Chapter SR

A SUMMARY OF TERTIARY COAL RESOURCES OF

THE RATON BASIN, COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO

By R.M. Flores and L.R. Bader

in U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1625-A
SR-ii

Contents

Introduction...........................................................................................................................SR-1

Stratigraphy...........................................................................................................................SR-2

Depositional Environments...............................................................................................SR-5

Description of Coal Zones.................................................................................................SR-7

Coal Quality..........................................................................................................................SR-9

Original Resources............................................................................................................SR-12

Production History............................................................................................................SR-13

Coal-bed Methane..............................................................................................................SR-15

Conclusions.........................................................................................................................SR-17

References...........................................................................................................................SR-19

Figures

SR-1. Map showing the geology and structural geology of the Raton Basin in

Colorado and New Mexico.

SR-2. Generalized stratigraphic column of the Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks in

the Raton Basin. Adopted from Pillmore (1969), Pillmore and Flores

(1987), and Flores (1987).

SR-3. Stratigraphic cross section (west to east) across the southern part of the Raton

Basin showing vertical and lateral variations of the Cretaceous and Tertiary

rocks. The vertical variation is demonstrated by the succession of

coarsening-upward megacycles that divide the Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks.

Modified from Flores (1987).
SR-iii

Figures—Continued

SR-4. Lateral and vertical variations of coal-bearing rocks in the lower part of the

upper coal zone of the Raton Formation in the southern part of the basin.

Modified from Strum (1984).

SR-5. Lateral and vertical variations of coal-bearing rocks in the upper part of the

upper coal zone of the Raton Formation in the southern part of the basin.

Modified from Strum (1984).

SR-6. Lateral and vertical variations of the York Canyon coal and associated fluvial

deposits in the southern part of the basin. Modified from Flores (1993).

SR-7. Map showing the coal mining districts in the Raton Basin in Colorado and

New Mexico. Modified from Pillmore (1969), Amuedo and Bryson (1977),

Jurich and Adams (1984), and Pillmore (1991).

SR-8. Coal rank map of the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Vermejo

Formation. Variations in vitrinite reflectance are also shown. Modified from

Tyler and others (1995).

SR-9. Map showing areas of current and potential coal-bed methane production in

Raton Basin. Adapted from Hemborg (1996).
SR-1

INTRODUCTION

The Raton Basin (fig. SR-1) in Colorado and New Mexico contains a large coal

resource in the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene Raton Formation. This formation is

partly unconformable above the coal-bearing Late Cretaceous Vermejo Formation

(fig. SR-2). Late Cretaceous Pierre Shale and Trinidad Sandstone conformably

underlie the Vermejo. Coal was first reported in the Raton Basin in 1841. Although

these coal deposits have been developed since 1873, their use for the past few

decades has been greatly reduced. This situation was exacerbated by the closing of

steel plants that used the coal from the basin. Presently, coal mining is gradually

being replaced by development of coal-bed methane in the Vermejo and Raton

Formations. This report focuses on the geology, occurrence, quality, and production

history of the coal resources of the Raton Formation.

The Raton Basin extends over an area of about 4,000 square miles in southeastern

Colorado and northeastern New Mexico (see fig. SR-1). The basin is underlain by

Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene coal-bearing rocks (fig. SR-2). The basin is a large

arcuate structural trough and depocenter that extends from Huerfano Park, Colorado,

to Cimarron, New Mexico (see fig. SR-1). The basin is bounded on the west by the

Sangre de Cristo Mountains, on the northeast by the Apishapa arch in Colorado, and

on the southeast by the Sierra Grande-Las Animas arch in New Mexico and

Colorado (Johnson and Wood, 1956). The basin is asymmetrical with the axis

located along the western margin. The sedimentary rocks are steeply tilted,

overturned, and faulted along the east flank of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Anticlines (for example, Vermejo Park) are formed along the western margin of the

basin in New Mexico. The sedimentary rocks on the east side of the basin are

gently tilted to the west from 1 to 5 degrees. The Las Vegas sub-basin south of the
SR-2

Raton Basin in New Mexico was considered by Baltz (1965) to be a part of the

structural trough.

Tertiary igneous rocks are common throughout the Raton Basin as exemplified by

dikes, sills, and stocks of the Spanish Peaks. Miocene and Pliocene igneous dikes,

sills, plugs, stocks, and laccoliths ranging in age from 6.7 to 29.5 m.y. (D. Miggins,

oral commun., 1999) are common intrusions throughout the coal-bearing Vermejo

and Raton Formations (Johnson, 1958; 1961). The dikes and sills are mafic to

intermediate in composition and the plugs, stocks, and laccoliths are mostly

intermediate (Pillmore, 1969). Basalt and andesite flows from 8 to 3.5 m.y. in age

are preserved on high mesas in the basin (Johnson, 1969). The dikes exist as dikelike bodies radiating from stocks such as the Spanish Peaks, and as subparallel dikes

striking mostly in a northeast direction, and as swarms (Johnson, 1958, 1961). The

dikes vary in thickness from a few inches to more than 100 ft and are presumed to

be intruded into fracture systems. The dikes cause limited alteration of surrounding

coal-bearing rocks; however, sills, which were commonly intruded along coal beds

have altered, assimilated, and destroyed the coal. Lee (1924) noted the formation of

prismatic coke (for example, graphite in composition) as a result of metamorphism

by sill intrusions along coal beds. Pillmore (1969) suggested that hundreds of

millions of tons of coal were probably destroyed by sill intrusions along coal beds.

STRATIGRAPHY

Figure SR-2 shows the generalized Late Cretaceous and Paleocene stratigraphy of

the Raton Basin (Johnson and Wood, 1956; Pillmore and Flores, 1987). The oldest

mapped sedimentary units in the Raton Basin are the Late Cretaceous Pierre Shale

and Trinidad Sandstone. The Late Cretaceous coal-bearing Vermejo Formation
SR-3

conformably overlies the Trinidad Sandstone. The Late Cretaceous and Paleocene

Raton Formation is partly unconformable above the Vermejo. The Paleocene

Poison Canyon Formation overlies and intertongues with the Raton Formation

(Johnson and Wood, 1956). The Pierre Shale, Trinidad Sandstone, and Vermejo,

Raton, and Poison Canyon Formations were interpreted by Flores (1987) and Flores

and Pillmore (1987) as a succession of coarsening-upward megacycles (fig. SR-3).

These coarsening-upward megacycles are capped by thin to thick conglomeratic and

sandstone-dominated units. For example, the Trinidad Sandstone caps the Pierre

Shale. The basal conglomerate of the Raton Formation caps the underlying

Vermejo Formation. A sandstone-dominated unit caps the underlying lower part of

the Raton Formation. The sandstone-dominated unit of the Poison Canyon

Formation caps the upper part of the Raton Formation. Coal of the Paleocene part

of the Raton Formation exists in several intervals in the upper part of the formation

underlying the sandstone-dominated units; however, the latter interval does not

contain economic deposits.

Lee (1917) divided the Raton Formation, in ascending order, into a basal

conglomeratic interval, a lower coal-rich interval, a barren or coal-poor, sandstonedominated interval, and an upper coal-rich interval. Tschudy and others (1984) and

Pillmore and Flores (1984) placed the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary near the

top of the lower coal-rich interval below the sandstone-dominated interval in the

lower part of the Raton Formation. The K/T boundary is based on the discovery of

an iridium anomaly at the palynological Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (Orth and

others, 1981; Pillmore and others, 1984). They reported abundant anomalies of

iridium and other trace elements coincident with an abrupt disappearance of several

taxa of fossil pollen and a sudden change in the ratio of fern spores to angiosperm

pollen in 15 sites in the Raton Basin (Pillmore and Flores, 1984; 1987). The
SR-4

geochemical anomalies in these sites are contained in a kaolinitic claystone

interbedded with coal and sediments of crevasse splay, swamp, levee-overbank,

floodplain, and abandoned-channel environments.

According to Pillmore and Flores (1987) the basal conglomeratic interval is as

much as 50 ft thick and consists of interbedded pebble conglomerate and granule,

quartzose sandstone. The basal conglomerate consists of pebbles and cobbles of

mostly quartzite, chert, and gneiss. The basal conglomerate is laterally

discontinuous (Pillmore, 1969). The lower coal-rich zone ranges from 100 to 250 ft

thick and is composed of interbedded coal, carbonaceous shale, mudstone, siltstone,

and sandstone. The barren or sandstone-dominated interval ranges from 180 to 600

ft thick and includes mainly sandstone and conglomeratic sandstone, subordinate

mudstone and siltstone, and sparse coal and carbonaceous shale. The upper coalrich interval is about 1,100 ft thick in the interior part of the basin but thins to less

than 600 ft thick near Raton, New Mexico. It consists of interbedded sandstone,

siltstone, mudstone, coal, and carbonaceous shale. These intervals are well

developed in the basin center; however, they merge into a thick interval of

conglomerate and sandstone of the Poison Canyon Formation along the western

margin of the basin (Hills, 1888; Johnson and others, 1966; Pillmore and Flores,

1987). Pillmore (1969) estimated the thickness of the Raton Formation to be from

>0 to 2,000 ft.

The coal-rich intervals consist of lenticular coal beds as much as 12 ft thick

(Pillmore, 1976; Amuedo and Bryson, 1977; Flores and Tur, 1982; Flores, 1984,

1993; Flores and others, 1985; Pillmore and Flores, 1984). The most abundant rock

type in the coal-rich intervals is sandstone, which consist of two types: a finingupward, scour-based sandstone and a sandstone that caps a thin coarsening-upward
SR-5

sequence of carbonaceous shale, mudstone, and siltstone. The fining-upward

sandstone is fine to medium grained, and it is composed of single or multiple units

separated by thin mudstone and siltstone drapes. These sandstone units are in turn

basally erosional, trough and planar crossbedded, and convoluted in the lower part,

and rippled and rooted in the upper part. The sandstone that caps the coarseningupward sequence is fine grained, contains asymmetrical ripple lamination, climbing

ripple lamination, and root marks. In addition, the sandstone is tabular and locally

incised by basally-scoured sandstone. The mudstone and siltstone that compose the

coarsening-upward sequence are burrowed and ripple laminated. The sandstone and

coarsening-upward shale, mudstone, and siltstone are commonly interbedded with

the coal and carbonaceous shale beds.

The sandstone-dominated intervals commonly consist of multiple stacked bodies of

erosionally based, fining-upward sandstone, which laterally grade into mudstone

and siltstone units. The sandstone is coarser grained than the sandstone in the coalrich intervals and is composed mainly of trough crossbeds and convolute

laminations. The sandstone bodies are laterally offset or en-echelon, making up a

laterally continuous belt.

DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS

The depositional environments of the Raton Formation include fluvial channel,

overbank-levee, crevasse splay, floodplain lake, and low-lying and raised swamps

(Strum, 1985; Flores, 1987; Flores and Pillmore, 1987). The environments formed

in alluvial plains with the advent of the Laramide orogeny during the early Tertiary

and the withdrawal of the Cretaceous interior seaway (Flores, 1984; 1987). The

deposits of these alluvial plains probably grade into deposits of alluvial fans along
SR-6

the western basin margin as represented by the Poison Canyon Formation. Prior to

the withdrawal of the Cretaceous sea, the Raton Basin consisted of a barred coastline

drained by wave-dominated deltas (Billingsley, 1978; Flores and Danilchik, 1978;

Flores and Tur, 1982; Flores, 1984; Flores and others, 1985; Flores, 1987). The

Pierre Shale represents deposition on the continental shelf and slope of the

Cretaceous interior seaway; the Trinidad Sandstone reflects deposition along the

wave-reworked, barred nearshore coastlines; and the Vermejo Formation was

deposited on active and abandoned (wave-reworked) delta plains.

The coarsening-upward megacycles of the Cretaceous and Paleocene age of the

Raton Formation described by Flores and Pillmore (1987) reflect changes in the

fluvial-system architecture as controlled by the tectonic uplift of the basin margin

and by basin subsidence. These workers suggested that the megacycle in the lower

part of the Raton Formation, consisting of the coal-rich interval overlain by the

barren, sandstone-dominated interval, reflects deposition from meandering and

anastomosed fluvial systems to braided and meandering fluvial systems.

Deposition of the coal-rich interval by meandering and anastomosed fluvial systems

was influenced by basin subsidence. Allocyclic mechanisms promoted vertical

aggradation of the anastomosed streams, which was succeeded by lateral

aggradation of meandering streams. Coal was formed in low-lying swamps

associated with the anastomosed streams (Smith and Smith, 1980; Smith, 1983;

Smith and Cross, 1985) and raised swamps formed on abandoned meander belts

(Flores, 1987; Flores and Pillmore, 1987; Flores, 1993). These fluvial systems

deposited fluvial channel sandstone, coarsening-upward crevasse splay

carbonaceous shale, mudstone, siltstone, and sandstone, and burrowed floodplain

lake mudstone and siltstone. In contrast, deposition of the barren, sandstonedominated interval was controlled by tectonic uplift of the provenance (for example,
SR-7

Sangre de Cristo Mountains) along the western margin of the basin. This allocyclic

mechanism promoted development of mountain-front alluvial fans that were point

sources of bedload sediments of streams. The availability of these sediments and

the raising of the stream gradients promoted development of braided streams along

the basin margin, which merged with sediment-laden meandering streams in the

basin center. Here, the floodplains were choked with sediments that inhibited

development of peat-forming swamps.

DESCRIPTION OF COAL ZONES

As shown in figures SR-2 and SR-3, the coal zones are in the lower and upper parts

of the Raton Formation; however, they are separated by the barren, sandstonedominated interval (fig. SR-3). The lower coal zone contains the Cretaceous

(Maastrichtian) part of the formation with the K/T boundary near the top of the zone

(Pillmore and Flores, 1987). The coal zone ranges in thickness from 250 ft on the

western part of the basin to 100 ft on the eastern part. The lower coal zone is

overlain by the barren or sandstone-dominated interval. This interval is

characterized by sparse coal and is dominated by multiple-stacked channel

sandstone. The barren interval ranges from 180 to 600 ft thick. The upper coal zone

contains many coal beds less than 3 ft thick, but beds as thick as 12 ft have been

mined. A dichotomy of coal occurrence in the upper coal zone of the Paleocene

Raton Formation is reflected by the presence of thick coal beds in the basin center

(for example, York Canyon and Chimney Divide coal beds) and thinner coal beds in

the eastern margin of the basin (Strum, 1985; Flores, 1987; Pillmore, 1991). The

vertical and lateral variability of the coal beds in the central and eastern parts of the

Raton coalfield in New Mexico are exhibited by the York Canyon, Chimney Divide,

Tin Pan, and Potato Canyon coal beds (Pillmore, 1969; 1980; 1991).
SR-8

Based on measurement of closely spaced stratigraphic sections, Strum (1985) and

Flores (1987) demonstrated the differences in the coal thickness and lateral

variability of the coal beds in the upper coal zone in the eastern part of the basin

(figs. SR-4 and SR-5). The lateral variability of the coal beds is exemplified in

figure SR-4 where the Tin Pan Canyon coal bed splits into three beds within a

distance of more than 4,000 ft, which in turn pinch out into a fluvial channel

sandstone and associated overbank-levee siltstone and mudstone within a distance

of 2,000 ft. In the overlying interval (see fig. SR-4) the discontinuity of the Potato

Canyon coal bed was caused by complete erosion by a sand-infilled fluvial channel.

The lateral variability of the coal beds in the central part of the basin is exhibited in

figure SR-5 where the York Canyon coal bed was completely eroded by a sandinfilled fluvial channel. Another type of lateral variability of the York Canyon coal

described by Flores (1993) is splitting by fluvial channel sandstone and crevasse

splay sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone of a 12-ft thick coal bed into four coal beds

that range from 0.5 to 2 ft thick within a distance of 2.5 miles (fig. SR-6). In the

overlying interval (see fig. SR-5) the lateral thinning of the Chimney Divide coal

bed was caused by partial erosion by a sand-infilled fluvial channel. Pillmore (1969)

indicated that the Chimney Divide coal zone exists throughout an area of more than

50 square miles.

Determining the lateral variability of coal beds in the Raton Formation, according to

Strum (1985), depends on the spacing of control points or measured sections. That

is, the more closely spaced the control points, the more variable the lateral extent of

the coal. This suggests that lateral variability of the coal-bearing rocks can best be

ascertained by using closer-spaced stratigraphic sections than far apart sections. In

addition, sand-infilled fluvial channel sands that eroded coal beds also caused
SR-9

expansion and contraction of intervals between coal beds. This in turn may

influence miscorrelation of coal beds especially if the control points are not closely

spaced. Flores (1984; 1987) indicated that thicker coal beds resulted from

deposition of precursor peat on abandoned deposits of fluvial channel belts and

crevasse splays. The abandoned fluvial deposits created a raised platform that

protected the swamps from being choked by sediment floods and permitted

prolonged peat accumulation.

In addition, the vertical and lateral variability of the coal beds in the upper coal zone

of the Raton Formation may have been caused by tectonic control and igneous

intrusions. That is, thickening of coal beds may be caused by basin subsidence,

which is more rapid in the basin center than in the eastern margin of the basin. In

addition, soft-sediment deformation, resulting in intraformational faults (Roehler

and Danilchik, 1980) locally controls the thickness and lateral variability of the coal

beds. Hasbrouck and others (1980) reported that intrusion by dikes may have

interrupted the lateral continuity of Raton Formation coal beds.

COAL QUALITY

Amuedo and Bryson (1977) reported that coal in the Raton Formation in the

Colorado part of the Raton Basin ranges from high-volatile, bituminous C to A in

rank (on a dry basis). Proximate analyses of Raton coal reported by Amuedo and

Bryson (1977) are as follows. Ash content of the Raton Formation coal beds ranges

from 7 to 16.5 percent (on a dry basis). Sulfur content of the Raton coal averages

from 0.4 to 0.6 percent (on a dry basis). The volatile matter of Raton Formation

coal beds varies from 30 to 37 percent and the fixed carbon ranges from 46.5 to

58.7 percent (on a dry basis). The Btu/lb of the Raton Formation coal beds ranges
SR-10

from 12,210 to 15,150 (on a dry basis). The Btu/lb and fixed carbon contents

increase from the northern to southern parts of the basin. Goolsby and others

(1979) indicated a gradational change in coal rank from a high-volatile A bituminous

in the southern part of the Raton Basin to a high-volatile C bituminous in the

northern part. In the Colorado part of the basin, the U.S. Geological Survey and

Colorado Geological Survey (1977) mapped bituminous coal overlain by more than

3,000 ft of overburden and subbituminous coal covered by less than 3,000 ft of

overburden.

Pillmore (1969; 1991) described the Raton Formation coal beds in the New Mexico

part (Raton coalfield) of the basin as all high-volatile A to B bituminous rank, and

most of it is suitable for manufacturing coke. Proximate analyses of Raton

Formation coal beds reported by Pillmore (1969; 1991) are as follows. Ash content

of the Raton Formation coal (for example, York Canyon, Chimney Divide, Ancho

Canyon, Tin Pan) ranges from 8.8 to 16.5 percent (moisture free). Sulfur content

of the Raton Formation coal averages from 0.5 to 0.6 percent (moisture free). The

volatile matter of the Raton coal varies from 35.7 to 38.4 percent and the fixed

carbon ranges from 46.5 to 58.7 percent (moisture free). The Btu/lb of the Raton

coal ranges from 12,470 to 14,340 (moisture free).

In several localities (fig. SR-7), the Raton Formation coal beds in the Raton Basin

have been transformed to natural coke by Tertiary igneous intrusions. Heat from

regional igneous intrusions in the form of stocks (for example, Spanish Peaks) and

laccoliths (for example, Vermejo Park and Morley domes) affected the rank of the

Raton Formation coal on a large scale. In addition, the Raton Formation coal beds

were locally transformed into bituminous rank by heat from igneous sills. These

igneous intrusions (see fig. SR-1) upgraded the quality of Raton Formation coal,
SR-11

which averages about 13,000 Btu/lb (on a dry basis). For example, the coal north of

a line just south of Spanish Peaks is of steam quality; the coal south of this line is

high-quality metallurgical-grade coke. A comparison of the coal quality and

geochemistry of the Paleocene Raton Formation coal (for example, York Canyon,

Potato Canyon, and Left Fork coal beds) and the Cretaceous Vermejo Formation

coal (for example, Raton coal bed found immediately above the Trinidad Sandstone)

by Pillmore and Hatch (1976) indicates that the Vermejo Formation coal is higher in

Btu, ash, and sulfur contents (on a whole-coal basis). The U and Th content of the

Vermejo Formation coal is two to five times higher than in the Raton coal. The Cu

content is one-half to one-fourth that of the Raton Formation coal, and the average

value for P is about one-fourth to one-third that of the Raton Formation coal.

Numerous ruins of beehive coke ovens, (for example, Cokedale, Dawson, and

Gardner; Pillmore, 1980) in the Raton Basin reflect the importance of coking coal in

the region’s smelting and locomotive industries. Beehive coking ovens operated in

the basin nearly until the mid-20th century (Jones and Murray, 1978; Goolsby and

others, 1980). Coke was used in smelting, and to fuel blast furnaces that

manufactured steel. Environmental concerns and greater efficiency of by-product

coke ovens forced closure of the beehive ovens in the Raton Basin. However, byproduct coke ovens owned by Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) Steel Corporation at

Pueblo, Colorado, which were active for 30 years, replaced these beehive coke

ovens. Coking coal produced in the Raton Basin was utilized for steel

manufacturing at steel plants of CF&I at Pueblo, Kaiser Steel Corporation at

Fontana, California, and U.S. Steel Corporation at Provo, Utah. With the advent of

electric furnaces, coal produced from the Raton Basin in recent years is used mainly

for generating electricity.
SR-12

ORIGINAL RESOURCES

The total coal resources of the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene Raton and Cretaceous

Vermejo Formations in the Raton Basin were estimated by Read and others (1950)

and Wanek (1963) to be from 1.5 billion to 4.8 billion short tons. A later estimate

of original coal resources of the Vermejo and Raton coal in the basin, based on beds

at least 14-inches thick with less than 3,000 ft overburden, is more than 17 billion

short tons (Johnson, 1958, 1961; Pillmore, 1969). Amuedo and Bryson (1977)

estimated the coal resources of the Raton Formation based on 4-ft thick beds in the

Colorado part of the basin, to be about 5 billion short tons. Pillmore (1969; 1991)

identified eleven Raton Formation coal beds or zones (for example, Tin Pan, Potato,

Rombo Canyon, Savage Canyon, Green, Brown, Left Fork, Cottonwood Canyon,

Ancho Canyon, York Canyon, and Chimney Divide coal beds; see figs. SR-4, SR5, and SR-6) found in eight coal districts in the New Mexico part (Raton coalfield)

of the basin that contain substantial coal resources still remaining in the ground.

Demonstrated resources of these coal beds or zones, based on aggregate coal

thickness in excess of 15 ft, in beds 14-inches thick or greater, were estimated to be

513 million short tons (Pillmore, 1991). Of this resource estimate, the York

Canyon coal bed contained measured underground resources of about 30 million

short tons in beds 4 ft thick or greater (Pillmore, 1976). Strippable resources of the

York Canyon remaining after mining are about 1- to 2 million short tons (Pillmore,

1991). Mining was terminated in York Canyon in 1994 when activities were

moved east to Ancho Canyon.

Utilizing a coking-coal classification system, Goolsby and others (1980) estimated

that the Raton Basin contains a reserve of more than 1.8 billion short tons of

marginal grade (1.1-1.8 percent sulfur, 8.1-12 percent ash) high-volatile A
SR-13

bituminous coking coal and more than 216 million short tons of marginal grade

high-volatile B bituminous coking coal. These workers further indicated that the

total estimated original in-place coking coal reserve base for the Raton Basin is more

than 2 billion short tons.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

Mining of coal from the Raton Formation coal zones began in 1873 and reached a

peak production of 71 million short tons from 1911 to 1920 (Amuedo and Bryson,

1977). During this period, 5.6 million short tons was produced in the Colorado part

of the Raton Basin and 1.5 million short tons was produced in the New Mexico part

of the basin. Cumulative production through 1975 for the Raton Basin was

estimated by Amuedo and Bryson (1977) to be about 325.5 million short tons; the

Colorado part of the basin produced 247.5 million short tons and the New Mexico

part of the basin produced 78 million short tons. In 1975, total production was 1.5

million short tons with approximately 600,000 short tons produced from Colorado

mines and 1 million short tons produced from New Mexico mines.

Jones and Murray (1976) and Kelso and others (1981) identified 56 underground

mines in Las Animas County in the Colorado part of the Raton Basin. These mines

developed coal beds in the Vermejo and Raton Formation; the beds vary in

thickness from 3.3 to 14 ft. The Allen, Bear Canyon No. 6, Delagua, Primero, and

Primrose mines, which produced from Raton Formation coal, yielded a cumulative

production of 40,383,282 short tons from 1900 to 1975 (Jones and Murray, 1976).

Three of these mines produced coking-quality coal. Fifty-one mines that produced

from the Vermejo Formation coal yielded a cumulative production of 158,741,161

short tons from 1884 to 1971 (Jones and Murray, 1976). Eight of these mines
SR-14

produced coking-quality coal. In the New Mexico part of the Raton Basin, Pillmore

(1969) reported seven abandoned coal camps (several mines were in each camp) in

the Vermejo and Raton Formation coal deposits. No production is included here

from these mines, which opened as early as 1870.

Amuedo and Bryson (1977) identified 15 mining districts in the Raton Basin (fig.

SR-7). In 1999, only one mine is active in the basin, the P&M York strip mine in

New Mexico (see fig. SR-1). The York Canyon mines produced from the York

Canyon coal bed (upper Raton coal zone) and yielded about 1 million short tons in

1975. The abandoned Allen underground mine produced from the Allen coal bed

(lower Raton coal zone) and yielded about 632,000 short tons during the same year.

Production from the York Canyon mines was divided between the underground

mine opened in 1966 and the strip mine, which opened in 1972 (Kaiser Steel

Corporation, 1980). Total production from the York Canyon mines to January

1969 was about 2.5 million short tons. The underground workings utilized

continuous mining and long-wall mining equipment to increase production. In

addition, strip mines were opened, which utilized draglines, bulldozers, and frontend loaders to remove loose overburden varying from 30 to 340 ft thick. Both

underground and strip mines annually produced as much as 1,500,000 short tons

(Kaiser Steel Corporation, 1980). Production from the York Canyon mines during

the 1989-1997 period was more than 8.4 million short tons (Resource Data

International, Inc., 1997). However, Pillmore (1991) reported that production as of

1991 was about 20 million short tons.

Production from large mines such as the abandoned Allen mine (Raton Formation

coal), small underground mines such as the abandoned Morley mine (Vermejo
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Formation coal), and other abandoned mines (Vermejo and Raton Formation coal)

along the Purgatoire River valley (see fig. SR-1) was mainly shipped to the steel

mills at Pueblo, Colorado. The Morley mine was started in 1906 and reached peak

production of 500,000 short tons in the 1920’s. Cutbacks in steel production at

Pueblo halted coal production of these mines except at the Allen mine in the early

1950’s. The Morley mine produced more than 11 million short tons by the time it

was closed in 1956.

COAL-BED METHANE

During development of the Morley mine, Colorado Fuel and Iron Company drilled

two wells to reduce gas in the coal mines. Additional indication of coal-bed

methane emission was found in three coal mines in the basin, which was monitored

by the U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, venting

more than 2 million cubic ft/day (Jurich and Adams, 1984). Gas shows are

commonly encountered during drilling in sandstone of the Vermejo and Raton

Formations (Dolly and Meissner, 1977). Since the drilling of the coal-gas relief

wells at the Morley mine, coal-bed methane has been explored and developed from

the Vermejo and Raton Formations. The Raton Formation coal contains as much as

193 cubic ft/short ton of methane gas (Tyler, 1955). In contrast, the Vermejo

Formation coal contains as much as 492 cubic ft/short ton of methane gas (Tyler,

1995). Dolly and Meissner (1977) and Jurich and Adams (1984) estimated that

total methane occuring in coal beds of both formations in the Raton Basin is as

much as 38.7 trillion cubic ft (tcf). About half (18.4 tcf) of the original coal-bed

methane is probably still contained in these coal beds (Dolly and Meissner, 1977;

Tyler and others, 1992, 1995).
SR-16

Tyler (1992) suggested that the coal-bed methane from these coal beds is mainly

thermogenic. The origin of the methane was probably controlled by elevated coal

rank caused by igneous intrusions (Carter, 1956; Steven, 1975; Dolly and Meissner,

1977; Amuedo and Bryson, 1977). The vitrinite reflectance values of the Vermejo

Formation coal vary from 0.57 to 1.57 percent Ro with maximum values in the

central part of the basin along the Purgatoire River valley (fig. SR-8). The basin is

an area of anomalously high terrestrial heat flow related to the Spanish Peaks and

associated underlying magmatic intrusions (Edwards and others, 1978). The

presence of high heat flow and low-volatile coal in the Raton Basin indicates the

potential generation of substantial amounts of dry methane.

Presently, 85 wells in the central part of the Raton Basin (see fig. SR-9) produce

about 17.5 million cubic ft/day. Amoco accounts for about 3.5 million cubic ft/day

from 27 wells, Evergreen Resources accounts for 10 million cubic ft/day from 33

wells, and Stroud Oil accounts for 4 million cubic ft/day from 25 wells (Johnson

and Flores, 1998). Methane gas is mainly produced from the Vermejo Formation

coal beds. Danilchik and others (1979) estimated about 84 billion cubic ft (bcf) of

methane gas in a 25-square-mile area in the central part of the basin along the

Purgatoire River where gas is currently being produced. This estimate assumed the

presence of 7-ft-thick coal beds at depths ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 ft containing

416 cubic ft of gas per ton of coal. Tremain (1980) generated a larger estimate (311

bcf) of coal-bed methane resource for 54 square miles in the same area assuming

the presence of 10-ft-thick coal beds. Desorption of coal in this area indicates

methane contents ranging from 75 to 510 cubic ft/ton and averaging about 250 cubic

ft/ton. Jurich and Adams (1984) defined the west-central part of the basin (310

square miles) as having the greatest potential for coal-bed methane plays in the

Raton Basin, with the rest of the basin having a lower potential.
SR-17

The Oil and Gas Journal (Anonymous, 1999) reported a resumption of coal-bed

methane development in the Raton Basin particularly in the Vermejo Park Ranch

area or in the Raton coalfield in northeast New Mexico. A joint venture by

PennzEnergy Co. and Sonat Exploration Co. targeted a 700,000-acre area in Colfax

County, New Mexico. Pillmore (1991; 1999, pers. commun.) indicated that the

rank of the Vermejo Formation coal in the western part of the Raton coalfield ranges

from medium– to high–volatile bituminous and the Raton Formation coal is mainly

high–volatile bituminous, which are different from that reported by Tyler (1995; see

fig. SR-8). The new venture according to the Oil and Gas Journal is expected to

“drill a minimum of 35 wells in 1999, followed by 80 wells in 2000, and 150

wells/year until reaching a maximum of about 600 wells.”

CONCLUSIONS

Many mines closed in the mid 1950’s with the advent of diesel engines. High

mining costs and reduced coal utilization in steel making have contributed to

decreased and limited development of coal in the Raton Basin. In order to encourage

coal exploration and development in the basin, Amuedo and Bryson (1977)

suggested potential utilization of the coal by (1) mine-mouth electric generating

power plants, (2) creating degasification plants, (3) building a coal-slurry pipeline to

transport coal to the Gulf coast, and (4) transporting Raton coal by rail to New

Orleans where metallurgical coal is shipped to South America. Fuel for electric

power plants and coal degasification probably remains the best potential use for coal

in the basin. The low–sulfur content of this coal deposit of increases its potential use

as clean and compliant coal for the next 20 to 30 years. In addition, the substantial

remaining resource of coking coal in the ground increases the potential for futures of
SR-18

Raton Basin coal in domestic and/or international steel plants. Methane has been

proven by operators to be a potential source of clean energy for the next few

decades. However, the slurry pipeline and marketing of metallurgical coal to foreign

markets may not be economically feasible in the immediate future.
SR-19

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SR-20

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paleoarchitecture of the Cretaceous and Tertiary Raton Basin, Colorado and

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SR-21

Recent developments in Fluvial Sedimentology: Society of Economic

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Flores, R.M., Pillmore, C.L., and Merewether, E.A., 1985, Overview of

depositional systems and energy potential of Raton basin, Colorado and New

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Flores, R.M., and Tur, S.M., 1982, Characteristics of deltaic deposits in the

Cretaceous Pierre Shale, Trinidad Sandstone, and Vermejo Formation, Raton

basin, Colorado: Mountain Geologist, v. 19, p. 25-40.

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Goolsby, S.M., Reade, N.S., and Murray, D.K., 1979, Evaluation of coking coals in

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Hasbrouck, W.P., Danilchik, W., and Roehler, H.W., 1980, Magnetic location of

concealed igneous dikes cutting coal measures near Walsenburg, Colorado, in

Carter, L.M., ed., Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on the Geology of

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Hemborg, H.T., 1996, Raton basin coal-bed methane production picking up in

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Hills, R.C., 1888, The recently discovered Tertiary beds of the Huerfano River

basin, Colorado: Colorado Scientific Society, Proceedings, v. 3, p. 148-164.

Johnson, R.B., 1958, Geology and coal resources of the Walsenburg area, Huerfano

County, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1042-0, p. 557-592.
SR-22

_____1961, Geology and coal resources of the Trinidad coal field in Huerfano and

Las Animas counties, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1112-E, p.

129-180.

_____1969, Geologic map of the Trinidad quadrangle, south-central Colorado: U.S.

Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geological Investigation Map I-558.

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stratigraphy of the Raton Basin in New Mexico and Colorado: New Mexico

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methane from shallow to deep in Rocky Mountain basins and in Cook InletMatanuska basin, Alaska, U.S.A. and Canada, in Flores, R.M., ed., Coal-bed

Methane: From Coal-Mine Outbursts to a Gas Resource: International

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Johnson, R.G., and Wood, H.H., Jr., 1956, Stratigraphy of upper Cretaceous and

Tertiary rocks of Raton Basin, Colorado and New Mexico: American

Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 40, p. 707-721.

Jones, D.C., and Murray, D.K., 1976, Coal mines of Colorado—Statistical Data:

Colorado Geological Survey, Information Series 2, 26 p.

_____1978, First annual report–Evaluation of coking-coal deposits in Colorado:

Colorado Geological Survey Open-File Report 78-1, 18 p.

Jurich, D., and Adams, M.A., 1984, Geologic overview, coal, and coal-bed methane

resources of Raton Mesa region, Colorado and New Mexico, in Rightmire,

C.T., Eddy, G.E., and Kirr, J.N., eds., Coal-bed Methane Resources of the

United States: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Studies in

Geology Series 17, p. 163-184.

Kaiser Steel Corporation, 1980, Underground and surface operations at the York

Canyon mine, in Carter, L.M., ed., Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium on
SR-23

the Geology of Rocky Mountain Coal-1980: Colorado Geological Survey,

Resource Series 10, p. 129-131.

Kelso, B.S., Ladwig, L.R., and Sitowitz, L., 1981, Map and directory of permitted

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130 p.

Lee, W.T., 1917, Geology of the Raton Mesa and other regions in Colorado and

New Mexico, in Lee, W.T., and Knowlton, F.H., eds., Geology and

Paleontology of Raton Mesa and other regions in Colorado and New Mexico:

U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 101, 450 p.

_____1924, Coal resources of the Raton coal field, Colfax County, New Mexico:

U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 752, 254 p.

Orth, C.L., Gilmore, J.S., Knight, J.D., Pillmore, C.L., Tschudy, R.H., and Fassett,

J.E., 1981, An iridium abundance anomaly at the palynological CretaceousTertiary boundary in northern New Mexico: Science, v. 214, p. 1341-1343.

Pillmore, C.L., 1969, Geology and coal deposits of the Raton coal field, Colfax

County, New Mexico: Mountain Geologist, v. 6. p. 125-142.

_____1976, Commercial coal beds of the Raton coal field, Colfax County, New

Mexico, in Ewing, R.C., and Kues, B.S., eds., Guidebook of Vermejo Park,

northeastern New Mexico: New Mexico Geological Society, 27th Field

Conference, 1976, p. 227-247.

_____1980, Road log for Rocky Mountain coal symposium field trip to the Raton

Basin, Colorado and New Mexico, in Carter, L.M., ed., Proceedings of the

Fourth Symposium on the Geology of Rocky Mountain Coal-1980:

Colorado Geological Survey, Resource Series 10, p. 110-122.
SR-24

_____1991, Geology and coal resources of the Raton coalfield, in Molnia, C.L.,

Jobin, D.A., O’Connor, J.T., and Kottlowski, F.E., eds., Coalfields of New

Mexico: Geology and Resources: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1972,

Chapter D, p. 49-68.

Pillmore, C.L., and Flores, R.M., 1984, Field guide and discussions of coal

deposits, depositional environments, and the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary,

southern Raton Basin, in Lintz, J., Jr., ed., Western Geological Excursions:

Geological Society of America, Annual Meeting Guidebook, v. 3, p. 1-51.

Pillmore, C.L., and Flores, R.M., 1987, Stratigraphy and depositional environments

of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary clay and associated rocks, Raton Basin,

New Mexico and Colorado, in Fassett, J.E., and Rigby, J.K., Jr., eds., The

Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary in the San Juan and Raton Basins: New

Mexico and Colorado: Geological Society of America, Special Paper 209, p.

111-130.

Pillmore, C.L., and Hatch, J.R., 1976, Geochemical data on selected coal beds,

Raton coal field, Colfax County, New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey

Open-File Report 76-542, 26 p.

Pillmore, C.L., Tschudy, R.H., Orth, C.L., Gilmore, J.S., and Knight, J.D., 1984,

Geologic framework of non-marine Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary sites,

Raton Basin, New Mexico and Colorado: Science, v. 223, p. 1180-1182.

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Suite 300, Boulder, Colorado 80302.

Roehler, H.W., and Danilchik, W., 1980, Relation of intraformational faults to

fluvial sedimentation and coal-bed discontinuity, Raton Formation, Colorado

and New Mexico, in Carter, L.M., ed., Proceedings of the Fourth
SR-25

Symposium on the Geology of Rocky Mountain Coal–1980: Colorado

Geological Survey, Resource Series 10, p. 13,

Smith, D. G., 1983, Anastomosed fluvial deposits: modern examples from western

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6, p. 169-180.

Smith, D.G., and Smith, N.D., 1980, Sedimentation in anastomosed river systems:

examples from alluvial valleys near Banff, Alberta: Journal of Sedimentary

Petrology, v. 50, p. 157-164.

Smith, N.D., and Cross, T.A., 1985, Avulsion-controlled fluvial evolution–The

Cumberland marshes, east-central Saskatchewan: International Fluvial

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in Curtis, B.F., ed., Cenozoic History of the Southern Rocky Mountains:

Geological Society of America, Memoir 144, p. 75-94.

Strum, S., 1985, Lithofacies and depositional environments of the Raton Formation

(Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene) of northeastern New Mexico: North Carolina

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Disruptions of the terrestrial plant ecosystem at the Cretaceous-Tertiary

boundary, Western Interior: Science, v. 225, no. 4666, p. 1030-1034.

Tyler, R., Kaiser, W.R., Ambrose, W.A., Scott, A.R., Laubach, S.E., and Ayers,

W.W., Jr., 1992, Coal-bed methane characteristics in the foreland of

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Gamson, P.D., eds., Symposium on Coal-bed Methane Research and

Development in Australia: James Cook University of Queensland, v. 2, p.

11-32.
SR-26

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Investigations Map C-45.
37

°

Cuchara Formation

Huerfano Formation

Middle Tertiary intrusives

Trinidad Sandstone and

Pierre Shale undivided

Pierre Shale/Niobrara undivided Poison Canyon Formation

Precambrian rock undivided

Raton Formation Vermejo Formation

Colorado

New Mexico

Colorado

New

Mexico

Raton Basin

Raton Basin boundary

pa Arch Sierra Grande Arch

Las Animas

Sangre De Cristo Mountains

in Axis

Tertiary

Cretaceous

}}

Figure SR-1. Map showing the geology and structural

geology of the Raton Basin in Colorado and New Mexico. Arch N

15 Miles 

20 Kilometers

Raton

Stonewall
TERTIARY

PALEOCENE

MESOZOIC

UPPER CRETACEOUS

AGE LITHOLOGY FORMATION NAME

POISON CANYON

FORMATION 

VERMEJO

FORMATION 

RATON

FORMATION 

TRINIDAD SANDSTONE

PIERRE SHALE

APPROX.

THICKNESS

IN FEET

500+

1800-1900

0?–2,100

0–380

0–300

K/T Boundary

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

SANDSTONE–Coarse to conglomeratic beds 13–50 feet 

thick. Interbeds of soft, yellow-weathering clayey 

sandstone. Thickens to the west at expense of 

underlying Raton Formation

SANDSTONE--Fine to medium grained; contains casts of 

Ophiomorpha

SHALE--Silty in upper 300 ft. Grades up to fine grained 

sandstone. Contains limestone concretions

SANDSTONE–Fine to medium grained with mudstone, 

carbonaceous shale, and extensive, thick coal beds. 

Local sills

Formation intertongues with Poison Canyon Formation 

to the west

UPPER COAL ZONE–Very fine grained sandstone, 

siltstone, and mudstone with carbonaceous shale 

and thick coal beds

BARREN SERIES–Mostly very fine to fine grained 

sandstone with minor mudstone, siltstone, with 

carbonaceous shale and thin coal beds

LOWER COAL ZONE–Same as upper coal zone; coal 

beds mostly thin and discontinuous. Conglomeratic 

sandstone at base; locally absent

{

{

{

Figure SR-2. A generalized stratigraphic column of the Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks in the Raton Basin.

Adapted from Pillmore (1969), Pillmore and Flores (1987), and Flores (1987).
INDEX MAP

COLORADO

NEW

MEXICO

0

0 50 Kilometers

50 Miles

COLO.

N.MEX.

SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTA NI S

Poison

Canyon

Formation

Coal

Sandstone

Measured section 

Cross section 

Siltstone and mudstone

st East

VERMEJO FORMATION

PIERRE SHALE

See Figure SR-4

Coarsening-upward

megacycle

Coarsening-upward Basal Raton megacycle conglomerate

TRINIDAD SANDSTONE

See

Figure SR-5 Sandstone-dominated

interval

Lower Coal Zone

RATON

FORMATION

Upper Coal Zone

Coarsening-upward

megacycle

0

300

Feet

Figure SR-3. Stratigraphic cross section (west to east) across the southern part of the

Raton Basin showing vertical and lateral variations of the Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks.

The vertical variation is demonstrated by the succession of coarsening-upward megacycles

that divide the Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks. Modified from Flores (1987).

N

w

E
40 Feet

1,000 Feet

Coal

Sandstone

Measured section 

Siltstone and mudstone

West East

EROSIONAL

SURFACE

SUBSURFACE

SUBSURFACE

Tin Pan

Canyon coal

Potato

Canyon coal

Figure SR-4. Lateral and vertical variations of coal-bearing rocks in the

lower part of the upper coal zone of the Raton Formation in the southern

part of the basin. Modified from Strum (1984).
EROSIONAL

SURFACE

SUBSURFACE

York Canyon coal

Chimney Divide coal 

Coal

Sandstone

Measured section 

Siltstone and mudstone

40 Feet

1,000 Feet

South North

Figure SR-5. Lateral and vertical variations of coal bearing rocks in the upper part of the upper

coal zone of the Raton Formation in the southern part of the basin. Modified from Strum (1984). 
29.5 Feet

36 Feet

Channel sandstone

Crevasse splay

sandstone

York Canyon Coal

Undifferentiated overbank

and crevasse splay sediments

1 Kilometer

1 Mile

0

2 Meters 30 Feet

Figure SR-6. Lateral and vertical variations of the York Canyon

coal and associated fluvial deposits in the southern part of the basin.

Modified from Flores (1993).
0

0

10 Miles

10 Kilometers

LOCATION

DIAGRAM

COLORADO

NEW

MEXICO STEAM COAL

COKING COAL

?

?

?

Cut-out by unconformity

? ? ? ?

Cut-out by unconformity

?

KOEHLERVAN HOUTEN

YORK

CANYON

DAWSON

VERMEJO

PARK

GARDNER

ALLEN

LA VETA

TERCIO

CASTLE ROCK

YANKEE

MORLEY

PURGATOIRE

TRINIDAD

AGUILAR

WALSENBURG

Walsenburg

Trinidad

EAST SPANISH

 PEAK

WALSENBURG

COAL FIELD

TRINIDAD

COAL FIELD

RATON

COAL FIELD

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

WEST SPANISH

 PEAK

Stonewall

Cimarron

Raton

Areas where coal was

destroyed or altered by

igneous intrusions

Mining districts

Dikes

Coal Mining Districts

of Raton Basin

Figure SR-7. Map showing the coal mining districts in the Raton Basin in Colorado and New

Mexico. Modified from Pillmore (1969), Amuedo and Bryson (1977), Jurich and Adams (1984),

and Pillmore (1991).
COLO.

N.MEX.

R72W R70W R68W R66W R64W R62W R60W

T

25

S

T

27

S

T

29

S

T

31

S

T

33

S

T

30

N

T

28

N

T26N

R16E R18E R20E R22E R24E R26E

T35S

T32N

N37°

W105°

0 15 Miles

0 20 Kilometers

N

COLORADO

TAOS NEW MEXICO COLFAX

COSTILLA

ALAMOSA

SAGUACHE

PUEBLO

HUERFANO

LAS ANIMAS

Cimarron

Raton

Trinidad

Walsenburg

Stonewall

Trinidad Sandstone -

Pierre Shale contact

EXPLANATION

Low-volatile bituminous

Medium-volatile bituminous

High-volatile A bituminous

High-volatile B bituminous

High-volatile C bituminous

ARI Inc. (1991)

% Ro

Close (1988)

Syncline

Tertiary intrusive rocks

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.2

1.1

1.0

0.9

0.8

0.7

1.3

1.3

1.4

1.5

0.7

1.0

Contour interval 0.1%

Dashed where approximately located

LOCATION

DIAGRAM

COLORADO

NEW

MEXICO

Figure SR-8. Coal rank map of the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Vermejo Formation.

Variations in vitrinite reflectance are also shown. Modifed from Tyler and others (1995).
COLO.

N.MEX.

R72W R70W R68W R66W R64W R62W R60W

T

25

S

T

27

S

T

29

S

T

31

S

T

33

S

T

30

N

T

28

N

T26N

R16E R18E R20E R22E R24E R26E

T35S

T32N

N37°

W105°

0 15 Miles

0 20 Kilometers

N Raton

Basin

sy

nclinal axis

COLORADO

TAOS NEW MEXICO

COSTILLA

ALAMOSA

SAGUACHE

PUEBLO

HUERFANO

LAS ANIMAS

Cimarron

Raton

Trinidad

Walsenburg

Producing areas Potential producing area Syncline

Raton

B

asin synclinal axis

Trinidad SandstonePierre Shale contact

Lorencito

Canyon area

C.I.S. exploration

program

Stonewall

COLFAX

Stroud Apache

Canyon area

Evergreen Spanish

Peak unit

Amoco Cottontail

Pass unit

Figure SR-9. Map showing areas of current and potential coal-bed methane production

in Raton Basin. Adapted from Hemborg (1996).