Geology & Geophysics

Guide to Borehole Core

in the Karoo Basin Coalfields
South Africa
(interim report)

Bruce Cairncross (PhD)

Head: Department of Geology
University of Johannesburg
Wh ?
Why?

Provide a colour photographic guide of typical

borehole core samples from the Karoo Basin
coalfields to:

- Standardize descriptions when logging core

- Assist geologists, geotechnicians, drillers,
samplers etc in recognising common features
samplers,
such as rock type and sedimentary structures
in borehole core.

:
 Matrix-supported conglomerate

Cross-bedded sandstone
Bioturbated siltstone/sandstone

(50 core samples photographed to-date)

to date)
 Engineering Geology 64 (2002) 19–39
“A geomechanical survey of some different facies in relation to
stability at a mine in the Eastern Transvaal Coalfield, South Africa”
F.G. Bell*, C.A. Jermy

Department
D t t off Geology
G l and
d Applied
A li d GGeology,
l
University of Natal, Durban, 4041, South Africa

“In particular, poor roof and floor conditions were found to be

associated with rocks of the argillaceous facies. The most
stable
t bl strata
t t were the
th fine-grained
fi i d arenaceous facies
f i whilst
hil t
those of the coarse-grained facies were somewhat less
stable”.
Poor roof / floor
conditions
di i
Stable roof / floor conditions
 Interstate highway road-cut,
K t k USA (Appalachian
Kentucky, (A l hi coalfields)
lfi ld )

Flat bedded sandstone with interlayered siltstone

Carboniferous coalfields, Alabama, USA
Recording Grain size in Sedimentary Rocks

Üdden‐Wentworth Clastic Sediment Grain‐size Chart

mm diameter Name
(above 256) Boulders
256 Cobbles
128
64 Gravel
32 (rock equivalent = conglomerate)
16
8 Pebbles
4
2 Granules Granulestone (“gritstone”)
1 Very coarse sand
0.5 Coarse sand
Sand
0.25 Medium sand (rock equivalent = sandstone)
0.125 Fine sand
0.063 Very fine sand
0 031
0.031 Coarse silt

0.0156 Medium silt Mud

0.0078 Fine silt (rock equivalent = mudstone;
includes siltstone and shale)
0 0039
0.0039 Very fine silt
(less than 0.0039) Clay
The borehole core samples illustrated here are
colour coded for easy reference:

GREY = Mudstone (including shale and

siltstone)
RED = interlayered mudstone
and sandstone
YELLOW = Sandstone
BLUE = conglomerate
GREEN = deformed strata
PURPLE
PURP = igneous rocks (dolerite)
 Academic / Scientific Reasons for a standardized core log book

p
Interpretingg the environments of formation of the rocks containingg the
coal (different coal types and coal distributionsassociated with different
depositional environments)
Mississippi Delta (River
(River-dominated
dominated delta)
 Bedload Fluvial
g
Facies Assemblage
Borehole Core Supplied by

Project Sponsored by