BULLETIN 88 Sources for Lightweight Shale Aggregate in New Mexico by ROY W. FOSTER 1 9 6 6 STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS STATION SOCORRO, NEW MEXICO NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING & TECHNOLOGY Stirling A. Colgate, President STATE BUREAU OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES Alvin J. Thompson, Director THE REGENTS MEMBERS Ex OFFICIO The Honorable Jack M. Campbell ....................... Governor of New Mexico Leonard DeLayo .................................... Superintendent of Public Instruction APPOINTED MEMBERS William G. Abbott ........................................................................... Hobbs Eugene L. Coulson, M.D. ............................................................. Socorro Thomas M. Cramer ....................................................................... Carlsbad Eva M. Larrazolo (Mrs. Paul F.) ......................................................... Albuquerque Richard M. Zimmerly .................................................................... Socorro For sale by the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources Campus Station, Socorro, New Mexico 87801. $2.50 Contents ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 2 Acknowledgments .............................................................................................. 3 Uses of expanded shale aggregate .................................................................... 3 Production ........................................................................................................... 4 GEOLOGY .............................................................................................................. 6 Precambrian ......................................................................................................... 7 Cambrian—Ordovician—Silurian ................................................................... 7 Devonian .............................................................................................................. 7 Mississippian ....................................................................................................... 7 Pennsylvanian .................................................................................................... 10 Permian .............................................................................................................. 10 Triassic—Jurassic .............................................................................................. 10 Cretaceous .......................................................................................................... 11 Tertiary—Recent .............................................................................................. 16 FIELD AND LABORATORY PROCEDURES .......................................... 18 Causes of expansion ......................................................................................... 20 RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS ................................................................ 23 Farmington area ................................................................................................ 23 Sample localities 2-2 and 2-3 ....................................................................... 23 Fired data ................................................................................................... 24 Sample locality 1-1 ......................................................................................... 37 Sample locality 1-2 ......................................................................................... 37 Sample locality 1-3 ......................................................................................... 37 Summary .......................................................................................................... 38 Raton—Las Vegas area .................................................................................... 38 Sample locality 8-4 ......................................................................................... 39 Fired data ................................................................................................... 39 Sample locality 9-7 ......................................................................................... 41 Fired data ................................................................................................... 41 Sample locality 20-4 ...................................................................................... 43 Fired data ................................................................................................... 44 Sample locality 8-3 ......................................................................................... 44 Sample locality 9-1 ................................................................................... 44 Sample locality 10-2 ................................................................................. 45 Sample locality 10-3 ................................................................................. 45 Sample locality 10-5 ................................................................................. 45 Sample locality 21-1 ................................................................................. 46 Sample locality 21-2 ................................................................................. 46 Sample locality 22-1 ................................................................................. 46 Sample locality 22-2 ................................................................................. 47 Summary .................................................................................................... 47 Grants—Gallup area ...................................................................................... 47 Sample locality 27-1 ................................................................................. 48 Fired data .............................................................................................. 48 Sample locality 38-1 ................................................................................. 51 Fired data .............................................................................................. 51 Sample locality 40-1 ................................................................................. 52 Fired data .............................................................................................. 52 Sample locality 26-1 ................................................................................. 52 Sample locality 26-2 ................................................................................. 53 Sample locality 37-1 ................................................................................. 53 Sample locality 39-2 ................................................................................. 53 Summary ................................................................................................... 54 Santa Fe—Albuquerque—Belen ................................................................... 54 Sample locality 66-1 ................................................................................. 55 Fired data .............................................................................................. 57 Preheat tests .............................................................................................. 62 Sample locality 31-2 ................................................................................. 65 Sample locality 42-5 ................................................................................. 66 Sample locality 42-6 ................................................................................. 66 Sample locality 42-7 ................................................................................. 66 Sample locality 42-8 ................................................................................. 66 Sample locality 42-9 ................................................................................. 67 Sample locality 42-10 ............................................................................... 67 Sample locality 54-1 ................................................................................. 68 Sample locality 65-1 ................................................................................. 68 Summary ................................................................................................... 68 Las Cruces—El Paso ..................................................................................... 69 Sample locality 113-1 ............................................................................... 69 Preheat tests .............................................................................................. 69 Sample locality 113-2 ............................................................................... 74 Sample locality 125-2 .......................................................................... 74 Summary .............................................................................................. 77 Miscellaneous areas tested ........................................................................ 77 Sample locality 4-4 .............................................................................. 77 Fired data .......................................................................................... 78 Sample