1979 summary of coal resources in Colorado

Book · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5732179

Murray, D K

Colorado, with 8 coal-bearing regions and 20 coal fields, contains at least 11 percent of the total remaining coal resources of the United States to a depth of 6000 feet. Colorado coals range from early Late Cretaceous to Eocene in age. The higher rank bituminous coals and the largest reserves generally are found in the Upper Cretaceous Dakota and Mesa Verde Groups/Formations in western Colorado. The younger coals, generally of lower rank (subbituminous a to lignite), are found in latest Cretaceous and early Tertiary rocks in the Green River, North and South Park, Raton Mesa, and Denver coal regions. Marginal and premium grades of coking coal are found in the Carbondale, Crested Butte, and Somerset fields, Uinta coal region; in the Trinidad field, Raton Mesa region; and in the Durango field, San Juan River region. Colorado coals range in rank from lignite to anthracite; over 70 percent of the resource is bituminous, approximately 23 percent is subbituminous, 5 percent lignite, and less than one percent anthracite. Moisture, volatile matter, and fixed carbon contents of Colorado coals vary considerably with rank from region to region. According to the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Colorado ranks seventh in the total U.S. demonstrated reserve base of coal (16.3 billion short tons) and fourth in the reserve base of bituminous coal. Furthermore, Colorado ranks first in the reserve base of underground-minable low sulphur bituminous coal. The Green River region produced over 9 million tons of the total 1978 state-wide coal production of 14.3 million tons. Projections for Colorado coal production through 1985 is in the order of 32.2 million tons per year.

• OSTI ID: 5732179
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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