Chapter A

Introduction: Geologic Assessment 

of Coal in the Colorado Plateau

By Mark A. Kirschbaum1

U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1625–B*

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

National Coal

Resource

Assessment

Click here to return to Disc 1 

Volume Table of Contents

Chapter A of

Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau:

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Edited by M.A. Kirschbaum, L.N.R. Roberts, and L.R.H. Biewick

1

 U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225

* This report, although in the USGS Professional Paper series,

is available only on CD-ROM and is not available separately
Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................A2

Purpose .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

CD-ROM Content........................................................................................................................................... 4

Regional Papers................................................................................................................................... 5

Overview Presentations ..................................................................................................................... 5

Technical Reports ................................................................................................................................ 5

Databases ............................................................................................................................................. 5

Origin and Controls on Coal Deposition .................................................................................................... 6

History of USGS Coal Exploration and Resource Estimates................................................................ 10

Assessment Units in the Colorado Plateau ............................................................................................ 12

Counties of the Colorado Plateau ............................................................................................................ 13

Original Resources in the Assessment Units......................................................................................... 14

Coal Availability/Recoverability in the Colorado Plateau..................................................................... 15

Coal Geochemistry ..................................................................................................................................... 17

Coal on Federal Lands................................................................................................................................ 19

Coal Production in the Colorado Plateau................................................................................................ 22

Transportation ............................................................................................................................................. 25

Coal Sales .................................................................................................................................................... 26

Reclamation................................................................................................................................................. 28

Coal-Bed Methane ..................................................................................................................................... 29

Databases .................................................................................................................................................... 31

Acknowledgments for CD-ROM ............................................................................................................... 32

References Cited ........................................................................................................................................ 33

Figures

 1. Photograph of western part of Colorado Plateau, western Utah.......................................A1

 2. Map of conterminous United States showing location of 

Colorado Plateau study area ...................................................................................................... 1

 3. Photograph of electric transmission lines running westward from a

coal-fired power plant ................................................................................................................. 2

 4. Location map of the Colorado Plateau study area.................................................................. 2

 5. Cover page graphic for Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau ............... 3

 6. Map of coal fields in the Colorado Plateau that have summary reports............................. 4

 7. Titles of reports on CD-ROM ....................................................................................................... 5

 8. Correlation diagram of Cretaceous coal deposits in selected areas 

of the Colorado Plateau............................................................................................................... 6

 9A. Block diagram showing generalized coastal environments ................................................. 7
 9B. Photograph of cypress swamp in North Carolina................................................................... 7

 10. Composite paleogeographic map during Late Cretaceous time .......................................... 8

 11. Composite paleogeographic map during Paleocene time .................................................... 9

 12. Photographic montage of geologists ...................................................................................... 10

 13A. Photographic montage of title pages of some early USGS coal studies .......................... 10

 13B. Chart of USGS publications on coal in the Colorado Plateau ............................................. 11

 14. Map showing assessment units of the Colorado Plateau project ..................................... 12

 15. Map showing geographic distribution of coal-bearing strata in the study area............. 13

 16A. Chart of original resource figures for assessment areas 

of the Colorado Plateau............................................................................................................. 14

 16B. Figure showing key resource categories............................................................................... 14

 17. Chart showing categories of resources and the order in which 

they must be determined........................................................................................................... 15

 18. Index map of coal availability/coal recovery studies........................................................... 16

 19. Map of distribution of coal fields of the Colorado Plateau that have

USGS coal geochemistry data ................................................................................................. 17

 20A. Chart of mean average values for ash yield for coal in assessment units

of the Colorado Plateau............................................................................................................. 18

 20B. Chart of mean average values for calorific value for coal in assessment units

of the Colorado Plateau............................................................................................................. 18

 20C. Chart of mean average values for sulfur content for coal in assessment units

of the Colorado Plateau............................................................................................................. 18

 21. Chart of Federal versus non-Federal coal ownership in the Colorado Plateau............... 19

 22. Map of generalized surface ownership.................................................................................. 20

 23. Map showing relationship of coal-bearing strata to National Parks,

Monuments, Recreation Areas, and Historic Parks ............................................................. 21

 24A. Photograph of Sunnyside, Utah, coke ovens (circa 1928) ................................................... 22

 24B. Photograph of Sunnyside, Utah, coke ovens (present-day)................................................ 22

 25. Graph showing coal production in Utah between 1870 and 1995 ...................................... 22

 26. Graph of coal production and number of mines in Arizona, Colorado,

New Mexico, and Utah between 1984 and 1995 ................................................................... 23

 27A. Photograph of modern strip mine ............................................................................................ 23

 27B. Photograph of tipple and company town near the Sunnyside mine (circa 1928) ............ 24

 28. Map of active mines, preparation plants, and train loadout facilities

in the study area ......................................................................................................................... 24

 29A. Photograph of tramway system at the Wattis mine, Wasatch Plateau,

Utah (circa 1931) ......................................................................................................................... 25

 29B. Photograph of 17-mi-long conveyor system from the Kayenta mine to the

Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad ................................................................................... 25

 30. Photograph of loadout facility at the Soldier Canyon mine, Utah ...................................... 25

 31. Map of total sales of coal, by State, to power plants across the 

conterminous United States supplied by mines of the Colorado Plateau......................... 26

 32A. Photograph of the Hayden power plant, northwestern Colorado ...................................... 27

 32B. Photograph of cooling towers at the Hayden power plant ................................................. 27
 33. Photograph of reclamation at the Edna mine, Yampa coal field, Colorado ...................... 28

 34. Photograph of reclaimed lands previously part of the Trapper mine,

Yampa coal field, Colorado ....................................................................................................... 28

 35. Map of coal-bed methane plays as defined from the 1995 USGS

Oil and Gas Assessment............................................................................................................ 29

 36. Photograph of geologist measuring a gas seep, San Juan Basin ..................................... 30

 37. Diagram of stratigraphic, geographic, and geochemical databases

and views within ArcView project........................................................................................... 31
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau

Figure 2. Map of conterminoColorado Plateau study area (i

Figure 1. View of western part of Colorado Plateau in central Utah. Shale slopes in the distance are capped by the Star Point Sandstone and coal-bearing Blackhawk Formation.
A2 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Introduction

Coal mining and gas production from coal deposits are important contributors 

to the generation of electric power in the United States. In 1992, for example, on average, about 69 percent of the total electricity generated within the States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah was derived from coal (Energy Information Administration, 1995, p. 84).

In the Western United States, large deposits of coal are concentrated in a 

coherent physiographic and geologic province known as the Colorado Plateau, located within the States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The coal deposits are concentrated in sedimentary basins isolated during the Late Cretaceous Laramide orogeny. The Plateau is not only an important coal-mining region but also contains large natural gas resources that have been derived in part from the coal deposits.

Figure 3. Electric transmission lines running westward from a coal-fi red power plant.

Gallup

Farmington 

Durango

Cedar City

Moab

Price

Flagstaff

Grand Junction

Salt Lake City 

Tucson 

Phoenix

25

40

15

70

80

10

19

10

 8

Coal-bearing strata 

113

113

34 

40 

Utah

Arizona

Figure 4. Location map of the Colorado Plateau study area. is defi ned by county lines. The study area is within the States Mexico, and Utah. Areas of coal-bearing strata, shown in gresources. Such strata consist of formations containing coal thformations containing coal in the subsurface beneath youngdifference between the Colorado Plateau study area (defi ned 

physiographic and geologic province boundary of the Colora

Fenneman (1930) and Kelley (1955).
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Co

Geologic Assessmentof Coal in theColorado Plateau

National CoalResourceAssessment

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide a geologic assessment of coal 

deposits of the Colorado Plateau region. This CD-ROM set provides information on the geologic framework of the coal-bearing strata, on the quality and distribution of the coal, on coal resources, and on the infrastructure related to production of the coal. The CD-ROM set also contains geologic and geographic databases stored in a digital format. 

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the material presented 

in this CD-ROM, summarizes our work on the Colorado Plateau Assessment, and provides nontechnical background information on coal from resources to utilization within the plateau.

Figure 5.
A4 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

2. Pinedale1. Black Mesa

6. Kolob- Harmony1. Alton 

Utah

5. Kaiparowits 4. Henry Mtns 8. Sego 

12. Wasatch Plateau 11. Wales

7. Salina Canyon2. Book Cliffs 3. Emery

10. Vernal 

9. Tabby Mtn 

1

1

2 

3 2 

3

4

4

5 5

7

7

6

6

8

8

9

9

5

10

10

11

12

11

12

Arizona

1

1 2

2

3

4

6

5

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

15

14

16

18

20

21

19

17

Coal fields Study are

113

113

106

34 

40 

0 100 Miles

CD-ROM Content

The CD-ROM contains information on 47 coal fi elds within 

the Colorado Plateau and includes three types of reports as well as databases containing supporting information.

The coal-fi eld summary report provides information for 47 

coal fi elds of the Colorado Plateau. Each summary includes basic information on the fi eld’s location, stratigraphy, coal zones, coal quality, resources, production history, and references. Each summary is essentially an annotated bibliography (see Kirschbaum and Biewick, chap. B, this CD-ROM).

Figure 6. Coal fi elds in the Colorado Plateau that have summary reports (

chap. B, this CD-ROM). The different colors are used to help distinguish se

assessed in detail during this study, see fi gure 14.
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Co

 Colorado

Plateau

Introduct

Executive 

Coal-field s

ArcView projec

Methodology 

Coal availability/re

Coal quality characte

Coal on Federal l

Regional 

Overview Pr

Technical 

Datab

Stratigraphic, Geochem

Lower Whi

Danforth 

Yampa coal fie

Southern Pic

San Juan Basin, 

Kaiparowits Plateau, U

Southern Wasatch Pl

Henry Mountains c

Chapters

Black Mesa, A

Northwest Colo

Southern Wasatch P

Kaiparowits Plate

 Coal-bed methane ga

Geolo

 of Coal in 

Regional Papers

These reports contain subject matter that applies to the entire Colorado 

Plateau and include an executive summary; an introduction; two methods papers, one on acquisition of geographic information and one on the methodology of the integration of geologic and geographic coverages; a paper on coal geochemistry; coalfi eld summaries; and a summary paper on coal availability/recoverability. Overview Presentations

These 

fi ve reports provide information on the coal geology of selected areas 

of the Colorado Plateau. The reports are presented in a “slide-show” format 

that allows the user to gain an overview of the area in about 15

–20 minutes 

of viewing. In addition to four presentations on selected coal-assessment study areas, this section includes a report on a new method for estimating in-place coal-bed methane resources.

Technical Reports

This section contains detailed technical reports of eight assessment areas of 

the Colorado Plateau. The papers contain detailed geologic-based coal resource assessments, and all the reports, except the one on the Henry Mountains coal fi eld, include the stratigraphic and geographic data sets that were used to create the assessments. Databases

The CD-ROM contains three types of databases: a coal geochemistry 

database, stratigraphic databases of the detailed assessment units, and a geographic information system (GIS) that includes geologic and geographic data for all other reports.Figure 7. Titles of reports on CD-ROM. Individual reports are accessed through the Volume Table of Contents for each disc. Databases in DBF, Excel, and ASCII formats are on disc 2 of this 2-CD-ROM set. Some appendixes to reports are presented as views in the Colorado Plateau ArcView project, which is present on both disc 1 and disc 2—disc 1 contains the ArcView project that is accessed through the ArcView Data Publisher (ESRI, 1999), and disc 

2 contains the ArcView project that is fully accessible to those with ArcView 3.1 (ESRI, 1998).
A6 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Origin and Controls on Coal Deposition

The major coal deposits in the 

Colorado Plateau are Cretaceous in age. The coals are generally older in the western areas and younger in the eastern areas across the plateau.

Age

666567686975767778798081828384858687888990919293949596977071727374

Ma

Assessment units Other coal-bearing units

 Maastrichtian

Stages

Campanian

Santonian

Coniacian

Turonian

Cenomanian

(part) 

Black

Mesa

Kaiparowits

Plateau

Wasatch

Plateau

Henry 

Mountains

S. Piceance

Basin

Lower White

River

Dan

 H

Wepo Fm

Toreva Fm Smoky Hollow Mbr Ferron Ss Ferron Ss

Dakota

Sandstone

John Henry

Member

Emery

Sandstone

Blackhawk

Fm 

Masuk

Fm

Il

F

Mount 

Garfield

Fm (part)

Mount 

Garfield

Fm (part)

Will

Fo

F

Mesaverde

Figure 8. Correlation diagram showing the relative age of Cretaceous coal deposits in selected areas of the the diagram is derived from Roberts and Kirschbaum (1995).
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Co

Origin and Controls on Coal Deposition—Continued

Initially, vegetation grew and was deposited in freshwater wetlands (mires) located landward of 

shorelines. Over time, vegetation continued to accumulate and was transformed to peat, a precursor to coal.

after Bohacs and Suter (1997)

Coastal Plain

Beach deposits

Offshore deposits

Coastal-plain deposits

Older deposits

Coal deposits

Channel deposits

Peat Mires

Zone of brackish- water influence

Shoreface

Figure 9

A. Block diagram showing the generalized coastal environments that were present in the Cretaceous and the 

location of wetlands in which peat accumulated (modifi ed from Bohacs and Suter, 1997).

Figure 9

B. Photogra

Carolina, a modern eqwhich peat accumulat
A8 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Origin and Controls on Coal Deposition

—Continued

The shorelines and adjoining peat mires existed on the edge 

of a large inland sea, the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway, that occupied parts of the present-day Colorado Plateau from about 98 to 65 million years ago.

0 100 Miles

Late Cretaceous Paleoge

Highlands

Highlands

Wetlands

Alluvial

Plain

Alluvial

Plain

Volcanic

Center

after Roberts 

Figure 10. Composite paleogeographic map of the Late Cretaceous during a peapproximately 79 to 72 Ma., showing the location of extensive peat-accumulating and Kirschbaum, 1995). Older Cretaceous peat, deposited before 72 Ma in centraoverlain by alluvial deposits during this time.
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Co

Paleocene PaleogeogDuring Laramide Orog

modified from 

Mogollon Highlands

Sevier Thrust Belt Lar

 R

Mo

San

Juan

Basin Black Mesa

Basin

Kaiparowits

Basin

Uinta Mountains

Uinta

Basin

Piceance

Basin

Wasatch

Plateau

Kaibab

Uplift

Monument

Uplift

Sierra Uplift 

0 100 Miles

Paleocene Highlands

Paleocene Alluvial Plain

Selected Laramide Basinscontaining Cretaceous coal deposits

Location of coal that was deposited as peat between79-72 million years ago (see fig. 10)

Original extent of wetlands 79-72 million years ago

Explanation

Origin and Controls on Coal Deposition

—

Continued

Regional subsidence resulted in the burial and preservation of 

the peat deposits. In the later stages of the Cretaceous, the seaway withdrew, and uplift caused by the Laramide orogeny divided the area into a number of intermontane basins. Burial of the peat within the intermontane basins was accompanied by heat and pressure that were responsible for the transformation of the peat to coal. In later Tertiary time, uplift of the Colorado Plateau and its subsequent dissection by rivers and streams has brought the coal close to the surface, allowing commercial exploitation of the coal resources.

Figure 11. Composite paleogeographic map of the Paleocene at about 60 million years before the present showing location of coal deposits with respect to their original distribution as wetlands (modifi ed from Nations and others, 19between about 79 to 72 million years ago is shown in darker green outlined by the red dashed line. Note how much o(fi g. 10) was eroded during uplift.
A10 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

History of USGS Coal Exploration and Resource Estimates

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the U.S. 

explored for coal and provided estimates of coal resouColorado Plateau area.

The 

fi rst comprehensive studies of the original re

United States were compiled by Campbell and Parker (1917, reprinted 1922 and 1929). In these studies, they resource for the conterminous United States to be abouof coal. Original resources are the amount of coal in th(Wood and others, 1983).

Figure 12. Montage of geologists who worked for or worked in cooperation with the USGS in the Colorado Plateau. Left, Edmund Spieker in the Wasatch Plateau coal fi eld; 

right, Timothy F. Lawton, New Mexico State University; top, early fi eld vehicle of the Wasatch Plateau fi eld party. Black and white photos are from Field Records Archives 

of the USGS Library in Denver, Colo. The logo of the Department of Interior, shown at the bottom of the montage, changed from an eagle in its early history to a buffalo at present.

Figure 13

A. Montage of title pages from some e
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

1900

 0 2 4 6 8

 10

 12

1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 

USGS BulletinsUSGS Professional PapersUSGS CircularsUSGS Miscellaneous Maps (OM and MFUSGS Coal Investigations Maps 

Years

Number of Reports

n = 170

*

*

USGS 1917

Coal Assessment

US

Coal 

Figure 13

B. Chart of USGS publications on coal in th

were constructed based on data from the American G

USGS publications. The database was queried for eac1997. The basic query for each series was (coal or fueor Utah), and then these lists were printed and publicassessment study area were eliminated. Compilation were only counted as one data source.

History of USGS Coal Exploration and Resource Estimates

—Continued

The basis for Campbell’s analysis (1917) was a series of classic studies of 

individual coal 

fi elds across the United States in which he and his colleagues mapped 

the geology and, in many cases, developed the stratigraphic frameworks that, with modi

fi cations, are still in use today (see Kirschbaum and Biewick, chap. B, this 

CD-ROM; Richardson, 1909; Gale, 1910; Campbell, 1912; Lupton, 1916).

The motivation for these studies was the 1906 withdrawal of some 66 million 

acres of coal lands by President Theodore Roosevelt following the misuse of the Homestead Act for acquiring federally administrated lands for mining purposes (see Campbell, 1917; Rabbitt, 1986, p. 45). The USGS was asked to classify these lands and determine their worth as soon as possible so that the coal might be sold at a fair market value (Campbell, 1917).

These early geologic studies and more detailed studies from the 1930’s through 

1970’s (e.g., Spieker, 1931; Fassett and Hinds, 1971) provided data on most of the coal 

fi elds present in the United States. These detailed geologic investigations were 

subsequently summarized for each State by the USGS and State geological surveys in the 1950’s through the early 1970’s (e.g., Landis, 1959). The State reports were 

then compiled and updated by Averitt (1975, his table 2), who, like Campbell in earlier studies, also compiled estimates of resources totaling about 3.5 trillion short tons of coal for the continental United States (in beds beneath less than 3,000 ft of overburden).

The profusion of reports in the late 1970’s, 1980’s, and early 1990’s resulted 

from an increased interest in coal following the energy crisis of the early 1970’s; these reports are summarized in the current assessment. Clearly, the total amount of original coal resources in the United States is fairly well constrained. In this assessment, resources are reported from various historical sources along with new resource estimates for selected assessment units within the Colorado Plateau. An important addition in this assessment are the detailed geologic, geographic, and stratigraphic databases that are made available.
A12 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Assessment Units in the Colorado Plateau

The current coal assessment of the Colorado Plateau used four main criteria 

for prioritizing assessment units within the region: (1) areas containing signi

fi cant 

mineral ownership that is administered by the Federal Government, (2) areas that have active coal mining, (3) areas where coal-bed methane is currently being produced or coal is the source rock for gas production, and (4) areas that have a high resource or development potential. In two cases, coal 

fi elds and areas between 

known coal 

fi elds were combined to form a single assessment unit: (a) the Southern 

Piceance Basin assessment unit (

fi g. 14, no. 8), includes part or all of the Book Cliffs, 

Grand Mesa, Somerset, Crested Butte, Carbondale, and Grand Hogback coal 

fi elds 

(see 

fi g. 7 for coal 

fi elds); and (b) the San Juan Basin assessment unit (

fi g. 14, no. 

10), encompasses the Durango, Fruitland, Hogback, Bisti, Star Lake, and Monero coal 

fi elds (see 

fi g. 7).

Coal-bearing strata

Study area

Assessment Units

1. Kaiparowits Plateau2. Henry Mountains3. S. Wasatch Plateau4. N. Wasatch Plateau5. Lower White River6. Danforth Hills7. Yampa8. S. Piceance Basin9. Somerset

10. San Juan Basin11. Bisti12. Black Mesa Basin

1

2

3

4

5 

12

113

113

34 

40

0 100 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

AZUT

NMCO

Figure 14. Map showing assessment units of the Colorado were studied in various levels of detail, and the results of thethe CD-ROM. The Northern Wasatch Plateau (4), the Somerssummarized together in Rohrbacher and others (chap. F, this 
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

Catro

Apache

San Ju

Coconino 

Navajo

Washington Kane 

Montezum

Dolore

Iron 

Garfield 

San Migu

San Juan

Wayne Piute Montrose

Sevier 

Mesa

Emery Grand

Sanpete

Carbon 

Rio B

Utah

Wasatch 

Duchesne

Uintah

Mo

Mc

113

113

34 

40

0 100 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

Coal-bearing strata

Study area

UT COAZ NM

Counties of the Colorado Plateau

Coal is present in 41 of the 43 counties in the study area 

(fi g. 15). More than 20 coal zones were assessed during this study in parts of 20 counties within the four-State region of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.

Figure 15. Map showing geographic distribution of coal-bearing strata icoal is present. Oy, Ouray; S.J., San Juan; Hins., Hinsdale; Min., Mineral.
A14 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Original 

Cr

< 6,000 ft 

>14 inches for ant

>30 inches for sub

Cr

Cr

data points < 

Anthracite: > 28 i

Bituminous: > 28 in

 Subbituminous: > 5 ft; 

 Lignite: > 5 ft

< 6,000 ft 

>14 inches for ant

>30 inches for sub

Cumulativ

Cumulativ

 Coal los

Remaining 

Reser

Hierarchy of 

Original Resources in the Assessment Units

Original resource numbers (the amount of coal in place before mining) are useful when comparing coal 

fi elds within a region or from region to region. The original resource is also useful in understanding the in-place volumes of gas that may be extractable from a coal deposit (see Dallegge and Barker, chap. L, this CD-ROM). Once original resources have been documented, coal-bed frameworks have been established, and databases have been created and quality-controlled, it is possible to appraise how much coal can be extracted from an area.

A rough method of estimating how much coal can still be extracted from a mature mining area is to 

subtract mine production data from the original resource estimate. The Wasatch Plateau is such a mature area. Tabet and others (1999) estimated about 9.2 billion short tons of coal in the Northern Wasatch Plateau assessment unit, and Dubiel and others (chap. S, this CD-ROM) estimated about 6.8 billion short tons of coal for the Southern Wasatch Plateau assessment unit, for a total of about 16.2 billion short tons (beds greater than 1 ft thick). These estimates of original resources are close to Spieker’s estimates. Spieker (1931) estimated 13 

billion short tons of coal for the Wasatch Plateau in beds greater than 14 inches thick and 7.8 billion short tons in beds greater than 30 inches thick. 

Cumulative production in the Wasatch Plateau between 1870 and 1996 was about 386 million short tons 

(Jahanbani, 1996) or about 5 percent of beds greater than 30 inches thick in Spieker’s estimate or about 2.5 

Assessment Area ResourcesBlack MesaDanforth HillsBisti 1,600

*

* not calculated

21,000

1,700

61,000

370

6,800

230,000120,000

9,200

3,100

Yampa 76,000Grand Total 530,000Lower White RiverS. Wasatch PlateauSan Juan BasinS. Piceance BasinKaiparowits PlateauN. Wasatch PlateauSomersetHenry Mountains

Figure 16

A. Original resource fi gures (in 

millions of short tons) for the assessment areas of the Colorado Plateau. Resource estimates are rounded to two signifi cant fi gures. Locations of 

assessment areas are shown on fi g. 14.

Figure 16

B. Figure showing key resource categories. Original 

resources are present before mining; remaining resources are original resources minus cumulative depletion (cumulative depletion = cumulative production + coal lost in mining); and reserve base is the amount of resource that meets specifi ed 

minimum physical and chemical criteria related to current mining practice (Wood and others, 1983). The measurements in inches and feet refer to the minimum thickness of coal and the maximum thickness of overburden for each category.

percent of our most recent estimate of beds greater than 1 ft thick. This kind of estimation is instructive because it shows that large original resource numbers can be deceiving when trying to estimate how much coal can be taken out of an area. A methodology has been developed to better determine how much of the resource is available or is suitable for mining (see next page and also Carter and others, 1998; Rohrbacher and others, chap. F, this CD-ROM). 
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

M

Complianc

Washing l

Coal Availability/Recoverability in the Colorado Plateau

After the coal deposits are delineated and the in-place tons are estimated, economic geologists and 

engineers estimate how much of the resource is restricted from mining using legal, regulatory, social, environmental, and technical considerations. That information is then used to determine how much of the resource may be mined at a pro

fi t in today’s market. The data can also be used to determine 

what the social implications of mining are or, in the case of a developed mining district, what the loss of mining means to the local and regional population (Carter and others, 1998; Rohrbacher and others, chap. F, this CD-ROM). 

Figure 17. Chart and the order in wsubtracted from “o

“available,” “recovolumes. Defi nitionand Rohrbacher a

Available Resource: The remaining resource minus restricted resources.Recoverable Resource: That part of the resource that can potentially be mined after taking into account the amount of coal that may be lost due to technical mining restrictions, or due to recovery losses and washing losses.Mining Economics: Mining costs can be applied to predict if a certain coal can be produced at a pro

fi t in the present day 

economy. Compliance: This term refers to coal that meets a prescribed quality as required by the Clean Air Act.Reserves: Economically recoverable resource.

Defi nitions of resource terms used in fi gure 17:Original Resource: The amount of coal in place before mining.Mined out: This refers to coal that has been produced historically and coal that was lost in mining during production (such as coal left behind for roof support).Remaining Resources: Those resources in the ground after mining. Includes coal that will be lost in mining.Restricted Resources: Those parts of the resource that are restricted by law or regulation and social, environmental, or general technical concerns such as coal underlying alluvial valley 

fl oors, 

National Parks, or environmentally protected areas.
A16 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Coal-bearing 

strata

Coal

 Availability/

Recoverability

Studies

Completed

In Progress

(1999)

Planned

Interstates

Railroads 

N. Wasatch

 Plateau Study

N. Book 

Cliffs Study

Bisti Stu

Menefee St

S. Wasatch

 Plateau Study

Gallup

F

Cedar City

Moab

Price

Flagstaff

Grand Junctio

40

15

15

70

10

113

113

34 

40

0 100 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

AZUT

NMCO

Henry Mountains

Study

S. Book 

Cliffs Study

Yam

Coal Availability/Recoverability

—

Continued

Numerous studies conducted in areas outside of the Colorado 

Plateau (e.g., the Appalachian Basin, and the Illinois Basin) have shown that the average amount of coal recoverable from a coal fi eld may be as little as 24 percent or as much as 82 percent of the original resource when social, economic, environmental, technical, legal, and regulatory restrictions are applied to the resource (Carter and others, 1998).

Coal availability studies conducted in the Colorado Plateau 

are limited but show a range of 40 percent to 68 percent for the availability of coal that can be mined (Eakins and others, 1998 (68 percent); Hoffman and Jones, 1998 (60 percent); Tabet and others, 1999 (40 percent)).

Figure 18. Index map of coal availability/coal recoverability studies in the Colorado Plateau study area. The Somerset study in Colorado was completed in cooperation with the Colorado Geological Survey; the Bisti study in New Mexico in cooperation with the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Economic Geology; and the Northern Wasatch Plateau study in cooperation with the Utah Geological Survey (see Rohrbacher and others, chap. F, this CD-ROM).
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

113

113

34 

40

0 100 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

S

G

Black Mesa

Kolob/

Harmony Alton 

KaiparowitsPlateau 

Henry Mtns 

Sego 

WasatchPlateau 

Boo

 Clif

Low

 Wh

Riv

Book Cliffs 

Emery

Tabby Mtn 

Coal fields that have USGSgeochemicalanalyses

AZUT

NMCO

Coal Geochemistry

Proximate/ultimate and trace-element geochemistry data is presented 

in this CD-ROM for 30 coal 

fi elds in the plateau (Affolter, chap. G, this 

CD-ROM).

Figure 19. Distribution of coal fi elds of the Colorado Plateau tdata.
A18 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Coal Geochemistry

—Continued

Mean average values, on an as-received basis, for ash yield, calori

fi c value, 

and sulfur content are shown here (

fi gs. 20A

–20

C) for the assessment units of the 

Colorado Plateau. Coals of the Colorado Plateau are generally subbituminous to bituminous in rank with mean calori

fi c values as much as 14,000 Btu/lb; low in 

sulfur, mean values below 1 percent, (although some areas within the Plateau exceed 1 percent—see Affolter, chap. G, this CD-ROM); and generally low in ash yield, although the range is from about 5 percent to almost 25 percent. 

0 5 10 15 20 25

Percent (as-received)

BLACK MESA

BOOK CLIFFS

CARBONDALE

CRESTED BUTTE

DANFORTH HILLS

DURANGO

GRAND HOGBACK

GRAND MESA

LOWER WHITE RIVER

SOMERSET

YAMPA

BISTI

FRUITLAND

NAVAJO

STAR LAKE

KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU

WASATCH PLATEAU

COAL FIELDS

ASH YIELD

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 

Btu/lb (as-recei

BLACK MESA

BOOK CLIFFS

CARBONDALE

CRESTED BUTTE

DANFORTH HILLS

DURANGO

GRAND HOGBACK

GRAND MESA

LOWER WHITE RIVER

SOMERSET

YAMPA

BISTI

FRUITLAND

NAVAJO

STAR LAKE

KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU

WASATCH PLATEAU

COAL FIELDS

CALORIFIC V

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 

Percent (as-rece

BLACK MESA

BOOK CLIFFS

CARBONDALE

CRESTED BUTTE

DANFORTH HILLS

DURANGO

GRAND HOGBACK

GRAND MESA

LOWER WHITE RIVER

SOMERSET

YAMPA

BISTI

FRUITLAND

NAVAJO

STAR LAKE

KAIPAROWITS PLATEAU

WASATCH PLATEAU

COAL FIELDS

SULFUR

Figure 20

A. Figure 20

C.

Figure 20

B.
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

Coal on Federal Lands

The U.S. Government owns the rights to large resources of coal in the Colorado 

Plateau region. However, these resources do not necessarily lie under surface land that is administered by the Federal Government. For example, of the 510 billion short tons of coal resources calculated for 20 assessed coal zones in the Colorado Plateau, 48 percent of the coal underlies federally administered lands, but 71 percent of the total coal is owned by the public and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (see Molnia and others, chap. E, this CD-ROM). The leasing of coal by the Bureau of Land Management has generated more than 200 million dollars of royalties per year to the Federal Government during the 

fi rst half of the 1990’s 

(Energy Information Administration, 1995).

Figure 21. Coal resource estimates for 2Colorado Plateau shown by percentage oownership and differentiated by surface a(Molina and others, chap. E, this CD-ROMzones include two in the Lower White RivDanforth Hills coal fi eld, four in the Yampa Southern Wasatch Plateau coal fi eld, one 

four in the Southern Piceance Basin asseKaiparowits Plateau coal fi eld.

Colorado Plateau-- Assessed coa

Surface ownership

0

50,000

100,000150,000200,000250,000300,000350,000400,000

Federal Non-Federal

Millions of short tons 48% of total tonnage 

52% of total tonnage 

Surface Total* PFederal 250,000 Non-Federal 260,000 Grand Total 510,000Coal Total* PFederal 360,000 Non-Federal 150,000 Grand Total 510,000

*in millions of short tons
A20 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

113

113

34 

40

0 100 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

AZUT

NMCO

Bureau of Land

 Management

National Forests

Other Federal 

Agencies

National Park

Service

Tribal Lands

State / Private

Coal 

assessment

areas

Coal on Federal Lands

—Continued

Large coal holdings are present beneath lands administered 

by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Additionally, coal is present on many Indian Reservations in the Colorado Plateau. Although the reservations are not Federal lands, the USGS has historically assessed the coal resources of many of the reservations in cooperation with the Tribes and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Figure 22. Generalized surface ownership of lands in the study area within Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The outlines of the assessment units are shown in red, and the names of the areas are shown on fi g. 14.
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

Gila Cliff Dw

113

113

34 

40 

0 100 Miles

Petrified

 Forest NP El Malpais NM

El Morro NM

Sunset Crater 

 Volcano NM

Wupatki NM 

Canyon de Chelly NM

Grand Canyon NP

Navajo NM Aztec Ruins NM

Glen Canyon NRA 

Mesa Verde NP 

Hovenweep NM

Zion NP

Natural

 Bridges

 NM

Cedar Breaks NM

Bryce Canyon NP

Grand StaircaseEscalante NM

Canyonlands NP

Capitol

 Reef NP 

Arches NP

Colorado NM

Dinosaur NM

Coal-bearing rocks N

Recre

Colorado Plateau study area

AZUT

NMCO

Coal on Federal Lands

—Continued

Some coal in the plateau is not currently available for 

leasing. For example, at this time, coal located beneath National Parks is not available for exploitation, and the resources there are classi

fi ed as restricted. Large deposits are present beneath 

Bryce Canyon National Park and beneath the Escalante

–Grand 

Staircase National Monument, which is administered by the Bureau of Land Management (see Hettinger and others, chap. T, this CD-ROM). Some resources are present within Mesaverde National Park and Chaco Culture National Historic Park and adjacent to Zion National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation area, El Malpais National Monument, and Dinosaur National Monument. Two National Monuments, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Colorado are shown adjacent to coal-bearing rocks, but here the coal is thin and probably not a resource (

fi g. 23). For a more complete 

analysis of coal on Federal lands within the Colorado Plateau see Molnia and others (chap. E, this CD-ROM).

Figure 23. Relationship of coal-bearing strata to National Parks (NP), Monuand Historic Parks (NHP). All of the areas (purple shading) are administered the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM) in southern UtBureau of Land Management. Within the GSENM, the outline of the Kaiparow

green to delineate the extent of coal within the Monument.
A22 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Coal Production in the Colorad

The Colorado Plateau has been an important 

1870’s (Doelling and Smith, 1982). Earliest usage heating and as fuel for steam engines owned by thboomed during World War I, dropped off during t

and then rebounded during World War II and into Utah alone reached about 6 million short tons a yeand Smith, 1982). Production dropped to a lower short tons a year in the 1960’s as diesel fuel repla

as the steel industry of Utah declined, and as oil aconsumption. The Arab oil embargo of 1973 and twestern, low-sulfur coals following the Clean Air growth in Utah to its current levels (

fi g. 25). 

Figure 24

A. Sunnyside, Utah, coke ovens, which fi rst operated in 1902 (Clark, 1928). The coke 

was used in the production of steel.

Figure 24

B. Present-day view of Sunnyside coke ovens. Figure 25. Graph showing coal production in Utah bet

modifi ed from Doelling and Smith (1982) with updated p

1870

02468

10121416182022242628

1890 1910 1930 

Utah Coal Production (millions of short tons)

Years

Early Growth Depression Years 

WW I

W
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

Coal Production in the Colorado 

Production of coal from mines in the States of 

and Utah has been rising from just more than 60 mi89 million short tons in 1995. During the last 10 yewhile the total number of mines has declined. This effi ciency of longwall mining practices and the opeversus conventional room-and pillar-mining using cnumber of active mines has remained relatively conState region, while, in the Colorado Plateau itself, t30 mines in the 1990’s.

1984 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1985 1992 1993 1994 1995

0

20406080

100

MST

Production (millions of short tons)Number of mines

020406080

#

 Mines and production AZ, CO, NM, and UT

Compiled from MSHA by Gerald Sullivan

Figure 26. Coal production and the number of coal mines in the States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah between 1984 and 1995 (Gerald Sullivan, written commun., 1997, compiled from Mine Safety and Health Administration database).

Figure 27

A. Modern strip mine: Dragline in pit at Peabody-Western’s Black Mesa mine located in the Navajo-Hopi joint-use area in Arizona.
A24 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Coal Production in the Colorado Plateau

—

Continued

Within the Colorado Plateau in 1995, there were 10 major 

surface and 21 major underground mines (Gerald Sullivan, written commun., 1997, compiled from Mine Safety and Health Administration database) with a total production of more than 85 million short tons during 1995 (Resource Data International, 1998). Of the underground mines, 11 were longwall operations (Fiscor, 1998): four in Colorado (Deserado, Empire, Twentymile, and West Elk); and seven in Utah (Aberdeen, Crandal Canyon, Deer Creek, SUFCO, Skyline 1 and 3, Trail Mountain). A new longwall is being opened in Utah (Willow Creek).

Figure 27

B. Photo of the tipple and company town at the Utah Fuel 

Company near the Sunnyside mine. Photograph probably taken prior to 1914 (Clark, 1928, plate 12B).





























































113

113

106

34 

0 100 Miles

Colorado Plateau study area

AZUT

NMCO

Eagle 

Black Mesa 

Kayenta Preparation Plant

Kayenta 

SUFCO 

Cottonwood Blending & Prep 

Cottonwood Mine

Trail Mountain Mine 

Bear Canyon No. 2 

Crandall Canyon Mine 

Skyline #1 

Skyline #3 

Star Point #2

Deer Creek Mine 

White Oak Mine #2 

Wildcat Loadout 

Pinnacle 

Soldier Canyon Mine 

Sunnyside Facility Banning Train Loadout 

Aberdeen

Deserado Mine Colowyo Mine 

Figure 28. Map of active mines, preparation plants, and train loadout facilities mines that are shown produced at least 100,000 short tons of coal during 1995. M
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

Figure 29

A. Tramway system at the Wattis mine in the Wasatch Plateau, 

Utah (fi rst published by Spieker, 1931, plate 1B). The tramway is 1.25 mi long, had a maximum grade of 36 percent, and could move 10 cars at a time to a tipple that had a capacity of handling 1,500 short tons a day (Spieker, 1931, p. 115). Note the cable running up the length of track that allowed the hoist to pull the cars up the incline.

Figure 29

B. Part of the 17-mi-long conveyor system from the Kayenta mine t

Black Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad. The belt can transport as much as 1,80tons per hour.

Transportation

Large, light-alloy trucks that can haul as much 

changed the way coal is hauled. The SUFCO mine transports about 3

–4 million short tons a year by tru

central Utah. However, at most mines the coal is stiTwo mines transport their coal to power plants via emethod of transport in the Plateau is by slurry pipelArizona to the Mohave generating station in Nevadby the Black Mesa Pipeline, Inc.

Figure 30. Loadout facility of the Soof Utah showing the loading of speciaPhotograph by Russell Dubiel, U.S. G
A26 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

15.7

1.4

3.2

0.04

11.0

0.

0

1.9

1.0

0.01

14.7

7.1

0.0

1.7

13.5

0.08

0.2

< 1Mst 1-5 Mst 5-10 Mst 10-15 M

Sales in millions of short tons (Mst)

1995 Coal sales to power plants from mines o

Coal Sales

About 85 percent of the coal mined in the Colorado Plateau 

region is used directly for the generation of electric power. Sales of coal from this region go to electric generating power plants in 20 States in the United States (as of 1995), but the main consumers are 

fi ve States: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada. 

About 85.9 million short tons of coal was produced in 1995, but only about 74.4 million short tons were sold to domestic power plants (Resource Data International, 199). Several million short tons were sold to industrial power plants, for example, those in the steel industry.

In addition to the coal sold domestically, between 1990 and 

1997, Colorado Plateau coal was shipped to Colombia, Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan (Resource Data International, 1998). In 1995 only about 2.5 million short tons were exported (Resource Data International, 1998).

Figure 31. Total sales of coal, by State, to power plants across the conterminmines of the Colorado Plateau, 1995 (data queried from Resource Data Interna
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

Figure 32

A. The Hayden power plant located 

in northwestern Colorado in the Yampa coal fi eld. Photo by Edward A. Johnson, U.S. Geological Survey.

Figure 32

B. Cooling towers generating steam during winter at the Hayden pow

Photo by Edward A. Johnson, U.S. Geological Survey.
A28 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Reclamation

Coal mines are required by the Surface Mining Control and 

Reclamation Act of 1977 and the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act of 1990 to reclaim lands disturbed by mining and to prevent disturbances following underground mining (e.g., subsidence problems) (Energy Information Administration, 1995). During strip mining, care is taken to prevent erosion, protect wildlife, and prevent ground-water contamination. Following strip mining, the disturbed lands are recontoured to approximate the original topography, covered with topsoil that was previously stockpiled, and reseeded. For more information and photographs of reclaimed land see Narton and others (1983), Ferris and others (1996), or the Offi ce of Surface 

Mining Web site at <http://osm.osmre.gov/> .

Figure 33. Edna mine in the Yampa coal fi eld of Colorado being reclaimed 

Figure 34. Reclaimed lands in an area pTrapper mine in the Yampa coal fi eld with 

in the background. Photo courtesy of Chu

Surface Mining.
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

Colorado Plateau

 study area

Coal-bed methane plays

2050 Unita Basin-Book Cliffs 2051 Unita Basin-Sego 2052 Unita Basin-Emery (Ferron) 2053 Piceance Basin-White River Dome2054 Piceance Basin-Western Basin Margin2055 Piceance Basin-Grand Hogback 2056 Piceance Basin-Divide Creek Anticline2057 Piceance Basin-Igneous Intrusion 2250 San Juan Basin-Overpressured2252 San Juan Basin-Underpressured Discharge2253 San Juan Basin-Underpressured

Coal-bearing strata

2050

2051

2052

2053

205

113

113

34 

40

0 

AZUT

NMCO

Play# Play Name

Coal-Bed Methane

The Colorado Plateau is estimated to contain as much as 173 

trillion cubic feet of in-place coal-bed-gas resource within three sedimentary basins: the Piceance Basin in Colorado, the San Juan Basin in Colorado and New Mexico, and the Unita Basin in Utah (ICF Resources, Inc., 1989). In the Colorado Plateau, coal-bed methane is currently being produced from the San Juan Basin (plays 2250, 2252, and 2253

—Rice, 1996), the Wasatch Plateau 

(plays 2052 and 2050

—Rice 1996), and the Piceance Basin (plays 

2053, 2054, and 2056

—Rice, 1996). The Colorado Plateau also 

contains a number of hypothetical coal-bed methane plays de

fi ned 

by Rice (1996): play 2055, Piceance Basin

–Grand Hogback; play 

2057, Piceance Basin

–Igneous Intrusion; and play 2051, Uinta 

Basin

–Sego.

Figure 35. Map showing coal-bed methane plays as defi ned from the 199

(Gautier and others, 1996; Rice, 1996).
A30 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Coal-Bed Methane

—Continued

The most productive area for coal-bed gas in the Colorado Plateau is in 

the San Juan Basin, producing 447 billion cubic feet of gas in 1992 and with more than 780 wells completed in Fruitland Formation coal beds (Kaiser and Ayers, 1994). The area has been the subject of numerous articles in the last decade (e.g., Fassett, 1988; Ayers and Kaiser, 1994). Coal-bed gas was 

fi rst 

produced from the Piceance Basin in 1978 (Johnson and others, 1996). The White River dome contains the best production in the Piceance Basin as of 1996 (Johnson and others, 1996). In the Wasatch Plateau, exploration has been very active in the Drunkards Wash 

fi eld (Unita Basin

—Emery play, 

2052) since 1990 (Gloyn and Sommer, 1993). Resource data collected during this coal assessment can contribute to estimates of in-place gas resources. A comparison of three different methods of obtaining in-place estimates is provided in this CD-ROM (Dallegge and Barker, chap. L, this CD-ROM).

Figure 36. Photo showing a geologist measuring a gas seeBasin. Photo by Edward A. Johnson, U.S. Geological Survey.
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

Stratigraphic and coal data

Kaiparowits Plateau

Wasatch Plateau

Lower White River

Danforth Hills

Yampa

Southern Piceance Basin

San Juan Basin

Colorado Plate

Figure 37. Diagram of stratigraphic, databases and ArcView projects.

Databases

Three types of databases are provided on this CD-ROM (disc 2): geochemistry 

data, stratigraphic data, and Geographic Information System (GIS) data.

Tables of geochemical data are included in the report by Affolter (chap. G, this 

CD-ROM), and a geochemical database is included in the ArcView projects on discs 1 and 2. The database is unique in that all samples were collected and analyzed in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials standards and therefore can be used as a baseline to compare coal fi elds within the United States.

Stratigraphic databases are provided for seven areas and contain information on 

point location (latitude and longitude), key formation tops, and coal-thickness values. The databases include 226 locations for the Kaiparowits Plateau, 309 locations for the southern Wasatch Plateau; 10 locations from the Lower White River coal fi eld 

(about 200 logs from this fi eld are proprietary); 108 locations from the Danforth Hills coal fi eld (another 432 are proprietary); 175 locations from the Yampa coal fi eld; 627 data points from the Southern Piceance Basin assessment unit; and about 800 data points from the San Juan Basin. Although proprietary data was used in some of these projects, none of that proprietary data is included in the stratigraphic or other databases. Databases are not provided for the Henry Mountains, Black Mesa, Bisti, Somerset, or Northern Wasatch Plateau assessment units. The fi les are stored on the CD-ROM in DBF, ASCII, and Excel formats.

The GIS databases contain all the geographic and geologic data sets for this 

assessment in ArcView shapefi les, Arc/Info coverages, and Arc/Info EXPORT fi les. These data can be accessed using the ArcView Data Publisher project found on disc 1 of the CD-ROM or by accessing the complete data set on disc 2 by means of ArcView 3.1 (ArcView 3.1 must be owned by the reader in order to access the ArcView project on disc 2). Each view within the ArcView project is an appendix to one of the reports on disc 1 of the CD-ROM.
A32 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Acknowledgments for CD-ROM

The author wishes to thank Rick Scott and Carol Quesenberry of the Central 

Region Publications Group for their contributions to this CD-ROM. Rick was responsible for the editing, design, and layout of the presentations and also pioneered new, faster, and more accurate methods of integrating text, illustrations, and tabular material into a digital workfl ow from initial edit through publication. Carol was responsible for the graphic design of the covers and regional title pages as well as the linking of PDF fi les. Her experience and guidance in graphic design and digital production methods were called upon throughout the production of this coal assessment and proved to be an invaluable resource to the authors, scientifi c editors, and the editor.

The author also wishes to thank the following ind

production of this CD-ROM: Ken Takahashi, Danny Vand especially Dan Lakarish, for help with graphic desof the project; Chris Barron for drafting and graphic dtechnical support with a smile; and Daniel Grunwald fgeophysical logs. The database management of the strwell accomplished by Tim Gognat, Al Heinricks, Jon HGary Stricker and Al Ochs graciously helped with progthe databases. Bill Larson, Dave Ferderer, Ray Colley, Tracey Mercier are thanked for GIS support and advicof the USGS Offi ce of Personnel for help obtaining coprogramming help; Fred Peterson for his legwork in thBarrett and Rebecca Eldridge for administrative suppoa tour of the Black Mesa and Kayenta mines, and Blacemployees provided a tour of their facilities. Jingle Rusharing her knowledge throughout the course of the prand encouragement of Gene Whitney and Ron Stantonthe cooperation of the Arizona Geological Survey, espFellows; the Colorado Geological Survey; the New MeMineral Resources, especially Gretchen Hoffman; and especially Dave Tabet and former State Geologist Lee bene

fi ted from reviews by Kathy Varnes and Peter War
Introduction: Geologic Assessment of Coa

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Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey: Alexandria, Va., American Geological Institute, CD-ROM.

American Society for Testing and Materials, 

1997, Annual book of ASTM standards, Section 5, Petroleum products, lubricants, and fossil fuels: American Society for Testing and Materials, Volume 05.05 Gaseous Fuels; Coal and Coke, 522 p.

Averitt, P., 1975, Coal resources of the United 

States, January 1, 1974: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1412, 131 p.

Ayers, W.B., Jr., and Kaiser, W.R., 1994, 

Coalbed methane in the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado; New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Bulletin 146, 216 p.

Bohacs, Kevin, and Suter, John, 1997, 

Sequence stratigraphic distribution of coaly rocks: Fundamental controls and paralic examples: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v. 81, p. 1612–1639.

Campbell, M.R., 1912, Contributions to 

economic geology, Part II. Mineral fuels: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 471, 663 p.

Campbell, M.R., 1917 [reprinted 1922, 1929], 

The coal fi elds of the United States: 

U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 100-A, 33 p.

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fi elds of the United States, in Papers on the Conservation of Mineral Resources: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 394, p. 7–26.

Carter, M.D., Rohrbacher, T.J., Molnia, C.L., 

Osmonson, L.M., Biewick, L.R.H., Harson, W.S., Scott, D.C., and Teeters, D.T., 1998, 

U.S. coal resource evaluations utilizing Availability, Recoverability, and Economic Analysis Method: Eastern results and western progress [abs.]: Geological Society of America Program and Abstracts, Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario.

Clark, F.R., 1928, Economic geology of the 

Castlegate, Wellington, and Sunnyside quadrangles, Carbon County, Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 793, 165 p.

Doelling, H.H., and Smith, M.R., 1982, 

Overview of Utah coal fi elds, 1982, inGurgel, K.D., ed. Proceedings Fifth Symposium on the Geology of Rocky Mountain Coal 1982: Utah Geological and Mineral Survey Bulletin 118, p. 1-26.

Eakins, Wynn, Tremain-Ambrose, C.M., Scott, 

D.C., and Teeters, D.D., 1998, Availability of coal resource in Colorado: Somerset quadrangle, west-central Colorado: Colorado Geological Survey Resource Series 36, 87 p. 

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data

—A reference: Energy Information 

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methane resources of the northern San Juan Basin, Colorado and New Mexico: Denver, Colo., Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, 351 p.

Fassett, J.E., and Hinds, J.S., 1971, Geology 

and fuel resources of the Fruitland Formation and Kirtland Shale of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado: 

U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 676, 76 p.

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provinces of the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Map.

Ferris, F.K., and 22 others, 1996, Handbook of 

western reclamation techniques: Denver Colo., Offi ce of Technology Transfer, Offi ce 

of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 475 p.

Fiscor, Steve, 1998, U.S. longwalls thrive, in 

Sanda, A.P., U.S. Longwall Census: Coal Age, v. 103, no. 2, p. 22–27.

Gale, H.S., 1910, Coal fi elds of northwestern 

Colorado and northeastern Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 415, 265 p.

Gloyn, R.W., and Sommer, S.N., 1993, 

Exploration for coalbed methane gains momentum in Uinta Basin: Oil and Gas Journal, v. 91, p. 73–76.

Gautier, D.L., Dolton, G.L., Takashashi, K.I., 

and Varnes, K.L., 1996, 1995 National Assessment of United States oil and gas resources

—Results, methodology, and 

supporting data: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS-30, release 2, 1 CD-ROM.

Hettinger, R.D., Roberts, L.N.R., Biewick, 

L.R.H., and Kirschbaum, M.A., 1996, Preliminary investigations of the distribution and resources of coal in the Kaiparowits Plateau, southern Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-539, 72 p.

Hoffman G.K., and Jones, G.E., 1998, 

Availability of coal resources in the Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, northwest New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Open-File Report 438, 15 p.

ICF Res

coalbRevieTechno. 3

Jahanb

and fand dResoPlann

Johnso

1996, PiceaG.L., eds., State

MethGeolDDS-

Kaiser, W

CoalbFormhydro

KaiseUppeJuan New Reso

Kelley, V

Colororigin UniveGeol

Landis, 

U.S. 131–2

Lupton, 

resouEmerGeol
A34 Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah

Narton, P.F., Litner, S.F., Allingham, L.F., Larson, 

D.M., and McWreath, H.C., III, 1983, Reclamation of mined lands in the western coal region: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 872, 56 p.

Nations D., Wilt, J.C., and Hevly, R.H., 1985, 

Cenozoic paleogeography of Arizona, inFlores, R.M., and Kaplan, S.S., eds., Cenozoic Paleogeography of the WestCentral United States: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Rocky Mountain Section, Rocky Mountain Paleogeography Symposium 3, p. 335–355.

Rabbitt, M.C., 1986, Minerals, lands, and 

geology for the common defense and general welfare, volume 3, 1904–1939: U.S. 

Geological Survey, 479 p.

Resource Data International, Inc., 1998, 

COALdat database: Boulder, Colo., Resource Data International, Inc.

Rice, D.D., 1996, Geologic framework and 

description of coalbed gas plays, inGautier, D.L., Dolton, G.L., Takashashi, K.I., and Varnes, K.L., eds., 1995 National Assessment of United States Oil and Gas Resources

—Results, Methodology, and 

Supporting Data: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS-30, release 2, 1 CD-ROM.

Richardson, G.B., 1909, Reconnaissance of 

the Book Cliffs coal fi eld: U.S. Geological 

Survey Bulletin 371, 54 p.

Roberts, L.N.R., and Kirschbaum, M.A., 1995, 

Paleogeography of the Late Cretaceous of the Western Interior of Middle North America

—Coal distribution and sediment 

accumulation: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1561, 115 p.

Rohrbacher, T.J., Teeters, D.D., Sullivan, G.L., 

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