An Occurrence of Millerite in the Durham Coal Measures

Abstract

During the autumn of 1939 a series of bores were put down in the area immediately west of Green's Farm, 3 miles S.W. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1½ miles E.S.E. of Whickham. Only one bore was carried beyond the Hutton seam, and in the thick sandstone beneath 1 that coal the borer recorded the presence of five “ limey bands ”. These bands were 10, 3, 5, 7, and 4 inches thick at 82, 103, 110, 113, and 116 feet respectively, below the Hutton seam. Each appeared to be a hard, compact, fine-grained greyish sandstone, no different from the remainder of the bed, except that it effervesced freely with dilute hydrochloric acid. On attempting to break open the 7 in. band it parted along a vertical joint, on the face of which were found the crystals of millerite.