Coal Reserves of GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1120 Prepared in cooperation with the Kentucky Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines Coal Reserves of Eastern Kentucky By J. W. HUDDLE, E. J. LYONS, H. L. SMITH, and J. C. FERM GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1120 Prepared in cooperation with the Kentucky Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1963 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C. CONTENTS Page Abstract_______________________________---_-_-_-_--_-___--___-__ 1 Part 1. Preparing the estimates, by J. W. Huddle, E. J. Lyons, H. L. Smith, and J. C. Ferm..______ ..._______ _____ 3 Nature and scope of the report_________---_____-_-_-_____-__-__. 3 Sources of data______________________________________________ 4 Acknowledgments. _----------------___--------------___-----__ 4 Methods of preparing coal reserve estimates______________________ 5 Coal classification__--_--_-_______-_---_-_--_----___---_-__ 6 Rank of coal__--_____-____-______-___-________________ 6 Varieties of coal_______________--____-________.________ 7 Grade ofcoal_------___-_-_-_-_-_--____.______________ 7 Weight of coal-_--___________-_-_-___________________. 8 Thickness of beds___________________________ ______ 8 Thickness of overburden_____________________________ 9 Classification according to abundance and reliability of data.___ 9 Measured reserves__--__-_----__---_______-____________ 9 Indicated reserves_____-___________-_--_--___-_________ 9 Inferred reserves_-__--_-_____________________-_-__---_ 9 Distinction between original, remaining, and recoverable reserves. 10 Original reserves_____________________________________ 10 Remaining reserves-_--____-___-_------------___-_---_- 10 Recoverable reserves______-____----______-_______---l__ 10 Methods of recording data and making calculations___________ 11 Past and present estimates____________________________________ 13 Part 2. Geology and geography of the Eastern Kentucky coal field, by J. W. Huddle, E. J. Lyons, and J. C. Ferm._____...___ 14 Topography. ___.._________._-__________--_-__--____ 14 Climate.._______________________________ 16 Drainage and water resources._________________-_-____ _______ 16 Transportation... ____-_-_-__--_-_-__ ______________ _ _ 17 Stratigraphy._________________________________________________ 19 General description-____-_______-_-_______________.________ 19 Coal beds.____.__________________________ 19 Lee formation of Early Pennsylvanian age___________________. 21 Breathitt formation of Middle Pennsylvanian age___________ 23 Conemaugh formation of Late Pennsylvanian age.___________ 27 Geologic structure.--_.-__-_-_---_______----___--______-_______ 27 Part 3. Reserve districts of the Eastern Kentucky coal field_________ 31 Boundaries and names of the districts_____---_-___---_______-____ 31 Coal beds of the Princess reserve district, by J. C. Ferm._________ 32 Location _________________________________________________ 32 Drainage and topography_________________________________ 33 Transportation.___________________________________________ 33 m IV CONTENTS Part 3. Reserve districts of the Eastern Kentucky coal field Continued Coal beds of the Princess reserve district Continued Page Sources of data______________________________________ 33 Stratigraphy ________________________ 34 Lee formation_______________________________________ 34 Breathitt formation__________________________________ 34 Conemaugh formation________________________________ 37 Coal-bed nomenclature.---.-.--__________________ 38 Geologic structure__.______________________________ 39 Coal beds of the Lee formation__________________________ .39 Coal beds of the Breathitt formation_____________________ 40 Grassy(?) coal bed-_______________________________ 40 Tom Cooper coal bed______.___________________________ 41 Gun Creek coal bed__________________________________ 41 Whitesburg, Fire Clay, and Fire Clay rider coal zone_____ 42 Princess No. 3 and Peach Orchard coal beds._____________ 43 Princess No. 4 and Torchlight coal beds._________________ 45 Princess No. 5 coal zone and Richardson coal bed.________ 47 Princess No, 6 coal bed______________________________ 49 Princess No. 7 coal bed_______________________________ 50 Princess No. 8 coal bed______________________________ 52 Coal beds of the Conemaugh formation____________________ 53 Production________________________-______-______________. 53 Reserve summary_________________________________________ 55 *9l Coal beds of the Licking River reserve district, by J. W. Huddle..___ 55 Location.-_-______-___-____--__----______--___-__--_-____ 55 Drainage and topography_________________________________ 56 Transportation. ______________________________________ 56 Sources of data__________________________________________ 56 Stratigraphy___-__________________________________________ 57 Lee formation________________-_-______-____-___-____-_ 57 Breathitt formation__________________________________ 57 Coal-bed names and correlation_____ ______----____-_ 57 Key beds__- .__ __- 61 Geologic structure._-_____-_---___----_-------------------- 62 Coal beds of the Lee formation ________________ -______. 62 Coal beds in the Beattyville shale member._______________ 63 Mine Fork coal bed.__ ____________________________ 63 Coal beds of the Breathitt formation__-_______-_-_-_----__-_- 64 Zachariah and Zachariah rider coal beds_____-_-_---_--_-- 64 Wheelersburg coal bed__-_-_-_-_--_---_--__------_---_- 65 "Howard" coal bed_____-_-_-----_-_--------_--------- 65 Grassey and Upper Elkhorn No. 1 coal beds______-____--- 66 Upper Elkhorn No. 2 coal bed-__-___-__--__-----__---_- 67 Tom Cooper coal bed.__________-_______-_---_---___--- 67 Ivyton coal bed____________-_---_-___-----------__---_ 68 Gun Creek coal bed____________________-___----_--__. 68 Whitesburg coal zone._________--_________--_----_----- 69 Fire Clay coal bed__________________-_--__-_------_---- 70 Fire Clay rider coal bed.______-_-_-_-_-__----_--------- 72 Hamlin coal zone. ________________-___-------_-_--- 72 Copland coal bed. _____-_--- -_ -- 72 - : Trace Fork coal bed-_-------_---__---__--__---_-_----- 73 IT CONTENTS V Part 3. Reserve districts of the Eastern Kentucky coal field Continued Coal beds of the Licking River reserve district Continued Coal beds of the Breathitt formation Continued Page Haddix coal bed_________________________ . 73 Colvin coal bed__________-_-_-_-_---____------_______. 73 Hazard coal zone: Adele, Index, and Prater coal beds_____- 74 Oakley and Nickell coal beds__.________ _ __________ 75 Fugate coal bed_----________________________________ 76 Hindman(?) coal bed_______________________ 77 Skyline and Richardson coal beds_____ _____________ 78 Princess No. 6 and No. 7 coal beds____________________ 78 Production. ____________________ ___._____-_.__ 79 Reserve summary..._____________________________________ 79 Coal beds of the Big Sandy reserve district, by L. D. Harris..__-___ 81 Location.________________________________________________ 81 Drainage and topography________________________________ 81 Transportation..._________________________________________ 81 Sources of data_:_-_-_-___-___________._____-_-_-__._ 82 Stratigraphy_____.-.. _ . 82 Lee formation_______________________________________ 83 Breathitt formation________________________________ 83 Geologic structure___-_--_-----________--_-__---_____----_- 85 Coal beds of the Lee formation________ _________________ 87 Mine Fork coal bed_____________________. 87 Coal beds of the Breathitt formation_____________--_________ 87 Elswick coal bed.______ . .--___. _ 88 Upper Banner(?) coal bed_____-_____________-_-_-_-____ 89 Auxier coal bed______-_________________--___--_-__--_- 89 Hagy(?) coal bed_______________.________. 89 Millard coal bed_____________________.__ 89 Eagle(?) coal bed__________________________ 90 Bingham coal bed_____________________________________ 90 Lower Elkhorn coal bed______________________________ 90 Upper Elkhorn No. 1 coal bed..______________________ 91 Upper Elkhorn No. 2 coal bed__.________________ 92 Upper Elkhorn No. 3 coal bed___________._____ 92 Williamson coal bed__________________________________ 93 Lower Whitesburg coal bed__.______ ______._.-_-____ 94 Upper Whitesburg coal bed__-_______-___-_-_-_---__-__- 94 Fire Clay coal bed___________________________________ 95 Fire Clay rider coal bed______________________________ 95 Hamlin coal bed_________________________________ 96 Haddix coal bed______________________________._-_____. 96 Peach Orchard coal bed________________________________ 96 Torchlight coal bed________________________ 97 Richardson coal bed______.____________________________ 97 Production. ______________________________________ 97 Summary of reserve estimates_____________________________ 100 Coal beds of the Hazard reserve district, by K. J. Englund.________ 100 Location.______________________________________________ 100 Drainage and topography________________________________ 100 Transportation_________________________________________ 101 VI CONTENTS Part 3. Reserve districts of the Eastern Kentucky coal field Continued Coal beds of the Hazard reserve district Continued Pag- Sources of data__________________________________________ 101 Stratigraphy______________________________________________ 102 Lee formation_______________________________________ 102 Breathitt formation__________________________________