′ In 1900, when Bengal Nagpur Railway was building a bridge across the Ib River, coal was accidentally discovered.

The first coalmine in the Ib Valley Coalfield was established by Himgir Rampur Coal Company in 1909.

Other underground collieries were opened by private operators till nationalization of the coal industry in 1973, when it was placed under Western Coalfields Limited.

[5] This coalfield forms part of the large Gondwana basin that extends across several districts in adjoining Chhattisgarh.

[4] Construction of the 52 km (32 mi)-long Jharsuguda–Barpalli rail line is essential for transportation of coal from the Ib Valley Coalfield with a potential of 90 million tonnes per annum.