Gulaben coal field (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Taixi Coal Company)

The Rujigou coal field and the Gulaben coal field are situated in the same geological environment. Both area are located in the Helan Mountains at elevations between 1800 and 2500m asl.

Satellite image of the Rujigou and Gulaben coal field. Landsat TM: band 4 (red), band 3 (green), band 5 (blue)). Location: latitude 39°00' to 39°01, longitude 106°03 to 106°11', Source: internal field report, 2002, unpublished

The coal bearing sediments of the Rujigou coal field were deposited in rivers and lakes of a Middle Jurassic continental basin without marine influences. The rocks of the coal field are widely folded to a NE-SW striking synclinorial structure. Within the 15km long and 8km wide coal field 10 coal layers with an average thickness of 20m are reported. The whole area is strongly mined and mostly covered by bare rocks.

The coal rank is very high, ranging from low volatile bituminous to anthracite coal. Most of the coal seams are effected by uncontrolled fires. Several high temperature surface coal fires are burning in the eastern and western parts of the coal field.