Tikak Parbat Fm

Type section is in the Namdang-Ledo area of Makum coal field (Deshpande et al., 1993). [Original Publication: Evans P. 1932: Tertiary succession in Assam, Trans. Min. Geol. Inst. India, vol.27, pp.155.]. Reference well: Tipang Valley

Synonyms: Evans (1932) separated Coal Measures of Mallet (1876) into two stages Baragolai and Tikak Parbat Stages. This stage was named after Tikak Parabat from Makum Coal fields area. It is a lithostratigraphic unit of formation rank in current usage, although it is very much a part of coal measures and, hence, better be ranked as a member.

[Figure 1: Formation stratotypes of North East Basins (modified after Pandey and Dave, 1998)

Coal and sandy claystone. Type section: In type area, near the base of this formation thick coal seams are present, forming a part of interbedded sequence of carbonaceous shale, sandy shale and thin sandstones. This sequence is overlain by interbedded sandy mudstones, shales and hard sandstones with thin coal seams. Reference section: In the lithologic succession in reference section, a thick coal seam is present at the base, which is overlain by interbedded sequence of mudstones, carbonaceous shales, thin coal seams and thin sandstones. Maximum thickness of 570 m is observed in the Namdang area, which gradually reduces to about 180 m in Dikhu river section.

[Figure 2: Exposed section from the Tirap colliery, Makum coalfield, Assam (after Srivatsava and Mehrotra (2015)]

[Figure 3: Sequence boundaries Sb2 and Sb3 Namdang area, (After Devojit Bezbaruah, 2013)]