland und Westfalen, Vol.24 Gaologisches Landasamt Nordrhein-Westfalen, Krefeld, 1974,184 pp. DM51
The appearance of Volume 24, ‘Coalification and Petroleum’ in the well-acclaimed series, ‘Fortschritte in der Geologie von Rheinland und Westfalen’ is opportune and valuable when almost herculean efforts are being made by petroleum exploration groups throughout the world to find new reserves of crude oil and natural gas. The production of this book is to a large extent an indication of how willingly the petroleum industry has accepted and applied coal petrological methods as one tool in its exploration programme. Detractors of the use of such methods in the coal and coking industries are no longer so thick on the ground as they were some years ago, but the swift constructive approach of the oil companies to the application of both qualitative microscopical studies and to quantitative fluorescence and reflectivity measurements has been a welcome attitude. Virtually all the contributors to this book are members of the Geologisches Landesamt in Krefeld and either Marlies
72
FUEL, 1975, Vol 54, January
or Rolf Teichmuller is sole author or a co-author for each The six chapters vary considerably in length and chapter. Two of the shortest papers, one on the relation in content. between coalification and the montmorillonite/mixed-layer mineral boundary in the upper Rhine graben, the other on a rank profile through the Rhenish Schiefergebirge, have perhaps a more immediate interest to the German reader. But one theme underlying the whole of this book is ‘degree of coalification’, how it may be measured, particularly by microscopical methods, and how such measurements may aid in assessing the degree of organic diagenesis attained by petroleum-bearing rocks. So even chapters with ‘local interest’ may have wider applicability in an exploration sense. Of the four other chapters, two are circumscribed in breadth of content. The opening contribution in the book is a detailed statement on how spectral fluorescence measurements on sporinites in coals in reflected light may be applied to determine the degree of diagenesis of low-rank coals (l&rites and sub-bituminous coals). In this low-rank range, although reflectivity measurements have considerable potential, they are not so secure as at higher rank levels, and a second reliable quantitative parameter to estimate diagePerhaps of least netic development would be valuable. immediate relevance to the exploration field is a chapter on new macerals in the liptinite group which are derived from oily, fatty and proteinaceous precursors, although the relation of these macerals to the generation of petroleumlike substances in coals is considered. The two major contributions of the book are very much concerned with coalification and petroleum prospecting. The first of these emphasizes the established relation between degree of coalification and the occurrence of hydrocarbon deposits, particularly referring to the likelihood of predicting occurrences at greater depths: the second, of almost 50 pages, discusses the origin and alteration of bituminous substances in coals in relation to petroleum genesis and transformation. An important feature of both these chapters, particularly the latter, is the way in which the work of other authors, who themselves have considered the behaviour of ‘coalification parameters’ in relation to hydrocarbon occurrences, is compared with and related to the variation of qualitative and quantitative microscopical observations in reflected light. The part that applied coal microscopy can play in assisting exploration effort is well stated. The criticism of this book, if it is a criticism, is that it is written in German, albeit with English abstracts, when it does represent such an important contribution in applied coal petrology. However, even to those entirely unfamiliar with the German language, the many illustrations of excellent quality, characteristic of a number of volumes in the ‘Fortschritte’ series, would alone be highly informative. Many of the photomicrographic plates are in colour, which is particularly helpful in interpreting fluorescence phenomena. There is also a well-produced colour map of the Devonian and Carboniferous rocks of the Lippstadt regional upfold, which is accompanied by a coalification profile and a Bouger-anomaly profile through this region. The book is well bound, the text is clear and easily read. Both subject and author indexes are included. At the price of DM5 1 ‘Inkohlung und Erdol’ must be heavily subsidized. Were it not, it would still be an essential purchase for many of those engaged in the search for new reserves of hydrocarbons, certainly for coal petrologists and for coal scientists generally who wish to maintain at least a watching brief on areas within their field where important developments are taking place. Duncan G. Murchison
Typeset by Mid-County Press, Wimbledon, SW19. Printed and bound by Henry Ling Ltd at the Dot-set Press, Dorchester.
Longman
Ltd),
Bombay,
1974,
This book,
as the title indicates, gives a comprehensive coverage of the preparation and properties of fuels and their combustion. What makes this book significantly different from the majority of fuel and combustion books currently available in the English language is that all the examples and references are with respect to the practice in India. The book was written to serve as a text-book for undergraduates in Indian Universities undertaking engineering degree courses where fuel and combustion is taught as an auxiliary subject. The approach, apart from some basic Generally it is well calculations, is largely qualitative. written although the diagrams are frequently of poor quality. The book starts with a review of the world energy situation and then surveys the conventional and nuclear energy resources of India. The importance of coal in the Indian energy scene is reflected in that half of the section devoted to the properties of fuels is concerned with solid fuels coal, l&rites, peat, wood and cow dung. In view of the fact that 50 million tons of cow dung is burnt every year in India, together with vast quantities of wood, cocoanut shells, etc., the contribution of the latter to the Indian economy is of some major significance. The section concerned with coal is entirely devoted to Indian coals and Indian Standard Test Methods. Likewise the sections dealing with petroleum and natural gas, whilst in principle of a more universal nature, are again related to Indian practice. The sections on combustion follow the usual pattern whilst other brief sections deal with alternative energy sources, such as solar radiation, methanol, etc. The nature of the book is thus such that it is of considerable value to students in India or people who are about to be concerned with the Indian Fuel Industry; for others it can only be of general interest. Alan Williams
lnkohlung und Erdiil: Beitrtige der Kohlenpetrdogie zur Prospektion auf Erdd und Erdgas - Ein Symposium. Fortschritte in der Gedogie von Rheinland und Westfalen, Vol.24 Gaologisches Landasamt Nordrhein-Westfalen, Krefeld, 1974,184 pp. DM51
The appearance of Volume 24, ‘Coalification and Petroleum’ in the well-acclaimed series, ‘Fortschritte in der Geologie von Rheinland und Westfalen’ is opportune and valuable when almost herculean efforts are being made by petroleum exploration groups throughout the world to find new reserves of crude oil and natural gas. The production of this book is to a large extent an indication of how willingly the petroleum industry has accepted and applied coal petrological methods as one tool in its exploration programme. Detractors of the use of such methods in the coal and coking industries are no longer so thick on the ground as they were some years ago, but the swift constructive approach of the oil companies to the application of both qualitative microscopical studies and to quantitative fluorescence and reflectivity measurements has been a welcome attitude. Virtually all the contributors to this book are members of the Geologisches Landesamt in Krefeld and either Marlies
72
FUEL, 1975, Vol 54, January
or Rolf Teichmuller is sole author or a co-author for each The six chapters vary considerably in length and chapter. Two of the shortest papers, one on the relation in content. between coalification and the montmorillonite/mixed-layer mineral boundary in the upper Rhine graben, the other on a rank profile through the Rhenish Schiefergebirge, have perhaps a more immediate interest to the German reader. But one theme underlying the whole of this book is ‘degree of coalification’, how it may be measured, particularly by microscopical methods, and how such measurements may aid in assessing the degree of organic diagenesis attained by petroleum-bearing rocks. So even chapters with ‘local interest’ may have wider applicability in an exploration sense. Of the four other chapters, two are circumscribed in breadth of content. The opening contribution in the book is a detailed statement on how spectral fluorescence measurements on sporinites in coals in reflected light may be applied to determine the degree of diagenesis of low-rank coals (l&rites and sub-bituminous coals). In this low-rank range, although reflectivity measurements have considerable potential, they are not so secure as at higher rank levels, and a second reliable quantitative parameter to estimate diagePerhaps of least netic development would be valuable. immediate relevance to the exploration field is a chapter on new macerals in the liptinite group which are derived from oily, fatty and proteinaceous precursors, although the relation of these macerals to the generation of petroleumlike substances in coals is considered. The two major contributions of the book are very much concerned with coalification and petroleum prospecting. The first of these emphasizes the established relation between degree of coalification and the occurrence of hydrocarbon deposits, particularly referring to the likelihood of predicting occurrences at greater depths: the second, of almost 50 pages, discusses the origin and alteration of bituminous substances in coals in relation to petroleum genesis and transformation. An important feature of both these chapters, particularly the latter, is the way in which the work of other authors, who themselves have considered the behaviour of ‘coalification parameters’ in relation to hydrocarbon occurrences, is compared with and related to the variation of qualitative and quantitative microscopical observations in reflected light. The part that applied coal microscopy can play in assisting exploration effort is well stated. The criticism of this book, if it is a criticism, is that it is written in German, albeit with English abstracts, when it does represent such an important contribution in applied coal petrology. However, even to those entirely unfamiliar with the German language, the many illustrations of excellent quality, characteristic of a number of volumes in the ‘Fortschritte’ series, would alone be highly informative. Many of the photomicrographic plates are in colour, which is particularly helpful in interpreting fluorescence phenomena. There is also a well-produced colour map of the Devonian and Carboniferous rocks of the Lippstadt regional upfold, which is accompanied by a coalification profile and a Bouger-anomaly profile through this region. The book is well bound, the text is clear and easily read. Both subject and author indexes are included. At the price of DM5 1 ‘Inkohlung und Erdol’ must be heavily subsidized. Were it not, it would still be an essential purchase for many of those engaged in the search for new reserves of hydrocarbons, certainly for coal petrologists and for coal scientists generally who wish to maintain at least a watching brief on areas within their field where important developments are taking place. Duncan G. Murchison
Typeset by Mid-County Press, Wimbledon, SW19. Printed and bound by Henry Ling Ltd at the Dot-set Press, Dorchester.