Ib Valley Area Operation is effectively a state-controlled asset. It is directly owned by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), which is a Miniratna Company domiciled in India and limited by shares. MCL is a 100% subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), in turn, CIL is controlled by the Government of India through a 63.13% stake, with the remainder held by a mix of institutional and retail investors.

- subscription is required.
Summary:
The Samaleswari & Kudopali (Comb) block is located in the southern part of Ib Valley coalfield in the district of Jharsuguda, Odisha. Stratigraphy of Ib Valley coalfield comprises thick sediments of Lower Gondwana Group, deposited over faulted and denuded metamorphic.
Altogether 17 nos. of coal seams, viz., Parkhani, Local 6, Local 5, Local 4, Local 3, Local 2, Lajkura, Local 1, Ram A Top, Ram A Bot, Ram B Top, Ram B Bot, Ram C Top, Ram C Bot, Ram D+E, Ram F of Barakar Formation and seam IB of Karharbari Formation in descending order are considered for reserve estimation in the Samaleswari and Kudopali Block (Comb.) block.
There is one major seam with thickness ranging from 12.6-23.9 m and few local seams.
At the Lajkura mine, there are four seams: Lajkura Top & Bottom, Parkhani, Local-2, Local-3, with thiekness ranging upto 22.24 m.
Summary:
The coal from IB-Valley Area is generally of moderate to high ash (F grade), supplied raw to power plants. There is no dedicated washery at the mine site. However, MCL was constructed a central 10 MTPA coal washery in Ib Valley (located in Lakhanpur Area), which will wash coal from the IB Valley Coalfield to improve quality for customers. This washery, once commissioned, could treat part of Samleswari’s output (as Samleswari produces a large volume of coal that might benefit from washing to reduce ash). Moreover, a common Coal Handling Plant (CHP) with crushing/sizing facilities exists in the area to ensure dispatch coal meets size specifications (<100 mm). Both mines have mobile crushers and feeder breakers at pit head.