It is reported that in a bid to increase the proven coal resource base in India, the Ranchi based Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited plans to undertake detailed exploration in a number of blocks at different coalfields in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

According to the report, CMPDI a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, recently invited expression of interest for detailed exploration of these coal blocks. The quantum of exploratory drilling, to be conducted in these blocks, is estimated to be around one million meters per annum for the next three to four years. However, drilling of individual block varies from about 50,000 meters to 100,000 meters or more and the depth varies from 50 meters to 1,000 meters.

According to CMPDI's notification, the scope of work involves exploratory drilling, deviation survey and geophysical logging, topographical survey and contouring, lithological and geotechnical logging and sampling of borehole cores, geological mapping, need based surface geophysical surveys, physio mechanical investigation, chemical and petrographic studies for coal cores, software based geological modeling and formulation of geological report.