CONTACT INFORMATION Mining Records Curator Arizona Geological Survey 416 W. Congress St., Suite 100 Tucson, Arizona 85701 602-771-1601 http://www.azgs.az.gov [email protected] The following file is part of the Grover Heinrichs Mining Collection ACCESS STATEMENT These digitized collections are accessible for purposes of education and research. We have indicated what we know about copyright and rights of privacy, publicity, or trademark. Due to the nature of archival collections, we are not always able to identify this information. We are eager to hear from any rights owners, so that we may obtain accurate information. Upon request, we will remove material from public view while we address a rights issue. CONSTRAINTS STATEMENT The Arizona Geological Survey does not claim to control all rights for all materials in its collection. These rights include, but are not limited to: copyright, privacy rights, and cultural protection rights. The User hereby assumes all responsibility for obtaining any rights to use the material in excess of “fair use.” The Survey makes no intellectual property claims to the products created by individual authors in the manuscript collections, except when the author deeded those rights to the Survey or when those authors were employed by the State of Arizona and created intellectual products as a function of their official duties. The Survey does maintain property rights to the physical and digital representations of the works. QUALITY STATEMENT The Arizona Geological Survey is not responsible for the accuracy of the records, information, or opinions that may be contained in the files. The Survey collects, catalogs, and archives data on mineral properties regardless of its views of the veracity or accuracy of those data. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRANKLIN K. LANE, Secretary UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director Bulletin 641- G GEOLOGY OF THE UPPER STILL WATER BASIN STILLWATER AND CARBON COUNTIES MONTANA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO COAL AND OIL' BY W. R. CALVERT Contributions to economic geology. 1916, Part n (Pages 199-214) P~blished November 17, 1916 l • WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1916 • CONTENTS. • Page. ) \' Introduction ......... ".......... ....... .. ".... ............... .. ..... .. 199 Surface features ..... ........ .. ... ....................... .... ...... .. .. 200 • Geology ................... .............. .. ....... .. .. .... ........ .. .. 200 Stratigraphy ............... ................ ............. .. ..... .. 200 Cretaceous system ...... .................. .. .. ........ ... ......... 201 Eagle sandstone and Livingston formation ...... .. .. ........ 201 Tertiary system ....... .. .. .......... ··············· · ··· · · · · · ····· 203 Fort Union formation ...... .. ·. ... ....... .. .. .... · · ····· · ··· .... 203 Linley conglomerate ........... L . ... ..... ............ ...... .. 203 Qua~eplary system . ...... .. ................. ... .... .. ... 204 Igneous rocks .. ... ...... .. .... ..... .. ............ .. ... .. ..... .. 204 Structure ......•.•.•........................ .' . .. ...... .. ..... .... 205 Coal in the Red Lodge district .. ............ ....... · .·.··· · · · · ·· ·········· 205 Fort Union formation ................ ·.· · ····· · ··· ·· · · · · · ·· ·········· ·· · 205 Livingston formation ....................... ............... .. .... 206 Eagle sandstone ........... : ............ .. ........ .. ...... ... .. 207 209 Character of the coal ......... ........ ... ... .... ........... ,. Future development . .. .. ........... .. .. ... .. .. ......... , . ........ 212 \ Oil prospects .... ....... ..... "... .. ... .. .. ................ ......... 213 ILLUSTRATIONS. , Page. PLATE XX. Topographic map of the Upper Stillwater Basin, Mont ... ........ 200 J XXI. Geologic map of the Upper Stillwater Basin, Mont ............. 202 II 214 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1916, PART II. ciated is uncertain. It seems probable, however, that the original source of the hydrocarbons was at a lower stratigraphic horizon, and that the Beartooth fault has afforded opportunities for migration upward to the pervious strata of the Fort Union. Evaporation at the surface then dissipated the volatile portion, and the residuum remains as asphalt. The fact 'that this bituminous residue is present at the surface suggests that oil in large quantit.y is not likely to be GEOLOGY OF THE UPPER STILLWATER BASIN, STILLWATER found in the strata from which the asphalt oozes. Moreover, what­ AND CARBON COUNTIES, MONTANA, WITH SPECIAL REF. ever oil is present would be more likely to be encountered by drilling ERENCE TO COAL AND OIL. nearer to the Beartooth fault, but the possible oil-bearing strata would naturally be at a greater depth than is reached in the holes drilled prior to 1908. By W. R. CALVERT. o INTRODUCTION . In 1907 a coal field on the w~st side of the Bighorn Basin, Wyo.,~ was examined by the United States Geological Survey, and the investigation was extended northward to include the coal-producing area in the vicinity of Red Lodge, Mont. Mapping was discontinued at Rock Creek, however, and no definite information was obtained relative to the westward extent of the coal field beyond that stream. Coal had been reported at Nye, on Stillwater River, and it was con­ sidered possible that this coal bed and some one of those developed at Red Lodge were identical. In 1908 the writer ext.ended the inves­ tigation of the previous year westward from Red Lodge with the idea of ascertaining whether the coal beds at Red Lodge and at Nye are of the same geologic age and whether they are continuous in the intervening area. Time has not been available from 1908 until now to prepare for publication the data obtained in the field examination. In conse­ quence the notes on the coal development here given are incomplete, 1 as they refer to conditions during and prior to 1908. The chief object of this paper is to diScuss the geologic conditions in the field and the relation of the coal at Nye and Red Lodge. In common ~ith other investigations of Rocky Mountain coal fields made by the United States Geological Survey in recent years, the exami~ation was made primarily for the purpose of classifying the land WIth respect to coal. In the field, therefore, land lines were followed wherever it was feasible, and locations were checked from time to time by established land corners. Th~ topography was sketched by plane-table methods, an aneroid barometer being used for vertical control. In the field the writer was assisted by F. H. Kay and E. F. Schramm and in the office by Mr. Kay in the compilation of data obtained. 199 200 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONO'MIC 'GEOLOGY, 1916, PART II. GEOLOGY OF THE UPPER STILLWATER BASIN, MONT. 213 SURFACE FEATURES. this line is ever built it will afford an outlet for the coal near Nye, and as this coal compares favorably with that of competing fields, a The area to which this report reiates lies adjacent to and north of considerable amount would no doubt find its way to market. The the Beartooth Mountains and extends westward from Rock Creek ·to tonnage of available coal, however, is not comparable to that of the Stillwater River. It contains about 300 square miles. (See PI. XX.) Red Lodge field, wher'e there are ·at least eight workable beds an.d The surface of the field is considerably diversified, including broad where the area underlain by coal within 2,000 feet of the surface IS terraces and areas of rolling or much dissected country. On the considerably greater than at Ny-e. south it is bordered by the rugged Beartooth Mountains. Glaciation has done much to modify land forms in the vicinity of the mountains, OIL PROSPECTS. as nearly every stream valley and interstream divide is filled or At two localities in the area mapped there have been attempts to covered with glacial debris. Aside from the mountainous tract the obtain oil by drilling. One of these is in the northeastern part of roughest topography is seen in the western part of the field, where . • sec. 4, T. 6 S., R. 18 E., and the other is in the SE. 1 sec. 32 of the the interstream areas rise to an altitude of 6,000 feet, or 1,000 feet same township. At the former place severa~ holes were put do:wu above the valleys. The lowest place is in the extreme northeast to different depths, the deepest being 1,500 feet. Mter passmg corner of the field, where the altitude is about 4,600 feet above sea through surface wash and the lower sandy J?ortion of the Eagle sand­ level. From this· locality the surface rises ,toward the south and stone the drilling was in dark shale and thin sandstone, presumably culminates in the high peaks of the Beart60th Mountains, whose of Colorado age. All the holes were dry, althoug~ indications.o~ oil giacier-crowned summits reach a maximum altitude of over 12,000 were reported. The drilling was done on the aXIS of an antlClme, feet, the highest in the State. Mapping was not extended southward but nevertheless the absence of oil in the rock section has not been beyond the base of the mountains, where the altitude is uniformly conclusively shown, first because the holes were of insufficient depth, about 6,000 feet. and second because they were put down on the pitching end of the The field as a whole is well drained by perennial streams flowing anticline. The absence of water in the drill holes, however, suggests from the mountains. The largest 9f these are Rock, East and West that the beds penetrated are not charged with oil higher in the anti­ Red Lodge, East