Executive Summary—Coal Resource Assessment Of
U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological SurveyChapter AExecutive Summary—Coal ResourceAssessment of Selected Coal Beds andZones in the Northern and CentralAppalachian Basin Coal RegionsBy Leslie F. RuppertU.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1625–CPrepared in cooperation with theKentucky Geological SurveyMaryland Geological SurveyOhio Division of Geological SurveyPennsylvania Bureau of Topographic and Geologic SurveyVirginia Division of Mineral ResourcesWest Virginia Geological and Economic Survey2000 RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED COAL BEDS AND ZONES IN THENORTHERN AND CENTRAL APPALACHIAN BASIN COAL REGIONSBy Northern and Central Appalachian Basin Coal Regions Assessment Team
CONTENTSIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Special Acknowledgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Assessment Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Geology and Mining History of the Northern andCentral Appalachian Basin Coal Regions (Chapter B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Assessment Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Northern Appalachian Coal Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Pittsburgh Coal Bed (Chapter C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Upper Freeport Coal Bed (Chapter D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Lower Kittanning Coal Bed (Chapter E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Central Appalachian Basin Coal Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Fire Clay Coal Zone (Chapter F) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Pond Creek Coal Zone (Chapter G) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Pocahontas No. 3 Coal Bed (Chapter H) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Non-Assessed Coal Beds (Chapter I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13References Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Appendix 1. Bituminous Coal Production in the Appalachian Basin—Past, Present,and Future, by Robert C. Milici . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14FIGURES1. Map showing coal regions in the contiguous United States assessed in USGS’s2000 National Coal Resource Assessment project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A22. Chart showing 1998 coal production in the five regions studied in the USGSNational Coal Resource Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23. Map showing locations of the northern, central, and southern Appalachian Basincoal regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34. Generalized stratigraphic column showing the positions of the six coal beds andcoal zones assessed in this study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45. Map showing the three assessed coal beds in the northern Appalachian Basincoal region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56. Map showing the three assessed coal beds in the central Appalachian Basin coalregion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67. Generalized stratigraphic column showing the Middle Pennsylvanian AlleghenyGroup and Pottsville Group coal zones that were not assessed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78. Graphs showing cumulative distribution of U.S. coals shipped to power plantsbetween 1985 and 1995, by sulfur content per million Btu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9TABLE1. Original and remaining resources by State for the Pittsburgh, Upper Freeport,Fire Clay, Pond Creek, and Pocahontas No. 3 coal beds or zones, rounded tomillions of short tons and two significant figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A10AII
CHAPTER A—EXECUTIVE SUMMARY—COALRESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED COALBEDS AND ZONES IN THE NORTHERN ANDCENTRAL APPALACHIAN BASIN COAL REGIONSBy Leslie F. Ruppert1INTRODUCTIONThis study is part of a five-region project by the U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) designed to provide a geologicassessment of the top-producing coal beds and coal zones inthe United States. The five regions (fig. 1) include the (1)northern and central Appalachian Basin (this CD-ROM), (2)Gulf Coast (USGS Professional Paper 1625–E), (3) IllinoisBasin (USGS Professional Paper 1625–D), (4) ColoradoPlateau (USGS Professional Paper 1625–B), and (5)Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains (USGSProfessional Paper 1625–A). In 1998, about 1,082 millionshort tons of coal, constituting 93 percent of the total U.S.production, were produced from these five regions (Fremeand Hong, [1999]). About 40 percent of the total was produced in the northern and central Appalachian Basin coal1U.S.Geological Survey, MS 956, Reston, VA, 20192.Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes onlyand does not imply endorsement by the U.S Government.This chapter, although in a U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, isavailable only on CD-ROM and is not available separately.This chapter should be cited as:Ruppert, L.F., 2001, Chapter A—Executive summary—Coal resourceassessment of selected coal beds and zones in the northern and centralAppalachian Basin coal regions, in Northern and Central AppalachianBasin Coal Regions Assessment Team, 2000 resource assessment ofselected coal beds and zones in the northern and central AppalachianBasin coal regions: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper1625–C, CD-ROM, version 1.0.regions, 10 percent in the Illinois Basin, 5 percent in theGulf Coast, 9 percent in the Colorado Plateau, and 36 percent in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains (fig.2). The USGS coal resource assessments have producedcoal resource maps and descriptions, or models, that identify and characterize the coal beds and coal zones that willprovide the bulk of the U.S. production for the next severaldecades. The assessments are designed to provide geoscientists, policy makers, planners, and the general public withconcise geologic information on the quantity and quality ofthe remaining coal resources. National Coal ResourceAssessment (NCRA) geochemical databases will provideaccurate and comprehensive information to aid in the prediction of potential emissions from the combustion of coalfrom of those coal beds and coal zones. In addition, NCRAdata can directly aid in the delineation of areas with potential for coal-bed methane production, mine flooding, surfacesubsidence, and acid mine drainage.The Appalachian Basin is one of the most importantcoal producing regions in the Nation and the world. TheBasin historically has been subdivided into three coalregions based on regional geologic structure and stratigraphy. The northern region includes western Pennsylvania,eastern Ohio, western Maryland, and northern WestVirginia; the central region includes west-central and southwestern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, northernTennessee, and southwestern Virginia; and the southernregion includes southern Tennessee, northern Alabama, andnorthwestern Georgia (fig. 3). Historic and recent production records (Milici, 1999; see Appendix 1 of this chapter,this CD-ROM) show that about 34.5 billion short tons ofcoal have been produced in the three regions, with most ofthe production originating in the northern (18.4 billion shortA1
A2CHAPTER A: EXECUTIVE SUMMARYNorthern RockyMountains andGreat PlainsIllinois BasinColoradoPlateauAppalachianBasinGulf Coast0500 MilesFigure 1. Map showing coal regions in the contiguous United States assessed in USGS’s 2000 National Coal Resource Assessment project. The five assessed regions produce about 93 percent of the Nation’s coal (Energy Information Administration, 2000).Northern Rocky Mountainsand Great PlainsNorthernCentralColorado PlateauGulf CoastIllinois BasinAppalachianBasinFigure 2. Chart showing 1998coal production in the fiveregions studied in the USGSNational Coal ResourceAssessment. Data from Fremeand Hong [1999].
A3CHAPTER A: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY90 86 88 EXPLANATIONAppalachian Basin coalregions42 80 82 84 NYMInerNJrerthINILPAngioOH40 74 76 78 NoMDWVDE38 VAKYnioTN34 lraten36 greCNCnMSioegnrrtheouSSCGAALic32 1000Oc100 MilesFigure 3. Map showing locations of the northern, central,and southern Appalachian Basin coal regions (shaded, divided by green lines). Areas of bituminous coal are shown bythe shaded area. Assessments were conducted on coal bedstons) and central (14.4 billion short tons) coal regions.Because only about 5 percent of the Appalachian Basin production has occurred in the southern coal region, this report,given the scope of the NCRA, focuses exclusively on coalbeds, coal zones, and coal production in the northern andcentral Appalachian Basin coal regions.Appalachian Basin bituminous coal has been minedthroughout the last three centuries. Currently, the coal primarily is used within the eastern U.S. for electrical powergeneration, but some of it is suitable for metallurgical uses.Although the number of coal mines operating in the northern and central Appalachian Basin coal regions is decreasing, the remaining mines are increasingly productive. Inin the northern and central regions where about 32 and 63percent, respectively, of Appalachian bituminous coal is produced (Energy Information Administration, 2000).1989, 424 million short tons of coal were produced from1,255 underground and 1,020 surface mines (EnergyInformation Administration, 1990); by 1998, 452 millionshort tons were produced from just 701 underground and614 surface mines (Energy Information Administration,2000). The increase in productivity is due to large longwallunderground mines in the Pittsburgh coal bed (figs. 4 and 5)and Pocahontas No. 3 coal bed (figs. 4 and 6), as well asmountain-top-removal surface mines in the Coalburg,Stockton, and the No. 5 and No. 6 Block coal zones (fig. 7).Sufficient high-quality, thick, bituminous resources remainin these coal beds and coal zones to last for the next one totwo decades at current production. After these beds are
SERIESSYSTEMCHAPTER A: EXECUTIVE SUMMARYGROUPASSESSED COALBED or ZONEUPPERMonongahela GroupPittsburgh coal bedConemaugh GroupAllegheny GroupLower Kittanning coal bedMIDDLEPENNSYLVANIANUpper Freeport coal bedFire Clay coal zonePottsville GroupA4current conditions given social and technological restrictions. Detailed methodology and results for the completedand in-progress northern and central Appalachian Basincoal availability and recoverability studies are discussed inChapter J.The coal resource assessments were conducted in cooperation with State geological surveys. The West VirginiaGeological and Economic Survey (WVGES), thePennsylvania Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey(PAGS), the Ohio Division of Geological Survey (OGS),and the Maryland Geological Survey (MGS) cooperatedwith the USGS in the assessments of the Pittsburgh, UpperFreeport, and Lower Kittanning coal beds. The Pond Creekand Fire Clay coal-zone assessments were conducted inpartnership with the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS),the Virginia Division of Mineral Resources (VDMR), andthe WVGES. The VDMR and the WVGES worked with theUSGS to assess the Pocahontas No. 3 coal bed.Pond Creek coal zoneLOWERACKNOWLEDGMENTSPocahontas No. 3 coal bedFigure 4. Generalized stratigraphic column showing the positionsof the six coal beds and coal zones assessed in this study.mined, given current economic and environmental restrictions, Appalachian Basin coal production is expected todecline. The Upper Freeport and Lower Kittanning coalbeds and the Fire Clay and Pond Creek coal zones, whichare the other top-producing coal units (fig. 4) already havepeaked in production and the remaining coal is deeper( 1,000 ft), thinner ( 3.5 ft), and (or) contains environmentally less desirable medium-to-high ash yields and sulfurcontents. See Chapters C through H in this report for individual assessments of the previously mentioned coal bedsand zones.Assessment results will be used by the USGS to determine the total amount of coal from the Pittsburgh coal bedthat is available for mining (see Watson and others, 2000)and recoverable from mining operations under different costscenarios. Studies of the Pittsburgh coal bed are modeledafter coal availability and recoverability studies done by theUSGS in cooperation with coal-producing States, at scalesranging from 1:24,000 to 1:250,000. The USGS and Stategeological surveys of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio,Kentucky, and Virginia have completed 32 1:24,000-scalecoal availability studies and 25 coal recoverability studiesand concluded that only a fraction of the original coalresource can be extracted and marketed economically underMany individuals contributed to the success of this project and are especially thanked by the author. Mark Levineprovided technical and staff support and his suggestionssolved many problems. I especially want to acknowledgeDon Johnson for his computer abilities and his gracioussupport of the project and all the project members. RachelWallack, David Butler, and Phillip Freeman worked on theproject for long periods with grace and dedication. ScottKinney, (independent consultant, Denver, Colo.) performedthe painstaking task of producing the interactive ArcViewCD-ROM (Disc 2). Tracey Mercier (True North Mapping)was an invaluable GIS and graphics resource. The stratigraphic databases could not have been built without programming and database management magic of Jon Haacke(Independent consultant, Denver, Colo.). Jon was alwaysthere when needed and his help is very much appreciated.Thanks also to Hal Gluskoter for his support of this assessment project and willingness to review many of the manuscripts, including early drafts; and to Brenda Pierce for writing a successful contract for this project and for dealing withcritical coordination issues. Craig Brunstein and CarolQuesenberry of the Central Region Publications Group provided initial editing and design support. Elizabeth Koozminof the Eastern Region Publications Group was responsiblefor the final editing, design, and layout of each chapter. Herdetailed knowledge of Appalachian stratigraphic nomenclature, her willingness to lead us through a long and sometimes frustrating process, and her constant grace is gratefully acknowledged. Robert Crangle, Jr., Eric Morrissey, DavidMurphy, David Traudt, Michael Trippi, and John Watsonwere responsible for the final review and production phases.Many thanks to Suzanne Weedman, Gene Whitney, andIone Taylor for their faith in the project members and fortheir constant support; and to Marc Kirschbaum for his
A5CHAPTER A: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY83 o82 o81o80 o79 o78 oEXPLANATIONPittsburgh coal bedUpper Freeport coal bedLower Kittanning coal bed41oPA40 oMDOHVAWV39 o20020 MilesKYFigure 5. Map showing the three assessed coal beds in the northern Appalachian Basin coal region in descending stratigraphic order, thePittsburgh, Upper Freeport, and Lower Kittanning. The three coal beds overlie one another and extend across parts of Ohio, West Virginia,Pennsylvania, and Maryland.encouragement, good cheer, and ability to share ideas andplans. Laura Roberts and Margaret Ellis were always available with novel solutions to problems. Robert Milici provided the project with expertise, drive, and wry humor. Anespecially heartfelt thanks is extended to Susan Tewalt andLinda Bragg for their professionalism, trust, expertise,friendship, and dedication to this project, without which thisproject never would have been accomplished.SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTFinally, I acknowledge Ronald Stanton, my friend andmy mentor. Ron was a superb geologist and the best supervisor I could ever hope to have.
A6CHAPTER A: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY84 o83oEXPLANATION8281 ooOHFire Clay coal zonePond Creek coal zonePocahontas No. 3 coal bed38 oWVKY37 oVA20020 MilesTNFigure 6. Map showing the three assessed coal beds in the central Appalachian Basin coal region. The stratigraphically youngest Fire Claycoal zone overlies the Pond Creek coal zone in eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, and southern West Virginia. The stratigraphically older Pocahontas No. 3 coal bed extends through southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia.ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGYCoal production was the primary criteria for determining which coal beds and coal zones were assessed within thenorthern and central Appalachian Basin coal regions.Secondary criteria included the availability of geologicmaps and coal stratigraphic data for the correlation of coalbeds within and between States. The Pittsburgh, UpperFreeport, and Lower Kittanning coal beds (figs. 4 and 5)were chosen for assessment because they account for 80percent of the bituminous coal production in the northernAppalachian Basin coal region (Freme and Hong, [1999]).The central Appalachian Basin coal region constitutes about27 percent of U.S. coal production and about 63 percent ofthe Appalachian bituminous coal production (Freme andHong, [1999]). Within the central Appalachian region, theFire Clay and Pond Creek coal zones and the PocahontasNo. 3 coal bed (figs. 4 and 6) were chosen for assessmentbecause these coals account for about 18 percent of centralAppalachian Basin coal production, and because maps andcoal thickness data were available. Other top-producingcentral Appalachian coal zones were not modeled in thecurrent USGS assessment because detailed coal-bed mapsand verified coal thickness data were not available; they are,from youngest to oldest, the No. 5 Block coal zone of theAllegheny Group; and the Stockton and Coalburg coal zone,the Winifrede/Hazard coal zone, the Williamson/Amburgycoal zone, the Campbell Creek/Upper Elkhorn No. 3 coalzone, and the Upper Elkhorn Nos. 1 and 2/Powellton coalzone of the Pottsville Group (fig. 7). However, stratigraphiccorrelations and depositional and production history foreach coal zone are discussed in detail in Chapter I (thisreport).More than 1,000 published and unpublished maps atscales ranging from 1:24,000 to 1:500,000 were digitizedand combined in a geographic information system (GIS) to
Allegheny (part) GroupSeriesSystemCHAPTER A: EXECUTIVE SUMMARYCoal Zone Names(This Report)No. 5 Block coal zoneMiddle (part)Pottsville (part)Pennsylvanian (part)Stockton and Coalburg coalzoneWinifrede (Hazard) coal zoneWilliamson (Amburgy) coalzoneCampbell Creek (UpperElkhorn No. 3) coal zoneUpper Elkhorn Nos. 1 and 2(Powellton) coal zoneFigure 7. Generalized stratigraphic column showing the MiddlePennsylvanian Allegheny Group and Pottsville Group coal zonesthat were not assessed. These coal zones are important coal producers in the central Appalachian Basin coal region, but were notfully assessed because correlated coal thickness data were notavailable.A7create a database that describes the areal extent and minedareas fo
Ohio Division of Geological Survey Pennsylvania Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey Virginia Division of Mineral Resources West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1625–C 2000 RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED COAL BEDS AND ZONES I
Our main source of coal comes from a coal mine near Butler, Missouri. A stock pile of coal for unexpected emergencies is maintained at Blue Valley. A 90-day supply of coal consists of 45,000 tons of coal. Coal Feeders Feeding coal from the bunkers to the pulverizers is the purpose of the coal feeders. The pulverizers grind the coal into a fine .
as.edu / n e Resources -Coal 1 Based on -The Coal Resource by World Coal Institute 2005.-The Coal Resource Base, Chapter 2 of Producing Liquid Fuels from Coal by J.T. Bartis, F. Camm and D.S. Ortiz. Published by RAND 2008. ISBN: 978--8330-4511-9. -The Role of Coal in Energy Growth and CO2 Emissions, Chapter 2 of The Future of Coal, an Interdisciplinary MIT Study, 2007.
The Lower Kittanning coal bed assessment only includes maps showing its areal extent and geochemical parameters and a history of the mining of the coal bed. Pittsburgh Coal Bed The results of the Pittsburgh coal bed assessment (North-ern and Central Appalachian Basin Coal Regions Assessment Team, 2001; Tewalt, Ruppert, Bragg, Carlton, and others,Author: Michael H. Trippi, Leslie F. Ruppert, Robert C. Milici, Scott A. Kinney
IEA Clean Coal Centre – New regulatory trends: effect on coal-fired power plant and coal demand 4 . Abstract . This review presents the recent regulatory trends, practices and developments, in major coal producing and consuming countries, which are affecting and may influence future demand for coal and coal-fired power generation.
Coal is comprised of organic and inorganic (mineral) assemblages. . do we understand coal? (CCT, advanced applications) ORGANIC PETROLOGY FINDS RELEVANCE IN GEOLOGY, METALLURGY, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, COAL SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE COAL VALUE-CHAIN . LIGHT WEIGHT COMPOSITE MATERIALS Underground coal gasification Many additional uses: Paper .
Coal deposits are mined by cutting a network of 'roads' into the coal seam & leaving behind 'pillars' of coal to support the roof of the mine. These pillars can be up to 40% of the total coal in the seam - although this coal can sometimes be recovered at a later stage by 'retreat mining'.The roof is then allowed to collapse and the mine is
EIA Energy Conference 2016 World Coal Markets : The Changing Global Landscape for Coal Coal continues to be a major source of energy for India. Fossil fuels are the major drivers of the economy. Biomass still used significantly in rural areas. Role of Coal Coal, 341.00, 44% Oil, 178.25, 23% Gas, 46.50, 6% Nuclear, 7.75, 1% Others .
The Philippines has 19 coal districts. The largest tota l coal resource is estimated at 570 Mmt of sub-bituminous coal and is located in the Semirara coal district located on Semirara Island, which is located approximately 280 kilometers to the south of Manila and can be seen in
