Alaskan coal: resources and developmental constraints

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6753232

Edgar, D E; Onesti, L J; Kaszynski, G M

Alaska has great physical diversity, unparalleled scenic beauty, abundant natural resources, and environmental conditions unlike those of any other state. The state's sparse population is concentrated principally in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, and there is a significant native populace living in isolated small villages. The economy is based primarily on fishing, timber, and petroleum industries; wages and cost of goods and services are above the national average. Environmental conditions exhibit great variability from one region of the state to another. Use of natural resources in the past has been hampered by unsettled land ownership; future development will be constrained by the severe climate, widespread permafrost, and inadequate transportation facilities. Alaska has perhaps as much coal as that found in all of the 48 conterminous states. Most of the coal deposits are located in the North Slope Basin and associated strata extending beneath the Chukchi Sea, the Nenana Basin of the interior, and the Cook Inlet Basin in the south. Most Alaskan coal is subbituminous to bituminous with relatively high moisture and ash content, moderate heat value, and very low sulfur content; many deposits are well suited for surface mining. At present, only one commercial coal mine is operating in Alaska; it is situated in the Nenana Basin about 160 km south of Fairbanks. Mining should increase dramatically in the next few years, however, in response to a developing Far East market. Near-term increases in production will probably come from the existing mine and from new mines in the interior and south-central regions of the state. Because there is limited experience in Alaskan surface coal mining and reclamation, research should be conducted in order to develop cost-effective mining and reclamation technologies that minimize or prevent adverse impacts on Alaska's unique ecosystems.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6753232
• Report Number(s): ANL/LRP-18; ON: DE83000860
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
011000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290400 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
294001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Coal
ALASKA
CLIMATES
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL MINES
CONSTRAINTS
ECONOMY
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
FEDERAL REGION X
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
LAND RECLAMATION
LAND USE
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINES
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
PLANNING
POPULATIONS
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
RESOURCES
SURFACE MINING
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USA