Chapter GS

FORT UNION COAL IN THE GREATER GREEN RIVER

BASIN, EAST FLANK OF THE ROCK SPRINGS UPLIFT,

WYOMING: A SYNTHESIS

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

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

Contents

Introduction...........................................................................................................................GS-1

History of Coal Mining......................................................................................................GS-3

Geological Setting................................................................................................................GS-6

Depositional Setting............................................................................................................GS-9

Coal Geology.....................................................................................................................GS-12

Coal Resources and Coal Quality..................................................................................GS-14

Conclusions........................................................................................................................GS-16

References..........................................................................................................................GS-18

Figures

GS-1. Generalized map of the Greater Green River Basin in south-central

Wyoming showing associated basins, geologic structures, and surrounding

mountains and uplifts.

GS-2. Generalized geologic map of the Greater Green River Basin showing the

Tertiary rocks and undifferentiated Cretaceous rocks.

GS-3. Geologic map of the Rock Springs uplift showing outcrops of the Fort

Union Formation and Cretaceous rocks.

GS-4. Stratigraphic subdivisions of the Fort Union Formation along the eastern

flank of the Rock Springs uplift south of I-80.
GS-iii

GS-5. Stack of fining-upward, erosional-based sandstone bodies along the mine

highwall of the Jim Bridger coal mine.

GS-6. Thinning margin of fluvial channel sandstone bounded by thin-to thickbedded silty sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone along the mine highwall of

the Jim Bridger coal mine.

GS-7. Tabular-shaped crevasse splay sandstone beds are interbedded with siltstone,

mudstone, coal, and carbonaceous shale. These deposits are exposed along

the mine highwall of the Jim Bridger coal mine.

GS-8. Crevasse-splay sandstone beds are locally incised by a small channel infilled

by sand (upper left of photo). These deposits are exposed along the mine

highwall of the Jim Bridger coal mine.

GS-9. A tree stump (center of photo) preserved during rapid sedimentation in a

crevasse splay. The crevasse-splay deposits are exposed along the mine

highwall of the Jim Bridger coal mine.

GS-10. Highwall in the Black Butte coal mine showing stacked, fining-upward

fluvial channel sandstone and overbank deposits.
GS-1

INTRODUCTION

Subbituminous coal exists in the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene) along the east

flank of the Rock Springs uplift in the Greater Green River Basin in south-central

Wyoming (figs. GS-1 and GS-2). The formation makes up the surface bedrock

over much of the east flank of the uplift (figs. GS-2 and GS-3). The Fort Union

strata (fig. GS-4) are unconformably underlain by the Lance Formation (Upper

Cretaceous) and conformably overlain by the Wasatch Formation (Eocene).

Coal in the Greater Green River Basin was discovered about the same time as the

coal in the Hanna and Carbon Basins in Wyoming. Howard Stansbury conducted a

survey along the Overland Trail in southern Wyoming from 1848 to 1850 for the

Bureau of Topographic Engineers (Gardner and Flores, 1989). He reported the

presence of coal around Evanston and eastward and labeled the area as a coal basin.

More specifically he mentioned outcrops of coal along Bitter Creek and near the

Point of Rocks (fig. GS-3), which include Cretaceous and Tertiary coal deposits.

Coal occurrences elsewhere along the Overland Trail were reported in Fremont’s

accounts of the "Expedition to Oregon and North California in years 1843-1844."

Coal was mined in 1859 along the Overland Trail to provide fuel for Fort Bridger’s

blacksmith shop. In addition, many stage stations along the Overland Trail (name

taken from the Overland Stage Line Company) used locally available coal for

heating and blacksmith shops (Gardner and Flores, 1989). Coal mines found

adjacent to several stage stations were described by Evans (1865). In 1886 Evans

surveyed the proposed Union Pacific rail line along the future route of the

transcontinental railroad to explore for coal deposits to provide fuel for the

locomotives. The Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way was mapped by Lee (1915).
GS-2

The first geological mapping in the region was provided by the Hayden Survey

during 1877 (Hayden, 1879). The region was subdivided into the Green River

(west) and Sweetwater (east) divisions, with the north-south axis of the Rock

Springs uplift serving as a boundary. Early geological investigations in these

divisions placed emphasis on finding vertebrate fossils. Discoveries of mammalian

and fish fossils spurred paleontologists to study the Green River division (currently

known as Green River Basin, fig. GS-1). Schultz (1909; 1910) provided the first

detailed mapping for the purpose of investigating coal deposits. The Fort Union

rocks along the eastern flank of the Rock Springs uplift were first included in the

Eocene Wasatch Formation by Schultz (1909). However, Brown (1949) assigned

these rocks to the Paleocene Fort Union Formation based on the megaflora. The

Fort Union Formation along the eastern flank of the Rock Springs uplift is

unconformably underlain by the uppermost Cretaceous Lance Formation; the

contact is marked by a paleosol (ancestral soil horizon) at the base of the Fort Union

(Ritzma, 1965; Land, 1972; see fig. GS-4). The thickness of the Fort Union

Formation in this area varies from 600 to 1,435 ft (Maywood, 1987).

Our study investigates the Deadman coal zone, which is found in the lower 200 ft of

the Fort Union Formation. As many as five coal beds of this zone are currently

mined and leased within an area of about 25 square miles of the Fort Union that is

north and east of Point of Rocks and east and south of Black Buttes (see fig. GS-3).

These deposits contributed more than 9,245,390 short tons or more than 0.09

percent of the total U.S. coal production in 1998 (Resource Data International, Inc.,

1998). The coal beds are expected to continue to contribute fuel supplies for the Jim

Bridger mine-mouth electric power plant. The intensive exploration and

development of the Deadman coal zones from the 1970's to the present by the Black

Butte Coal Company and NERCO Coal Corporation provided subsurface
GS-3

stratigraphic information for our coal assessment. A total of 1,960 drill holes made

by these coal companies are archived as digital records in the U.S. Bureau of Land

Management in Rock Springs, Wyoming. These data are proprietary. Significant

previous contributions to the Tertiary geology of the Rock Springs uplift were

provided by Bradley (1961), Brown (1962), Carey (1955), Fidlar (1950), Hettinger

and Kirschbaum (1991), Hettinger and others (1991), Johnston (1959), Morgensen

(1959), Nace (1936; 1939), Pipiringos (1955), Ritzma (1965), Roehler (1961;

1979a; 1979b; 1979c; 1983), Severn (1959), and Smithson (1959).

HISTORY OF COAL MINING

Coal mining along the Overland Trail in the Rock Springs uplift began before 1865

(Evans, 1865). Mining occurred mainly adjacent to stage stations, which were built

from seven to seventeen miles apart (Jackson, 1982; Gardner and Flores, 1989).

Evans (1865) described several coal beds, which ranged from 0.5 to 5 ft thick, that

were mined at the Black Butte stage station south of Point of Rocks. The coal

provided fuel for heating the stage station and blacksmith shop. The mining

activities of the stage operators played a significant role in the decision to use

southern Wyoming as the route for the Union Pacific Railroad. The main purpose of

this route was to connect major settlements in California and the mining towns in

Nevada with the midwestern and eastern cities. The railroad (Union Pacific Coal

Company, 1940) operated coal mines and created the market for Wyoming coal for

its steam locomotives; the railroad provided a means of transport of fuel to western

and midwestern cities (Gardner and Flores, 1989). The large coal deposits in

southern Wyoming offered an inducement for development by railroad companies

because during the late 1860’s American railroads were switching from wood to

coal for fuel for steam locomotives. This led to government aid to the railroads
GS-4

through the Railroad Act of 1862, which granted 10 alternating sections of land in a

checkerboard pattern along the right-of-way for every mile of track laid; the Railroad

Act was modified in 1864 to grant 20 alternating sections for every mile of track

laid. This gave the Union Pacific major control of vast amounts of coal in southern

Wyoming and the monopoly for transport of coal from its mines.

From 1868 to 1870, underground coal mines were opened on land granted to the

railroad in the Greater Green River Basin at Rock Springs, Black Butte, and Point of

Rocks. By early 1869, Rock Springs became the most important mining town on

the Union Pacific Railroad main line; coal production was mainly from Cretaceous

deposits. By 1870 there were six coal mines operating in the Bitter Creek valley,

which included the Rock Springs, Black Butte, Van Dyk, Blair, Point of Rocks, and

Hall mines. At Hallville, located 30 miles east of Rock Springs, the mines were

reported by the Wyoming Tribune to have contributed one hundred car loads per

week bound for Omaha and the east (Gardner and Flores, 1989). However, by 1889

the Hallville mines were not even mentioned in the state coal inspector’s report, and

the mines subsequently were abandoned. The Black Butte, Point of Rocks, Blair,

and Van Dyk mines were operated from 1869 to the early Twentieth Century;

however, none of these mines had the same production successes as the Hallville

and Rock Springs mines. For example, the Rock Springs mines produced a total of

59,417 tons from 1868 to 1870 (Gardner and Flores, 1989); the Union Pacific

Railroad consumed 35,359 tons and shipped 2,949 tons, and remaining tonnages

were used for heating homes. Production from the Rock Springs mines along the

Union Pacific Railroad increased to 208,222 tons by 1875 and to 527,811 tons by

1880. This coal production was from underground mines using pick, shovel, and

blasting as well as room-and-pillar mining methods.
GS-5

From 1875 to 1895, the tonnage produced from Union Pacific mines nearly tripled,

spurred on by mechanization. Installation of mining machines in the Rock Springs

No. 4 mine increased coal production from 306,150 to 943,943 tons from 1884 to

1892 (Gardner and Flores, 1989). The first electric motor appeared in the Rock

Springs mines in 1892. During the early 1900’s, increased mechanization (for

example, electric cutting machines, electric drills, and electric loading machines)

further increased the efficiency and productivity of the Union Pacific mines. Also,

installation of underground electric locomotives increased the speed at which coal

could be transported out of the mines. Electric generating plants were constructed at

the mining camps to power this equipment. Coal was used to fire boilers which

supplied steam to run electric generators that provided power for the mines. Electric

generating plants became a part of coal mining in the early Twentieth Century. With

mechanization more mines were opened in the Rock Springs uplift area; these

included the Stansbury, Reliance, and Superior mines (see fig. GS-3).

The 1940’s through 1950’s constituted a critical period for the Union Pacific mines

in the Rock Springs area because of the introduction of diesel locomotives on

railroads (Gardner and Flores, 1989). All but three Union Pacific coal mines were

closed by the end of 1954. The last Union Pacific mine near Rock Springs closed in

1962 with the termination of the more than 100-year-long dependency on coal by

the railroad. In the 1970’s energy suppliers built coal-fired power plants as a

response to clean-air regulations, the need for cheaper energy, and the oil embargo.

Coal in the Rock Springs area once again was in the upswing as strip mining was

introduced, particularly in the Jim Bridger and Black Butte mines in the 1970’s. The

Jim Bridger mine produced from the Fort Union coal beds and the Black Butte mine

produced from the Fort Union and Lance coal beds. Since 1974, coal mined at the

Jim Bridger mine has almost exclusively supplied the fuel for the nearby 2,000
GS-6

megawatt Jim Bridger power plant. Some of the coal produced from the Black Butte

mine is also consumed by the power plant. At present these mines produce from the

Deadman coal zone and equivalent coal beds, which are the target of this coal

assessment. The Deadman coal zone in the Bridger mine includes the D1 to D5 coal

beds. The Deadman coal zone is laterally equivalent to the A, B, and C coal beds or

the A-C coal zone in the Black Butte mine (Maywood, 1987). The Black Butte mine

still produces from Lance coal.

GEOLOGICAL SETTING

The Rock Springs uplift is a north-south-trending, doubly plunging, asymmetrical

anticline of Laramide age (Eardley, 1951; Ritzma; 1955; see fig. GS-1). The Rock

Springs uplift divides the Greater Green River Basin into the Green River, Great

Divide, and Washakie Basins, which are structural and sedimentary basins (see fig.

GS-1). The Wamsutter arch is aligned with the eastward bulging of the Rock

Springs uplift and was postulated by Blackstone (1955) to be an extension of the

uplift. The Greater Green River Basin is bounded by the Uinta Mountains on the

south, the Wyoming Overthrust Belt on the west, the Gros Ventre Range-Wind

River Mountains on the north, and the Granite Mountains-Rawlins uplift-Sierra

Madre Mountains on the east (Fidlar, 1950; Hunt, 1967).

The Rock Springs uplift is about 60 mi long and 40 mi wide. The core of the uplift

is composed of Upper Cretaceous rocks flanked by the Paleocene Fort Union

Formation and Eocene Wasatch Formation. Uplift of the rocks resulted in

development of resistant sandstone hogbacks on the west flank and cuestas on the

east flank. The rocks on the west flank dip 10-15 degrees and on the east flank they
GS-7

dip 5-8 degrees. Many northeast-trending normal and strike-slip faults break up the

continuity of the outcrops.

From Cretaceous to early Tertiary time, prior to uplift, the Rock Springs area served

as a depocenter (Keith, 1965; Roehler, 1965; Weimer, 1970; Land, 1972; Levey,

1985). The area was established as a foreland basin bounded to the west by the

Cordilleran belt and to the east by the Cretaceous epeiric seaway (Weimer, 1970).

Sedimentary infilling of this basin by fluvial, deltaic, and marine deposits during

Cretaceous time was controlled by tectonic movement of the Cordilleran belt and the

rise and fall (transgression and regression) of the epeiric sea. The onset of the

Laramide tectonism during early Tertiary time influenced the sedimentary infilling

by fluvial environments of this foreland basin. Early Tertiary Laramide tectonism

was characterized by structural partitioning of the Cretaceous foreland basin (Perry

and Flores, 1994). Uplifts divided the foreland basin into intermontane basins where

sedimentary infilling was controlled by base-level changes affecting fluvial channels.

The Fort Union Formation on the east flank of the Rock Springs uplift ranges from

1,059 to 1,800 ft thick (Roehler, 1979a, 1979b; Winterfeld, 1982; Madden, 1989;

Hettinger and Kirschbaum, 1991). Roehler (1979a; 1979b) divided the Fort Union

Formation on the southeastern flank of the Rock Springs uplift into lower and upper

parts consisting of lithologically similar intervals of sandstone, siltstone, mudstone,

carbonaceous shale, and coal (fig. GS-4). The lower part is 300 ft thick and the

upper part is about 1,000 ft thick, and they are separated by persistent paleosols.

Madden (1989) described paleosol horizons found 200 ft, 360 ft, and 900 ft above

the base of the Fort Union Formation. The contact between the Fort Union

Formation and the underlying Lance Formation is marked by an unconformity

underlain by a thick paleosol (see fig. GS-4). Eastward into the Washakie Basin,
GS-8

this unconformity is marked by a conglomerate at the base of the upper part of an

unnamed Cretaceous and Tertiary sandstone. The contact between the Fort Union

Formation and the overlying Wasatch Formation is poorly defined because of its

gradational characteristics. Hettinger and Kirschbaum (1991) noted a granular

sandstone 700-800 ft above the base, which they interpreted as equivalent to the

unnamed upper Paleocene basal sandstone as defined on the east flank of the

Washakie Basin (see fig. GS-1).

Three coal zones were observed in the Fort Union Formation on the east flank of the

Rock Springs uplift (Madden, 1989; Hettinger and Kirschbaum, 1991). These coal

zones include the Deadman coal zone, which is present in the lower 200 ft of the

formation and which contains coal beds as thick as 32 ft (Maywood, 1987; Madden,

1989). Two unnamed coal zones found above the unnamed upper Paleocene basal

sandstone are as much as 800 ft thick; they are 700-800 ft above the base of the

formation. The unnamed coal zone immediately above the basal sandstone includes

the Nuttal coal bed. The upper unnamed coal zone was first mapped by Schultz

(1909) and was remapped by Love and Christiansen (1985) near the top of the Fort

Union Formation. This unnamed coal zone was correlated to the Cherokee coal in

the subsurface of the Washakie Basin by Hettinger and Kirschbaum (1991).

The lower 300 ft of the Fort Union Formation on the east flank of Rock Springs

uplift was dated by Winterfeld (1982) as Torrejonian based on vertebrate fossils and

using North American mammalian ages. He also dated the interval from 300 to

1,275 ft as Tiffanian and the upper 275 ft as Clarkforkian. Based on palynomorphs,

Nichols (see Chapter GB, this CD-ROM) dated the Deadman coal zone in the lower

200 ft of the Fort Union as palynostratigraphic zone P3; this interval is Torrejonian

according to Winterfeld (1982). The interval above the Deadman coal zone that
GS-9

includes the unnamed upper Paleocene unit was dated as zones P3 or P4 to zone P6

by Nichols (Hettinger and Kirschbaum, 1991); this is the Tiffanian and Clarkforkian

interval according to the age determinations of Winterfeld (1982).

DEPOSITIONAL SETTING

The Fort Union Formation on the east flank of the Rock Springs uplift was

interpreted as fluvial channel, floodplain, lacustrine, and swamp deposits by Roehler

(1979a; 1979b), Maywood (1987), Madden (1989), and Hettinger and Kirschbaum

(1991). The unnamed basal Cretaceous and Tertiary sandstone and the unnamed

upper Paleocene basal sandstone, which comprise stacked bodies (Hettinger and

Kirschbaum, 1991), probably represent braided-river deposits. Erosional bases of

these basal sandstones probably reflect lowering of base level due to uplifts. These

events permitted fluvial channels to downcut and form paleovalleys that were

subsequently infilled during succeeding rises in base level. Major events of

downcutting and subsequent infilling of paleovalleys by streams occurred during

early Paleocene (zone P2) time and middle Paleocene (zone P4) time. The

intervening coal-bearing zones (for example, Deadman and unnamed coal zones),

consisting of sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, and coal, reflect base-level rises during

which alluvial plains were drained mainly by meandering and anastomosed rivers.

Thus, cyclic intervals of deposition of conglomeratic sandstone and coal-bearing

rocks represent base-level rise and fall controlled by subsidence and tectonism.

Study of sediment dispersal of the coal-bearing part of the Fort Union Formation in

the Point of Rocks-Black Butte coalfield by Maywood (1987) suggested a northerly

provenance and source, which was most likely the Wind River Mountains (see fig.

GS-1). This conclusion is based on the presence of about 10% muscovite in the
GS-10

sandstone, which Maywood (1987) interpreted as derived from the plutonic rocks in

the Wind River Mountains. The lower part of the Fort Union in the southern part of

the coalfield contains a high sandstone to mudstone ratio (3.6:1) with the sandstone

displaying a high width to depth ratio (130:1) (Maywood, 1987). These ratios

indicate deposition of the sandstone bodies in braided rivers. However, Maywood

(1987) suggested that the presence of a few lateral accretion surfaces in narrow and

deep channel sandstone beds indicated deposition in anastomosed and meandering

rivers. Maywood (1987) further suggested that these fluvial systems became

stabilized as the increased amounts of clay (as much as 95 percent) inhibited lateral

channel migration.

Fluvial depositional facies in the Deadman coal zone of the Fort Union Formation is

well represented in the mine highwalls of the Jim Bridger coal mine. Vertically

stacked, fining-upward fluvial channel sandstone thins and thickens along the mine

wall indicating lateral offset pattern formed in meandering rivers (fig. GS-5). The

fluvial channel sandstone bodies contain thin “clay drapes” consisting of mudstone

and siltstone, which represent lateral accretion units typically formed in meandering

rivers. The fluvial channel sandstone is bounded by thin to thick, crevasse-splay

sandstone interbedded with floodplain mudstone and siltstone (fig. GS-6). The

crevasse-splay sandstone is tabular shaped and locally incised by a crevasse channel

(figs. GS-7 and GS-8). Preserved tree stumps (fig. GS-9) in the crevasse splay

deposits attest to the rapid sedimentation in this environment. In the Black Butte

coal mine highwalls, similar fluvial channel and crevasse splay sandstone, siltstone,

and mudstone are exposed in the A-C or Deadman coal zone (fig. GS-10).

The paleosols within the Fort Union Formation on the east flank of the Rock

Springs uplift reflect pedogenesis caused by fluctuation of the groundwater table due
GS-11

to changes in paleoclimate (Thorez and others, 1994). Paleoclimatic conditions in the

area are indicated by the presence of megaflora fossils in rocks associated with the

Deadman coal beds (Brown, 1962; Maywood, 1987). The fossil flora includes

Cornus nebrascensis (dogwood), Selaginella sp. (fern), Salvinia (floating fern),

Cercidiphyllum (katsura), and Sabalites sp. (palm). This megaflora indicates

accumulation of the Deadman peat deposits and associated sediments in warmtemperate to subtropical paleoclimate. The megaflora is interpreted to have inhabited

levees (for example, katsura), floodplains (for example, ferns and unidentified

monocots) and swamps (palms). That the paleoclimate varied from warm-temperate

to subtropical is indicated by the cyclical occurrence of Fort Union paleosols. The

thickness (as much as 7.2 ft) and persistent distribution of the paleosols (Ritzma,

1955, 1965; Maywood, 1987; Madden, 1989) suggest more of a regional change

than a local change in the paleoclimate.

Sedimentological and paleobotanical evidence suggests that the Fort Union swamps

were probably low-lying and were prone to floods by braided, meandering, and

anastomosed rivers. This is supported by the moderately high ash yield, varying

from 5 to 39 percent (average 12 percent) of the Deadman coal beds (D1 to D5). In

addition, splitting and merging of the Deadman coal beds over short distances

suggest rapid abandonment and reoccupation of the swamps by these rivers. These

fluvial processes are confirmed by abundant standing tree trunks, as much as 28 ft

in height, in mine highwalls (Maywood, 1987). The presence of floating ferns

suggests vegetation in standing bodies of water, probably in floodplain lakes. The

fluvial depositional settings for the Deadman coal zone may explain the high

variability of the thicknesses of individual coal beds (0.1 to 17.1 ft) being assessed

(coal beds D1-D5 in the Jim Bridger coal mine and coal beds A-C in the Black
GS-12

Butte mine). These coal beds merge to form a single coal bed as much as 32 ft

thick.

COAL GEOLOGY

The Deadman coal zone (coal beds D1-D5) is exceptionally well developed along

the eastern flank of the Rock Springs uplift where the beds have been referred to as

the Jim Bridger deposit (Glass, 1976). Where the coal beds merge, the Deadman

coal zone is as much as 32 ft thick. It is subbituminous in rank. The Deadman coal

zone may be traced southward into the Black Buttes area where only three coal beds

(A-C) are found. These coal beds are probably equivalent to the Little Valley coal

bed of Roehler (1977). Mapping by Roehler in the southeastern part of the Rock

Springs uplift shows three persistent coal beds and several local thick beds

belonging to the Black Rock coal group (Roehler 1976a; 1976b; 1977). This coal

group is composed of, from bottom to top, the Little Valley, Hail, and Big Burn coal

beds, which vary from 6 to 15 ft thick. The Hail and Big Burn coal beds are

probably equivalent to the Nuttal and Cherokee coal zones in the northeastern flank

of the Rock Springs uplift (Madden, 1989; Hettinger and Kirschbaum, 1991).

The coal beds of the Deadman coal zone in the Jim Bridger study area are

interbedded with sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, coal, shale, limestone, and

conglomerate. Sandstone is the most abundant (more than 65 percent by volume)

and shale, limestone, and conglomerate are the least common (less than 1 percent by

volume) (Maywood, 1987). Mudstone, siltstone, and coal amount to more than 16,

11, and 9 percent by volume, respectively. The vertical thickness variation of the

sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, shale, limestone, and conglomerate control the

merging and splitting of the coal beds. The five coal beds of the Deadman coal zone
GS-13

are identified numerically in ascending stratigraphic order as D1, D2, D3, D4, and

D5. Coal beds that merge as a result of thinning and/or pinching out of intervening

rocks, such as beds D1 and D2, or D1, D2, and D3, are identified as beds D1-D2 or

D1-D3, respectively. The merging of five coal beds formed a single 32-ft-thick bed

(D1-D5). Rock intervals between coal beds vary from 25 to 75 ft thick, with

sandstone composing most of the rock intervals.

In the Black Buttes study area the A to C coal beds, which are laterally equivalent to

the Deadman coal beds, are interbedded with sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone.

Sandstone and mudstone are the most abundant (as much as 70 percent by volume)

and siltstone is the least abundant (30 percent by volume). Merging and splitting of

the coal beds are influenced by the vertical thickness variation of these rock types.

The three coal beds are identified alphabetically from A to C in an ascending

stratigraphic order. Coal beds that merge as a result of thinning and/or pinching out

of intervening rocks, such as bed B and C, are identified as bed B-C. The merging

of coal beds formed a single bed as much as a 22 ft thick. Rock intervals between

coal beds vary from 25 to ft thick, with sandstone composing most of the intervals.

Biostratigraphy based on palynology (analysis of fossil spores and pollen) of the

Deadman coal zone utilizes the zonation of Nichols and Ott (1978; see also Nichols,

1994; 1996); additional relevant age determinations of Nichols were published by

Hettinger and Kirschbaum (1991). Paleocene Zones P3 through P6 are present in

the Fort Union Formation along the eastern flank of the Rock Springs uplift (see fig.

GS-4 and Chapter GB). The Deadman coal zone is dated as Zone P3 (early middle

Paleocene).
GS-14

The vertical and lateral variations in coal stratigraphy in the Deadman coal zone and

equivalent coal zones are controlled by the sedimentology and depositional

environments of the rocks interbedded with the coal. The interbedded rocks consist

of sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone, which represent the fluvial channel-overbank

deposits of the fluvial systems (Maywood, 1987). In the Deadman coal zone, coal

beds split and merge within distances of 1.5-6.3 mi. This coal zone is controlled by

the sedimentation of the fluvial depositional systems that formed the deposits. The

sandstone was mainly deposited in fluvial channels incised into old floodplain

deposits; incision was probably caused by base-level fall. The fluvial channels were

successively infilled by stream deposits. Floodplain sedimentation by crevasse splay

depositional systems produced intervals composed mainly of siltstone and

mudstone, and subordinate sandstone. These floodplain deposits formed platforms

on which swamps accumulated peat deposits. Frequent autocyclic (lateral) shifts of

the fluvial channels and crevasse splays influenced the splitting and merging of the

peat deposits, resulting in repeated abandonment and reoccupation of the swamps.

COAL RESOURCES AND COAL QUALITY

The strippable resource base of the Deadman coal zone is approximately 250 million

tons (Smith and others, 1972). No resource calculation is available earlier than this

estimate. The Deadman coal zone, otherwise known as the Jim Bridger deposit, was

not strip-mined until 1974 (Glass, 1976). Production from this coal deposit in the

Jim Bridger mine was 3,567,058 tons in 1976 and 5,448,953 tons in 1977 (Glass,

1976). Total production from the mine during the period 1989-1997 was

62,198,940 tons (Resource Data International, Inc., 1998). No production data are

available for the period 1979-1989. The coal resource of the equivalent units to the

Deadman coal zone in the Black Buttes area is more than 89 million tons (Black
GS-15

Butte Coal Company, 1987). The coal resources of the Deadman coal zone in the

Black Butte and Jim Bridger areas are estimated to be 2.7 billion short tons (see

Chapter GN). The methodology of calculating the resources of these coal beds and

zones is discussed in Chapters DB and GN.

The moisture, volatile matter, and fixed carbon values (arithmetic mean; as-received

basis) for the Deadman coal zone are 20.7, 32.32, and 34.4 percent, respectively

(Smith and others, 1972; Glass, 1976). The sulfur and ash contents of the coal are

1.8 and 12.7 percent, respectively (Glass, 1976). The calorific value of the Deadman 

coal zone ranges from 9,270 to 10,000 Btu/lb (subbituminous in rank). In contrast, 

the moisture, volatile matter, and fixed carbon values (arithmetic mean; as-received

basis) for the Black Rock coal group are 17.69, 30.93, and 43.85 percent,

respectively (VTN Consolidated Incorporated, 1974). The sulfur and ash contents of

the coal are 0.41 and 8.48 percent, respectively. The calorific value of the Black

Rock coal group is 9,728 Btu/lb (subbituminous in rank).

Our coal-quality investigation of the Deadman coal zone indicates the following

arithmetic mean values (on an as-received basis) for the coal not presently being

mined or leased: ash yield—11.18 percent, total sulfur—0.56 percent, and calorific

value—9,000 Btu/lb (see Chapter GQ for more detail). The trace elements of

environmental concern in the Deadman coal zone, which can impact coal utilization

and reclamation, include 0.79 ppm antimony, 21 ppm arsenic, 0.69 ppm beryllium,

0.28 ppm cadmium, 13 ppm chromium, 2.8 ppm cobalt, 5.5 ppm lead, 23 ppm

manganese, 0.20 ppm mercury, 9.7 ppm nickel, 2.8 ppm selenium, and 5.1 ppm

uranium (n=26; Stricker and others, 1998). These workers suggested that the higher

sulfur, ash, and trace-element contents of the Deadman coal zone compared to other

basins in the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains region were controlled by
GS-16

the source rocks in the surrounding uplifts, the intensity of the tectonic activity in

these uplifts, and the low-lying swamps associated with the fluvial depositional

settings.

CONCLUSIONS

The Deadman coal zone and equivalent coal beds along the eastern flank of the Rock

Springs uplift represent a significant energy resource in south-central Wyoming.

Mining in this coal zone has taken place during the past 25 years. The most

important use of this coal resource is fuel for electric power generating plants.

Currently, open-pit mines in the Deadman coal zone and equivalent coal beds supply

fuel for the Jim Bridger electric power plant.

In order to evaluate the subbituminous coal needed for electric power plants during

the next century, assessment of the coal beds in the Fort Union Formation along the

eastern flank of the Rock Springs uplift focused on beds D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5

of the Deadman coal zone (Jim Bridger mine) and the equivalent A, B, and C coal

beds (Black Butte mine). These coal deposits are as much as 32 ft thick and have

low amounts of sulfur, ash, and trace elements. These Fort Union coal beds contain

approximately 250 million tons (Smith and others, 1972) of remaining strippable

coal resources under less than 200 ft of overburden. Our study estimates the coal

resources to be 2.7 billion short tons (see Chapter GN).

The Deadman coal zone and equivalent coal beds were deposited in swamps

associated with fluvial depositional systems. The variable vertical and lateral

distribution of these coal beds and zones reflect accumulation in dynamic fluvial

settings controlled by autocyclic processes. These fluvial environmental conditions
GS-17

also influenced the coal quality (for example, rank, ash, sulfur, and trace elements)

of the coal beds of the Deadman coal zone. These coal beds will serve well as a

clean energy resource during the next few decades.
GS-18

REFERENCES

Black Butte Coal Company, 1987, State program compliance submittal permit

application No. 467-T2, v. 4, p. D506-D516.

Blackstone, D.L., Jr., 1955, Notes on a tectonic map of parts of southwestern

Wyoming and adjoining states: 10th Annual Field Conference Guidebook,

Wyoming Geological Association, p. 122-124.

Bradley, W.H., 1961, Geologic map of a part of southwestern Wyoming and

adjacent states: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geologic

Investigation Series Map I-332.

Brown, R.W., 1949, Paleocene deposits of the Rocky Mountains and Plains: U.S.

Geological Survey Preliminary Map.

_____1962, Paleocene floras of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains: U.S.

Geological Survey Professional Paper 373, 257 p.

Carey, B.D., 1955, A review of the geology of Leucite Hills: Wyoming Geological

Association Guidebook, 10th Annual Field Conference, p. 112-113.

Eardley, A.J., 1951, Structural geology of North America: New York, Harper and

Brothers, 624 p.

Evans, J.A., 1865, Report of Jas. A. Evans of exploration from Camp Walbach to

Green River: Union Pacific Historical Museum, File K-13-1, 11 p.
GS-19

Fidlar, M.M., 1950, Structural features of the Green River Basin in Wyoming:

Wyoming Geological Association Guidebook, 5th Annual Field Conference,

Southwest Wyoming, p. 86-87.

Gardner, A.D., and Flores, V.R., 1989, Forgotten Frontier: A History of Wyoming

Coal Mining: Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado, 243 p.

Glass, G.B., 1976, Review of Wyoming coal fields, 1976: Wyoming Geological

Survey, Public Information Circular 4, 91 p.

Green, G., and Drouillard, P.M., 1994, Wyoming digital geologic map: U.S.

Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-0425, scale 1:250,000.

Hayden, F.V., 1879, Third annual report of the U.S. Geological and Geographical

Survey of the Territories: Washington, 191 p.

Hettinger, R.D., Honey, J.G., and Nichols, D.J., 1991, Chart showing correlations

of upper Cretaceous Fox Hills Sandstone and Lance Formation, and lower

Tertiary Fort Union, Wasatch, and Green River Formations, eastern flank of

the Washakie basin to the southeastern part of the Great Divide basin,

Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map

I-2151.

Hettinger, R.D., and Kirschbaum, M.A., 1991, Chart showing correlations of some

Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary rocks, from the east flank of the

Washakie Basin to the east flank of the Rock Springs uplift, Wyoming: U.S.
GS-20

Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I-2152.

Hunt, C.B., 1967, Physiography of the United States: San Francisco, W.H.

Freeman and Company, 480 p.

Jackson, W.T., 1982, Wells Fargo in Colorado Territory: Historical Society

Monograph Series, 24 p.

Johnston, R.H., 1959, Geology of the northern Leucite Hills, Sweetwater County,

Wyoming: University of Wyoming, M.A. thesis, 83 p.

Keith, R.E., 1965, Rock Springs and Blair Formations on and adjacent to the Rock

Springs uplift: Wyoming Geological Association Guidebook, 19th Annual

Field Conference, p. 43-53.

Land, C.B., Jr., 1972, Stratigraphy of Fox Hills Sandstone and associated

formations, Rock Springs uplift and Wamsutter arch area, Sweetwater

County, Wyoming: A shoreline-estuary sandstone model for the Late

Cretaceous: Colorado School of Mines Quarterly, v. 67, 69 p.

Lee, R.A., 1915, The overland route, with a side trip to Yellowstone Park: Part B of

Guidebook of the Western United States: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin

612, 244 p.

Levey, R.A., 1985, Depositional model for understanding geometry of Cretaceous

coals: Major coal seams, Rock Springs Formation, Green River Basin,

Wyoming: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 69, p.
GS-21

1359-1380.

Love, J.D., and Christiansen, A.C., 1985, Geologic map of Wyoming: U.S.

Geological Survey Map, scale 1:500,000.

Madden, D.H., 1989, Geological map and measured sections of the Bitter Creek

NW Quadrangle, Sweetwater County, Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey

Coal Investigations Map C-121.

Maywood, P.S., 1987, Stratigraphic model of the southern portion of the Jim

Bridger coal field, Sweetwater County, Wyoming: Portland, Oregon,

Portland State University, M.S. thesis, 128 p.

Morgensen, P., 1959, Fort Union Formation, east flank of the Rock Springs uplift,

Sweetwater County, Wyoming: Laramie, Wyoming, University of

Wyoming, M.A. thesis, 86 p.

Nace, R.L., 1936, Summary of the late Cretaceous and early Tertiary stratigraphy of

Wyoming: Wyoming Geological Survey Bulletin 26, 271 p.

_____1939, Geology of the northwest part of the Red Desert, Sweetwater and

Fremont Counties, Wyoming: Wyoming Geological Survey Bulletin 27, 52

p.

Nichols, D.J., 1994, Palynostratigraphic correlation of Paleocene rocks in the Wind

River, Bighorn, and Powder River Basins, Wyoming, in Flores, R.M.,

Mehring, K.T., Jones, R.W., and Beck, T.L., eds., Organics and the Rockies
GS-22

Field Guide: Wyoming State Geological Survey, Public Information Circular

No. 33, p. 17-29.

_____1996, Palynological zonation of the Paleocene of the Rocky Mountain

intermontane basins: Geological Society of America, 1996 Annual Meeting,

Abstracts with Programs, v. 28, no. 7, p. 372.

Nichols, D.J., and Ott, H.L., 1978, Biostratigraphy and evolution of the MomipitesCaryapollenites lineage in the early Tertiary in the Wind River Basin,

Wyoming: Palynology, v. 2, p. 93-112.

Perry, W.J., Jr., and Flores, R.M., 1994, Sequential Laramide deformation and deep

gas-prone basins of the Rocky Mountain region, in Dyman, T.S., Rice, D.D.,

and Wescott, W.A., eds., Geologic Controls of Deep Natural Gas Resources

in the U.S.: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2146-E, p. 49-59.

Pipiringos, G.N., 1955, Tertiary rocks in the central part of the Great Divide Basin,

Sweetwater County, Wyoming: Wyoming Geological Association

Guidebook, 10th Annual Field Conference, p. 100-104.

Resource Data International, Inc., 1998, COALdat: Coal database, 1320 Pearl St.,

Suite 300, Boulder, Colorado 80302.

Ritzma, H.R., 1955, Late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic structural pattern, southern

Rock Springs uplift, Wyoming: Wyoming Geological Association

Guidebook, 19th Annual Field Conference, p. 10-12.
GS-23

_____1965, Fossil soil at base of Paleocene rocks, southern Rock Springs uplift,

Wyoming: Wyoming Geological Association Guidebook, 19th Annual Field

Conference, p. 10-12.

Roehler, H.W., 1961, The Late Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the Rock Springs

uplift: Sweetwater County, Wyoming: Wyoming Geological Association

Guidebook, 16th Annual Field Conference, p. 96-100.

_____1965, Summary of pre-Laramide late Cretaceous sedimentation in the Rock

Springs uplift area: Wyoming Geological Association Guidebook, 19th

Annual Field Conference, p. 11-12.

_____1976a, Geology and mineral resources of the Cooper Ridge NE Quadrangle,

Sweetwater County, Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic

Quadrangle Map GQ-1363.

_____1976b, Geology and mineral resources of the Sand Butte Rim NW

Quadrangle, Sweetwater County, Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey OpenFile Report 76-495, 24 p.

_____1977, Geologic Map of the Rock Springs uplift and adjacent areas,

Sweetwater County, Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report

77-242.

_____1979a, Geology and energy resources of the Sand Butte Rim, NW

Quadrangle, Sweetwater County, Wyoming: U. S. Geological Survey

Professional Paper 1065-A, 54 p.
GS-24

_____1979b, Geology of the Cooper Ridge NE Quadrangle, Sweetwater County,

Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1065-B, 45 p.

_____1979c, Geology and mineral resources of the Mud Springs Ranch

Quadrangle, Sweetwater County, Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey

Professional Paper 1065-C, 35 p.

_____1983, Stratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary outcrops in the

Rock Springs uplift area: 19th Annual Field Conference Guidebook,

Wyoming Geological Association, p. 10-12.

Schultz, A.R., 1909, The northern part of the Rock Springs coal field, Sweetwater

County, Wyoming, in Coal fields of Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey

Bulletin 341-B, pt. 2, p. 256-282.

_____1910, The southern part of the Rock Springs coal field, Sweetwater County,

Wyoming, in Coal fields of Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 381,

pt. 2, p. 214-281.

Severn, W.P., 1959, Stratigraphy of the late Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene, and early

Eocene deposits within the east flank of the Rock Springs uplift, Sweetwater

County, Wyoming: Laramie, Wyoming, University of Wyoming, M.A.

thesis, 90 p.
GS-25

Smith, J.B., Ayler, M.F., Knox, C.C., and Pollard, B.C., 1972, Strippable coal

reserves of Wyoming: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular IC 8538,

51 p.

Smithson, S.B., 1959, The geology of the southeastern Leucite Hills, Sweetwater

County, Wyoming: Laramie, Wyoming, University of Wyoming, M.A.

thesis, 92 p.

Stricker, G.D., Ellis, M.E., Flores, R.M., and Bader, L.R., 1998, Elements of

environmental concern in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments: A

prospective of Fort Union coals in the northern Rocky Mountains and Great

Plains region, in Sakkestad, B.A., ed., The Proceedings of the 23rd

International Technical Conference on Coal Utilization and Fuel Systems,

Coal & Slurry Technology Association, p. 967-976.

Sullivan, R., 1985, Origin of lacustrine rocks of Wilkins Peak Member, Wyoming:

American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 69, p. 913-922.

Thorez, J., Flores, R.M., and Caudron, M., 1994, Clay geology, micromorphology,

and geochemistry of an Eocene paleosol in the Willwood Formation,

southern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming: an overview, in Flores, R.M., Mehring,

K.T., Jones, R.W., and Beck, T.L., eds., Organics and the Rockies Field

Guide: Wyoming State Geological Survey, Public Information Circular No.

33, p. 139-148.

Union Pacific Coal Company, 1940, History of the Union Pacific Coal Mines,

1868-1940: The Colonial Press, Omaha, Nebraska, 265 p.
GS-26

VTN Consolidated Incorporated, 1974, Preliminary project description, Black Butte

Mine, Sweetwater County, Wyoming: 2301 Campus Drive, Irvine,

California, 58 p.

Weimer, R.J., 1970, Rates of deltaic sedimentation and intrabasin deformation,

Upper Cretaceous of the Rocky Mountain region, in Morgan, J.P., ed.,

Deltaic Sedimentation, Modern and Ancient: Society of Economic

Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication 15, p. 270-292.

Winterfeld, G.F., 1982, Mammalian paleontology of the Fort Union Formation

(Paleocene), eastern Rock Springs uplift, Sweetwater County, Wyoming:

University of Wyoming Contributions to Geology, v. 21, p. 73-112.
DARBY THRUST ZONE

CHURCH

BUTTES ARCH

Wamsutter

Arch

GROS VENTRE

RANGE

GREEN

RIVER

BASIN

UINTA MOUNTAINS

WYOMING OVERTHRUST BELT

FOSSIL BASIN

HOBACK

 BASIN

WIND

RIVER

MOUNTAINS

SAND WASH BASIN

GREAT DIVIDE

BASIN

WASHAKIE

BASIN

ROCK

SPRINGS

UPLIFT

GRANITE

MOUNTAINS

RAWLINS

UPLIFT

SIERRA MADRE

0

0 20 Kilometers

20 Miles

Kemmerer

Evanston

Manila Baggs

Rock Springs

Colorado

Colorado

Wyoming

Wyoming

Utah

Idaho

Utah

Idaho

ROCK

SPRINGS 43 UPLIFT °

42°

41°

110° 108°

Carbon Co. Bear Lake Co.

Rich Co.

Sublette Co.

Lincoln Co.

Uinta Co.

Sweetwater Co.

Fremont Co.

Carbon Co.

Moffat Co. Summit Co.

Duchesne Co.

Uintah Co.

Figure GS-1. Generalized map of the Greater Green River Basin in south-central Wyoming showing

associated basins, geologic structures, and surrounding mountains and uplifts (adapted from Sullivan, 1985.)
N

Figure GS-2. Generalized geologic map of the Greater Green River

Basin showing the Tertiary rocks and undifferentiated Cretaceous

rocks (adapted from Green and Drouillard, 1994.)

10 20 Miles

Alluvium

Undifferentiated Miocene rocks

Undifferentiated Oligocene rocks

Ice Point Conglomerate

Crooks Gap Conglomerate

Volcanic Conglomerate

Bridger Formation

Devils Basin Formation

Hoback Formation

Green River Formation

Wasatch Formation

Pass Peak Formation

Undifferentiated Cretaceous rocks

Holocene and Quaternary

Miocene

Oligocene

Eocene

Paleocene

Cretaceous

Fort Union Formation

Pinyon Conglomerate

Overthrust Belt

Faults

Uinta Mountains

Granite

Mountains Rawlins Uplift

Wind

River

Mountains

Sierra

 Madre

Mtns.

AHO

TAH

COLORADO

WYOMING
Bitter Cr eek

Stansbury

Superior

South Superior

Point of

 Rocks

Reliance

Rock Springs

I-80

 Black

Buttes

Paleocene

Fort Union Formation

Undifferentiated Cretaceous

rocks in the Mesaverde Group

Normal fault

Anticline showing direction of plunge

Undifferentiated Cretaceous

Lewis, Fox Hills, and Lance Formations

Rock Springs uplift

EXPLANATION

Colorado

Wyoming

Utah

Idaho

10 Kilometers

10 Miles

Figure GS-3 Geologic map of the Rock Springs uplift showing outcrops of the Fort Union Formation and

Cretaceous rocks (modified from Love and Christiansen, 1985).
Mudstone and Siltstone

Coal

Sandstone

Paleosol

Explanation

Figure GS-4. Stratigraphic subdivisions of the Fort Union Formation along the eastern flank

of the Rock Springs uplift south of I-80 (modified from Hettinger and Kirschbaum, 1991). CRETACEOUS PALEOCENE Upper Part of Lance Formation Fort Union Formation

CHEROKEE COAL

ZONE

NUTTAL COAL

BED

DEADMAN COAL } ZONE

0

100

200 Feet
Figure GS-5. Stack of fining-upward, erosional-based sandstone bodies along the mine highwall of the Jim Bridger coal 

mine. Photograph by R.M. Flores.
Figure GS-6. Thinning margin of fluvial channel sandstone bounded by thin-to thick-bedded silty sandstone, siltstone, 

and mudstone along the mine highwall of the Jim Bridger coal mine. Photograph by R.M. Flores.
Figure GS-7. Tabular-shaped crevasse splay sandstone beds are interbedded with siltstone, mudstone, coal, and 

carbonaceous shale. These deposits are exposed along the mine highwall of the Jim Bridger coal mine. Photograph by 

R.M. Flores.
Figure GS-8. Crevasse-splay sandstone beds are locally incised by a small channel infilled by sand (upper left of photo). These 

deposits are exposed along the mine highwall of the Jim Bridger coal mine. Photograph by R.M. Flores.
Figure GS-9. A tree stump (center of photo) preserved during rapid sedimentation in the crevasse splay. The crevasse-splay 

deposits are exposed along the mine highwall of the Jim Bridger coal mine. Photograph by R.M. Flores.
Figure GS-10. Highwall in the Black Butte coal mine showing stacked, fining-upward fluvial channel sandstone 

and overbank deposits. Photograph by R.M. Flores.