Chapter T National Coal Resource Geologic Overview and Resource Assessment Assessment of Coal in the Kaiparowits Plateau, Southern Utah Click here to return to Disc 1 By Robert D. Hettinger,1 Laura N.R. Roberts,1 Volume Table of Contents Laura R.H. Biewick,1 and Mark A. Kirschbaum1 Chapter T of Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah Edited by M.A. Kirschbaum, L.N.R. Roberts, and L.R.H. Biewick U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1625–B* Chapter T supersedes U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-539 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado 80225 * This report, although in the USGS Professional Paper series, is available only on CD-ROM and is not available separately U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Contents Abstract........................................................................................................................................................ T1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Scope ............................................................................................................................. 2 Methods ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Lithologic and Stratigraphic Data ............................................................................................ 2 Geologic Maps ............................................................................................................................ 3 Geographic Boundaries............................................................................................................. 3 Location................................................................................................................................................. 3 Previous Mining Activity and Geologic Studies ............................................................................. 3 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................... 7 Geologic Setting............................................................................................................................................ 7 General Stratigraphy of Cretaceous and Tertiary Strata of the Kaiparowits Plateau.............. 7 Detailed Stratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous Straight Cliffs Formation................................. 7 Sequence Stratigraphy of the Straight Cliffs Formation ............................................................. 10 Structure ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Coal Distribution, Quality, and Resources in the Calico and A-Sequences...................................... 14 Coal Distribution................................................................................................................................. 14 Coal Distribution in Outcrops.................................................................................................. 19 Coal Distribution in the Subsurface....................................................................................... 19 Coal Quality......................................................................................................................................... 21 Coal Resources .................................................................................................................................. 24 Geologic Restrictions to Coal Availability......................................................................................24 Overburden ................................................................................................................................ 24 Coal-Bed Thickness ................................................................................................................. 28 Dip of Strata............................................................................................................................... 28 Coal Resource Summary ........................................................................................................................... 43 References Cited ........................................................................................................................................ 43 Appendix 1—Database Tables................................................................................................................. 47 Appendix 2—Coal Tonnage Tables for Quadrangles and Townships................................................ 53 Appendix 3—Summary of Coal Measurements and Resource Estimates from Previous Studies .................................................................................................................. 59 Appendix 4—Summary of Coal Quality................................................................................................... 64 Appendix 5—Lithologic and Stratigraphic Data for Selected Drill Holes from the Kaiparowits Plateau Database [Location, lithologic, and stratigraphic data are available in ASCII format, DBF, and Excel spreadsheets on disc 2 of this CD-ROM set] Appendix 6—ArcView Project [The digital fi les used for the coal resource assessment of the Kaiparowits Plateau are presented as views in the ArcView project. The ArcView project and the digital fi les are stored on both discs of this CD-ROM set—Appendix 6 of chapter T resides on both discs. Persons who do not have ArcView 3.1 may query the data by means of the ArcView Data Publisher on disc 1. Persons who do have ArcView 3.1 may utilize the full functionality of the software by accessing the data that reside on disc 2. An explanation of the ArcView project and data library —and how to get started using the software—is given by Biewick and Mercier (chap. D, this CD-ROM). Metadata for all digital fi les are also accessible through the ArcView project] Plate 1. Locations of data points and correlation diagrams, Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah ........... T69 Figure A. Location of drill holes, measured sections, and control points Figure B. Location of lines of section for transects A-A′, B-B′, and C-C′ Figure C. Coal correlations in the Calico and A-sequences along cross section A-A′ Figure D. Coal correlations in the Calico and A-sequences along cross section B-B′ Figure E. Coal correlations in the Calico and A-sequences along cross section C-C′ Figures 1. Location of Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah ................................................................................... T4 2. Index map for 7.5’ quadrangles and townships in the Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah............ 6 3. Generalized geologic map showing outcrops of Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks in the Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah.............................................................. 8 4. Paleogeographic map of the central part of North America during the Coniacian and Santonian Stages of the Cretaceous Period............................................... 11 5. Stratigraphic divisions of the Straight Cliffs Formation ....................................................... 12 6. Sequence stratigraphy and facies relationships of the Straight Cliffs Formation and upper part of the Tropic Shale....................................................................... 13 7. Responses of gamma ray and bulk density logs to lithologies in the Calico and A-sequences ................................................................................................ 15 8. Isopach map showing the combined thickness of the Calico and A-sequences............ 16 9. Structural features and inclination of strata within the Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah.................................................................................................. 17 10. Structure contour map of the Calico sequence boundary .................................................. 18 11. Isopach map of net coal in the Calico and A-sequences.................................................... 20 12. Coal distribution in the Calico and A-sequences.................................................................. 22 13. Map showing areas of reliability for coal resources in the Calico and A-sequences ... 26 14. Mineral ownership for areas underlain by the Calico and A-sequences......................... 27 15. Overburden on the Calico sequence boundary..................................................................... 29 16A. Distribution of net coal in beds 1.0–2.4 ft thick in the Calico and A-sequences.............. 30 16B. Distribution of the number of coal beds that are 1.0–2.4 ft thick in the Calico and A-sequences ................................................................................................ 31 17A. Distribution of net coal in beds 2.5–3.4 ft thick in the Calico and A-sequences.............. 32 17B. Distribution of the number of coal beds that are 2.5–3.4 ft thick in the Calico and A-sequences ................................................................................................ 33 18A. Distribution of net coal in beds 3.5–7.4 ft thick in the Calico and A-sequences.............. 34 18B. Distribution of the number of coal beds that are 3.5–7.4 ft thick in the Calico and A-sequences ...................................................................................................