Geology and fuel resources of the Fruitland Formation and Kirtland shale of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1971 · U.S., Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6984417

Fassett, J E; Hinds, J S

The San Juan Basin contains sedimentary rocks that range from Cambrian to Holocene in age and are as much as 15,000 feet thick. Upper Cretaceous rocks, which are more than 6,000 feet thick, are composed of intertonguing marine and nonmarine sedimentary rocks deposited during three basin-wide cycles of transgression and regression of an epicontinental sea. The final regression of the sea is represented by the marine Pictured Cliffs Sandstone. Fuel resources of the Fruitland Formation and the Kirtland Shale include uranium, oil, gas, and coal. The uranium occurs in channel sandstone in the Fruitland Formation. Oil and gas occur mostly in small scattered stratigraphic traps. The thickest coal beds occur in the lower part of the Fruitland Formation. The thickest coal occurs adjacent to and southwest of major stratigraphic rises of the Pictured Cliffs Sandstone. Analyses of Fruitland coal samples from rotary-drill cuttings show that the highest quality coal on an as-received basis underlies the northwestern part of the San Juan Basin. As-received Btu values in this area range from about 12,000 to more than 13,000. The coal from the washed drill cuttings is low in moisture content, between 2 to 6%. The ash content of the coal is unusually high and erratic, ranging from 10 to more than 30%. The lowest ash contents are in the west-central part of the basin; the highest ash contents are in the middle and eastern parts of the basin. The moisture and ash-free values and fixed-carbon ratios of the samples show a well-defined zonation across the basin paralleling the trends of deposition and the basin axis. Statistical analysis indicates that the Fruitland Formation in the San Juan Basin contains approximately 200 billion tons of coal in beds more than 2 feet thick at depths of as much as 4,500 feet. 27 figures, 8 tables.

• OSTI ID: 6984417
• Journal Information: U.S., Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap.; (United States), Journal Name: U.S., Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap.; (United States) Vol. 676; ISSN XIPPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010600 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
011000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
02 PETROLEUM
020100 -- Petroleum-- Reserves-- (-1989)
03 NATURAL GAS
030100 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves-- (-1989)
ASHES
CALORIFIC VALUE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COAL DEPOSITS
COLORADO
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
FORECASTING
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
MOISTURE
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESIDUES
RESOURCES
ROCKS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
SOUTHWEST REGION
STRATIGRAPHY
URANIUM DEPOSITS
USA