DATA SERIES 683

PLATE 2 0F 5

Coal Mine Coal Specifications Company Facilities Formation Cross Section Cross Section Index Map Stratigraphy Location Production Reclamation Status Type

Black Butte Mine

Thumbnail graphic showing the Black Butte Coal Mine (see plate 1).

Subbituminous C, 

9,400−10,000 Btu/lb., 0.3−0.7 

percent sulfur (©Union 

Pacific, 2010a)

Black Butte Coal 

Company (©Union 

Pacific, 2010a)

Coal plant, laboratory, water 

treatment plant, warehouse, 

shop, changehouse and office 

(©Kiewit, 2010)

Coal is produced from the 

Wasatch, Fort Union, Lance 

and Almond Formations. In 

the lower part of the Fort 

Union Formation, the A, B, 

and C coal beds or the A−C 

coal zone in the Black Butte 

Mine is laterally equivalent to 

the Deadman coal zone in the 

Jim Bridger Mine (Maywood, 

1987). from Flores and others, 1999c from Flores and others, 1999c

modified from Hettinger and Kirschbaum, 1991, in Flores and 

Bader, 1999

Point of Rocks, Wyoming 

(©Union Pacific, 2010a)

At all presently active surface mines, 

as mining progresses, overburden is 

placed in a previous cut, where it is 

graded to the natural topography and 

covered with topsoil. Regraded land 

is fertilized, mulched and seeded 

with native grasses and bushes for 

livestock grazing and wildlife 

habitat (©Kiewit, 2010).

Began shipping coal in 1979, and 

is still active (©Union Pacific, 

2010a).

Black Butte Coal Company 

operates one of the largest 

surface coal mines in the nation 

(©Kiewit, 2010).

Elk Mountain Mine

Thumbnail graphic showing the Elk Mountain Mine (see plate 1).

10,930 Btu/lbs; 0.7 lbs. 

SO2/mmBtu (©Arch Coal, 

2010) Arch Coal

Active surface mine. Proposed 

mine-mouth Coal-to-Liquids 

facility. Paleocene Hanna Formation from Flores and others, 1999b from Flores and others, 1999b from Flores and others, 1999a Carbon County, Wyoming

See above. Reclamation coincides 

with mining.

Idle surface mine currently 

reducing inventory. Arch Coal 

will continue the surface mine and 

expand to include an underground 

operation when coal markets, such 

as a coal-to-liquid plant, 

materialize (Arch Coal, 2012, 

written communication). Arch 

Coal has acquired an additional 

200 million-ton reserve block that 

will be available for future mining 

operations (©Union Pacific, 

2010d).

One surface mine with plans to 

shift operations to underground 

(©Arch Coal, 2010). Elk Mountain Mine (from World Imagery GIS service, ESRI, 2010).

Jim Bridger Mine

Thumbnail graphic showing the Jim Bridger Coal Mine (see plate 1).

Coal rank is mainly 

subbituminous B to C (Glass, 

1976).

Bridger Coal is a 

joint business 

venture. Pacific 

Minerals, Inc. has 

two-thirds 

ownership, and Idaho 

Energy Resources 

Co. has the other 

third (©Gearino/StarTribune, 2010).

The mine provides the adjacent 

Jim Bridger Power Plant with a 

continuing fuel source. The fourunit, 2,100-megawatt generating 

station produces electricity for 

PacifiCorp and Idaho Power 

customers in six Western states 

(©Gearino/Star-Tribune, 2010).

There are five coal seams 

within the Deadman coal zone 

of the Jim Bridger coal field, 

designated, from top to 

bottom, D5 through D1 

(Vetter and Beam, 1999). The 

Deadman coal zone is in the 

lower part of the Fort Union 

Formation. from Flores and others, 1999c from Flores and others, 1999c

modified from Hettinger and Kirschbaum, 1991, in Flores and 

Bader, 1999

Just north of Interstate 80, 

about 35 miles northeast of 

Rock Springs 

(©Gearino/Star-Tribune, 

2010).

See above. Research projects have 

been initiated in the past to assess 

establishment of a predominately 

native, diverse seed mix under 

irrigation, as well as to determine 

irrigation rates and duration (Parady, 

1985).

In 2007, the mining operation was 

expanded to include a new 

underground coal mine that mines 

a deeper coal seam. The 

additional coal will be used to fuel 

the power plant for another 20 

years. The estimated cost for 

transitioning to the underground 

mine was approximately $150 

million (©Gearino/Star-Tribune, 

2010).

The mine employs three 

methods of mining -- traditional 

surface, where the coal is less 

than 300 feet deep; highwall 

mining, which is the 

unexcavated face of exposed 

coal from the surface mine; and 

underground mining. 

(©Gearino/Star-Tribune, 2010).

Highwall miner at Jim Bridger Coal Mine (used with permission from ©Addcar, 

2010).

Jim Bridger Power Plant (used with permission from Jeff 

Hymas, 2012, ©PacifiCorp).

Kemmerer Mine

Thumbnail graphic showing the Kemmerer Coal Mine (see plate 1).

9,500-10,000 Btu/lb. 0.6-1.0 

percent sulfur (©Union 

Pacific, 2010b); 

subbituminous B (Yun and 

others, 1987). Chevron Mining

Naughton Power Plant is located 

near Kemmerer, Wyo.

Coal is produced from 

multiple coal seams in the 

Adaville Formation that dip 

from 17 to 23 degrees 

(©Union Pacific, 2010b). modified from Lawrence, 1992, in Knight and others, 2000 (from Glass and Jones, 1991) Lincoln County, Wyoming

Current annual production 

capacity 4.8 million short tons 

(©Union Pacific, 2010b).

See above. Allowing total out-of-pit 

spoil and minimum in-pit reclamation 

while mining steeply dipping 

bituminous coal, the 1-UD area is 

permitted as a special bituminous 

operation (Whitman, 1992).

The Big Pit was begun in 1971 

and is presently idle. In January 

2011, Chevron Corporation, 

announced their intent to sell their 

remaining coal mining operations, 

including the Kemmerer Mine 

(©Chevron, 2011). Chevron 

Mining spokeswoman said new 

coal technologies are too far off to 

make staying in coal a good 

strategy (©MarketWatch, 2011). Surface mine. Aerial photograph of the Kemmerer Mine (©Whitman, 1992).

Naughton power plant near Kemmerer (photo taken July 

14, 2011).

Medicine Bow Mine

Thumbnail graphic showing the Medicine Bow Mine (see plate 1).

10,400 Btu/lb. 0.6 percent 

sulfur (©Union Pacific, 

2010c); high volatile C 

bituminous Arch Coal

When the Medicine Bow Mine 

was active, a McNally-Pittsburg 

coal preparation plant crushed 

and sized coal at a rate of 1,400 

tons per hour. Sampling at the 

mine was accomplished via a 

two-stage automatic sampling 

system (©Union Pacific, 2010c). 

Medicine Bow Formation 

(Upper Cretaceous) and Ferris 

Formation (Upper Cretaceous 

and Paleocene) from Flores and others, 1999b from Flores and others, 1999b from Flores and others, 1999a

Carbon County, Wyoming, 

six miles west of Hanna, 

Wyoming, on U.S. Highway 

30. Fully reclaimed. Inactive surface mine, reclaimed. Surface.

Normal faults showing displacement of Ferris coal beds in the highwall of the 

Medicine Bow Coal Mines (from Flores and others, 1999a).

Rosebud Mining and 

Reclamation

Thumbnail graphic showing former coal mines near Hanna (see plate 1). Subbituminous A

Kiewit Mining 

Group Hanna Formation from Flores and others, 1999b from Flores and others, 1999b (see Medicine Bow Mine)

Hanna, Wyoming; eastern 

flank of Hanna syncline.

During its 40-yr history, Rosebud 

mining yielded 32 million short 

tons of coal (©Kiewit, 2010).

Fully reclaimed. What began as a 

voluntary revegetation program in 

1965, evolved into the complete 

reclamation of 4,000 acres. The land 

is now restored to a quality 

equivalent to or greater than its premined condition. Rosebud was the 

first Wyoming mine to receive a 

complete bond release. As the 

reclamation efforts evolved, many 

innovative techniques, such as slot 

dozing, were developed (©Kiewit, 

2010).

Reclaimed; production from 1961 

to 1992. 11 pits made up the 

Rosebud Coal Sales Company 

(©Kiewit, 2010).

Surface mine operation 

(©Kiewit, 2010). The reclaimed land of the former Rosebud Coal Mine (©Kiewit, 2010). Former Rosebud Coal Mine operations (©Kiewit, 2010)

Seminoe II Mine

Thumbnail graphic showing the Seminoe II Mine (see plate 1).

11,000 Btu/lb. 0.65 percent 

sulfur (©Union Pacific, 

2010d); subbituminous A and 

B. Arch Coal

When the mine was active, 

weighing at Seminoe II was 

performed with a belt scale. 

Weight determination was made 

by the meter method, with 

accuracy tested using a chain 

test every six months. Inspection 

and calibration were performed 

by an independent consulting 

firm (©Union Pacific, 2010d). Hanna Formation from Flores and others, 1999b from Flores and others, 1999b (see Medicine Bow Mine) Carbon County, Wyoming

Fully reclaimed. After mining 

activities ceased in an area, Arch 

Coal planted native grasses, and 

shrubs that created new habitat for 

big game and small animals (©Arch 

Coal, Inc., 2007).

Reclaimed; began operation in 

1973 (©Union Pacific, 2010d).

Surface (©Union Pacific, 

2010d)

Coal and carbonaceous shale in an abandoned mine north of the town of Hanna 

(from Flores and others, 1999b).

Shoshone Mine

Thumbnail graphic showing the Shoshone Mine location (blue dot on underground 

mine symbol, see plate 1).

10,840 Btu/lb., 0.63 percent 

sulfur (©Union Pacific, 

2010e); subbituminous A.

RAG American Coal 

(©Union Pacific, 

2010e)

Rail facilities were tied to the 

Shoshone Mine (Hutchison, 

2001), but have been removed 

since the mine is inactive.

From the Hanna No. 80 seam, 

which averages 17 feet in 

thickness, the Shoshone Mine 

had produced consistent, highquality, low-sulfur coal 

(©Union Pacific, 2010e). (see Medicine Bow Mine)

4 miles north of Hanna, 

Wyoming, in Carbon County

Recoverable reserves are 

estimated to be approximately 8.5 

million short tons (©Union 

Pacific, 2010e).

Fully reclaimed. A contested case 

hearing concluded that the 

reclamation bond covered the 

obligation to reclaim the rail 

facilities (Hutchinson, 2001).

The Shoshone Mine is no longer 

active, and is fully reclaimed.

Underground longwall 

(©Union Pacific, 2010e)

Stansbury Mine 

(Proposed); Aka, Little 

Patriot

Thumbnail graphic showing the Stansbury Mine (Proposed, see plate 1)

14 percent moisture

5.2 percent ash

.95 percent sulfur

10,926 BTU/pound (©Al 

Perry Enterprises, 2006); 

subbituminous A to high 

volatile C bituminous.

New Stansbury Coal 

Company

The mine is located on the main 

line of Union Pacific Railroad 

for eastern and western 

deliveries (©Al Perry 

Enterprises, 2006). This mine is 

currently closed. Several years 

ago, a group proposed reopening 

this mine and renaming it, The 

Little Patriot Mine.

Cretaceous, Mesaverde 

Group, Rock Springs 

Formation, No. 8 coal seam

7 miles north of Rock 

Springs, Wyoming.

Production was planned for up to 

3.0 million short tons per year 

using innovative and highly 

mechanized mining equipment 

(©Al Perry Enterprises, 2006). Underground mine.

Reclaimed. About 4 years ago, 

there was discussion of reopening 

and renaming this mine The Little 

Patriot in memory of 9/11/2001.

Underground. Mine plans call 

for use of continuous miners in 

room and pillar retreat mining 

from No. 8 coal seam for the 

first 5 years. Life of mine is 

projected at 20 years (©Al 

Perry Enterprises, 2005).

Publishing support provided by: 

Denver Publishing Service Center

Manuscript approved for publication on 03/30/2012

For more information concerning this publication, contact:

Center Director, USGS Central Energy Resources Science Center

Box 25046, Mail Stop 939

Denver, CO 80225

(303) 236-1647

Or visit the Central Energy Resources Team site at:

http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/

This and other USGS information products are available at: http://store.usgs.gov/ 

U.S. Geological Survey

Box 25286, Denver Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225

To learn about the USGS and its information products visit: http://www.usgs.gov/ 

1-888-ASK-USGS

This report is available at:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/683/

Compiled by

Laura R.H. Biewick

2012

Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no 

warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, or for 

general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The U.S. 

Geological survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained 

herein. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public 

domain, it may also contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted 

items for other than personal use must be secured from the copyright owner.

Photographs

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Coal Mines in Southwestern Wyoming