Petrography of the Herrin (No. 11) coal in western Kentucky

The Herrin (No. 11) coal in western Kentucky is in the upper part of the Pennsylvanian (Des Moinesian) Carbondale Formation. Samples were obtained from 13 mines in Kentucky and one mine in Illinois in three equal benches from two to three channels for a total of 93 samples. The rank of the coal (as vitrinite reflectance) is high volatile C bituminous in the Moorman Syncline and high volatile A bituminous in the Webster Syncline. Reflectance does not vary between mines in in the Moorman Syncline. The percentage of total vitrinite macerals for each mine is over 85% and the percentage of togal vitrinite plus liptinite maceralsis over 89% (average over 90%) (both on dry, mineral-free basis). The variation of the two maceral percentages is only significant at the betweenbench level, the middle bench generally having the lowest vitrinite and vitrinite plus liptinite percentages.