The Geological Survey of Wyoming Coals and Coal
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THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING Daniel N. Miller, Jr., State Geologist REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS No. 22 COALS AND COAL-BEARING ROCKS OF THE HANNA COAL FIELD, WYOMING By Gary B. Glass and Jay T. Roberts Portions of this report were developed through the use of funds provided by the Laramie Energy Technology Center, U.S. Department of Energy LARAMIE, WYOMING 1980 First printing of 1500 by the Pioneer Printing and Stationery Company, Cheyenne. Additional copies of this report are available from: The Geological Survey of Wyoming Box 3008, University Station Laramie, Wyoming 82071 Copyright 1980, The Geological Survey of Wyoming Front Cover: Typical strip mine in the Hanna coal field. THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYOMING Daniel N. Miller, Jr., State Geologist REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS No. 22 COALS AND COAL-BEARING ROCKS OF THE HANNA COAL FIELD, WYOMING By Gary B. Glass and Jay T. Roberts Portions of this report were developed through the use of funds provided by the Laramie Energy Technology Center, U.S. Department of Energy LARAMIE, WYOMING 1980 CONTENTS Page Introduction 1 Structural geology 2 Folds 2 Faults ................................................................ 4 Joints 5 Coal-bearing rocks and coal beds 11 General 11 Lithologic character of coal-bearing rocks 12 Hanna Formation coal beds 14 Ferris Formation coal beds 17 Medicine Bow Formation coal beds 21 Mesaverde Group coal beds 21 History of coal deposition 23 Coal rank, chemical composition, physical properties, and petrography . • . 24 Rank .. ........................................ ....................... 24 Chemical com,position . 30 Physical properties • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 30 Petrography • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • 31 Mining activity .•••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••• 32 coal resources and reserve base • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • 34 References . .. • . .. .. 40 FIGURES Figure Page 1 Wyoming coal-bearing areas ....................................... 1 2 Coal mining districts in the Hanna Coal Field •..•.••......••...•. 2 3 Generalized structural geology of the Hanna Coal Field .....•....• 3 4 Normal fault with 40 feet of vertical displacement •.•.••.••.•••.. 4 5 Closely spaced fracture zone immediately adjacent to a major fault • • • . • . • • • . • . • • • • • . • . • • • • • • . • . • . • . • • • . • • • • . 5 6 Joint sets in the coals of the Hanna and Ferris formations •••.•.. 6 7 Systematic joints in coal 7 8 Geologic map of the Hanna Coal Field ••.•...•..••••.•••........... 9 9 Generalized stratigraphic columns for the Hanna Coal Field • • • • . • . • • • • . • . • • • • • • . • . • • • . • . • • • • • . 10 10 Cut-bank side of ancient river channel, now filled with sandstone . • • • . • • . • • . • . • • • . • • • • • • . 13 11 In situ tree trunks rooted in an interbedded coal and shale sequence overlying Bed No. 80 •...••.••••••....••..•..••••.. 13 12 Coal nomenclature in the Carbon Mining District of the Hanna Coal Field . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . 15 13 Coal nomenclature in the Hanna Mining District of the Hanna Coal Field • • . • • • • . • . • • • . • . • • • • • • • • . • . • . • . • 16 14 Bed No. 79 in the Seminoe No.2 strip mine ...••..•........••.. • ... 17 15 Coal nomenclature in the Seminoe Mining District of the Hanna Coal Field .••••........•.....•..•.•....•...•.••• , • . • • . • • . • • 18 16 Coal nomenclature in the eastern portion of the Corral Creek Mining District of the Hanna Coal Field .•.•.••....•..•.•..• 19 17 Coal nomenclature in the northern portion of the Corral Creek Mining Distirict of the Hanna Coal Field ..•..•...•.•••••••. 20 18 Coal nomenclature in the central portion of the Corral Creek Mining District of the Hanna Coal Field •.....••............ 22 19 Coal nomenclature in the southern portion of the Corral Creek Mining District of the Hanna Coal Field ..•..••............. 22 iii 20 Variation in apparent coal rank as indicated by moist, mineral-matter-free heat value ••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••. 25 21 Fires often start in the strip mines by spontaneous combustion 31 22 Arch Minerals' Seminoe No. 1 strip mine in the Ferris Formation . • • • • . • . • • • • . • . • . • • . • . • • . • . • • • . • • • • • • . • • . • . • . • • • • . • • . 32 23 Strippable coal deposits and mining activity in the Hanna Coal Field • . • • • • . • • . • • . • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 3 3 24 Mine subsidence often provides stark evidence of Wlderground mining . • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 34 TABLES Table Page l Estimated cumulative coal thicknesses in the Hanna Coal Field • . • • • • • • • • . • • . • • . • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • . 12 2 Summary table of ultimate and proximate analyses, heats of combustion, and major oxides of coal ash for coals in the Hanna Coal Field ••••••••••• , . • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26-27 3 Concentrations of trace elements in coals of the Hanna Coal Field • • . • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • 28-29 4 Fusibility of coal ash •••••.•••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••• 31 5 Current and proposed coal mining activities in the Hanna Coal Field • • • • • . • • . • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 35 6 Remaining strippable coal resources and strippable reserve base of the Hanna Coal Field by mining district, January l, 1978 • • • . • . • • • • • • • . • • • • . • • • • . • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • 37 iv INTRODUCTION Although most of the Hanna that are underlain by rocks of the Coal Field of southcentral Wyoming Mesaverde Group. With this conven lies within Carbon County, a small tion, all other coal-bearing rocks portion extends eastward into of the Hanna Coal Field occur with Albany County as well (Figure 1). in the outcrop of the Mesave rde This coal-bearing area coincides since they all overlie that group. with the Hanna and Carbon topo The boundary between this field and graphic and structural basins and the Rock Cree k Coal Field to the is considered part of the U.S. east is usually drawn to coincide Geological Survey's Rocky Mountain with the alluvial deposits associated Coal Province. As defined, how with Rock Creek. eve r, the coal field is limited to those portions of the basins Based on past and present mining Yt liow t lon e Po 1I GOSHEN \HOLE COAL FIELD I \~. · I I ~~ ::! : A lban r ~- -L · ~ ?· I - ROCI( I CREEK Lo•om•t COAL I Cor bon Fl ELD [ill] SUBBITUMINOUS ~BITUMINOUS S LIGNITE • STRIPPABLE DEPOSITS * Prtllmonory • baud on co111pony data Figure 1. Wyoming coal-bearing areas. 1 activity, Glass and Roberts (1979) boW1daries of these districts are defined four mining districts within shown on Figure 2. Areas barren of the field: the Hanna, Carbon, Serninoe, near-surface coals serve to roughly and Corral Creek districts. The delimit one district from another. 86 85 83 82 Milu 0 10 20 AA A AW 81 24 N MINING I ....:1~ "' .. 23 DISTRICT i ....... ,.. 711 77 MINING ........ ,.. 22 DISTRICT ••• CARBON 21 MINING DISTRICT 20 19 Figure 2. Coal mining districts in che Hanna Coal Field STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY Folds axes are nearly perpendi cular to one another (Figure 3). A low Host simply, the Hanna Coal northwest-southeast trending ridge Field coincides with two sediment separates the two synclines about filled intermontane basins between three miles northeast of Hanna. uplifted areas. These basins are The southernmost of these synclines separated from one another by the is called the Hanna Syncline; the Saddleback Hills Anticline with northernmost syncline is unnamed. the Hanna Basin lying to the north and the Carbon Basin lying to the Like other intermontane basins south . The Hanna Basin is itself of Wyoming, these depressions formed separated into two synclines whose during the Laramide Orogeny, some 2 Figure 3. Generalized structural geology of the Hanna Coal Field, Wyoming. EXPLANATION Figure 3. FAULTS NORMAL FAULT ---------••••••••• THRUST FAULT -------..,T - _... (DASHED WHERE APPROXIMATELY LOCATED ANO DOTTED WHERE 6 REVERSE FAULT A " A...b..1\ • .4'., CONCEALED) R 81 W FOLDS ANTICLINE ________,___ -- ........ -- - - SYNC LI NE • (DASHED WHERE APPROXI MATELY ---.------- LOCATED) OVERTURN ED SYNCLINE ---fr-------- STRIKE ANO DIP OF BEDS STRUCTURAL FORM LINES DRAWN cf( ON TOPS OF VARIOUS COAL BEDS /~ ( CO NTOUR INTERVAL 400 FEET) R 79 W R 78 W R 77 W Jo i 1~1 ICJ-i 10~ 12:.. ,.. 0 ~ 60 16"' .... 16 FORM LINES DRAWN ' i 6.\ 16\ f-26 1-25 ON TOP Of FINCH COAL 9..j 101 12 BED IN CARBON BASIN f-40 y .J-\ "'I 40 ........ ..J- t6.\ ,.,}, l-:J1 -")( ~50 ~to f ..C35 tJ 20-\ ' 18)... \ EB f.1t .....22 T 19 N R 86W R 85W R 84 W R 83 W R82 W ..... "':.t·.. "(" . T 16 . ..,.. 1-,, --< L,.. 46 24 16 \To i ,( 111 I 4o ;.,6 \ ,(15 N J. 9 112 ' I " ,, l-15 -< Z/I l-101 ,/ \•6 $, /-10 1-; J.10 l-13 ),o t- 0 ! 1-zo \ --'-... ~ HANNA BASIN .... , fl f.16 '<'o '<.'' '- -., ,.._ T '<20 l-111 T ~, ._.,,,. -..;r..... rHERE IS NO SUBSURFAC 23 CONTROi.. ON ANY COAL -< ~ /$ l-18 l- 15 BED IN THIS AREA OF 15 j-ZI N THE BASIN 1-10 1-zo 'flO f. 15 ~10 I-"' l-zzl-12 9 '< ':zo ': 2 '<.15 '<27 '<28 T 22 N T 21 N T O 5 10 MILES E::::3C:::::::J:e-+3:=::::i:=::::EE+3:=3:=:=:=:=:=:=:====::::::i