The U.S. Geological Survey coal assessment of the Gulf Coastal region, a progress report

Conference · Thu Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:349088

Warwick, P D; Aubourg, C E; Crowley, S S ^[1]

---

1. Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States); and others

The US Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the major coal regions of the country. This program, known as the National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA), is focused on five major coal-bearing regions in the country: the Appalachian basin, Illinois basin, Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, and the Gulf Coast region. In this program, the authors are characterizing the quantity and quality of coals that are expected to be mined during the next 30 years. As part of this effort, they are conducting an evaluation of the stratigraphic setting, resource potential, and the quality of the lignites in five coal-producing areas within the Gulf Coast region. The results of these efforts will be a series of digital Geographic Information System (GIS) maps, text, and tables that will be published in a CD-ROM format. These products, along with a national summary CD-ROM, are expected to be completed by 1999. The assessment of the Gulf Coast region is focused primarily on four areas that are currently producing coal as shown in a figure. These areas are the: (1) Sabine area, which includes parts of northwest Louisiana and northeast Texas; (2) northeast Texas; (3) central Texas; and (4) south Texas. In addition, a fifth area in Mississippi has been evaluated because a new surface mine has been proposed for that area. The Gulf Coast coal region produces about 57 million short tons of coal annually from the states of Louisiana and Texas from Wilcox Group coals. The primary intervals of study for this project are the Wilcox Group (Paleocene-Eocene) and selected coal-producing intervals (such as the Eocene Jackson and Claiborne Groups, and Cretaceous Olmos Formation in south Texas) that are producing or have potential for producing coal in the near future. The objectives of this project are to provide high-quality, organized information and interpretations on the location, quality, and quantity of the coal to be mined in the Gulf Coast area during the next several decades in order to meet the needs of the region for reliable, low cost, environmentally-acceptable energy.

• OSTI ID: 349088
• Report Number(s): CONF-980985--; ISBN 1-890977-15-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL DEPOSITS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
LIGNITE
LOUISIANA
MISSISSIPPI
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
TEXAS
US GS