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<br />. <br /> <br />in the San Juan Basin. It is planned to use this coal in two proposed <br />coal gasification plants in northwestern ~ew Mexico as well as providing <br />fuel to two nearby power generating plants (Kevstone, 1977). <br /> <br />N <br />~ <br />0) <br />~ <br /> <br />The general characteristics of the coal of the San Juan Basin are <br />highly variable. Moisture ranges from 4.7 percent to 21.3 percent and <br />ash ranges from 3.4 percent to 22.8 percent, averaging 14 percent. <br />Sulfur content in this area ranges from .7 percent to 3.5 percent. The <br />rank varies from subbituminous A to high-volatile C bituminous coal. <br />In general, the northern-most coals are higher in rank than those to <br />the southwest. The heat value ranges from about 9,800 Btu/lb to 15,200 <br />Btu/lb. None of the coals in the San Juan Basin are noted for coking <br />quality. <br /> <br />The Navajo, Fruitland, Bisti, Star Lake, and Gallup fields are all <br />covered by overburden of only 250 feet or less, and strip mining is <br />common. The Barker Creek, Hogback, and Toadlena areas lie to the west <br />of the basin and are overlain by thick beds of sandstone. Locally, the <br />coal beds are up to 22 feet thick and represent substantial reserves. <br />The total estimated coal reserves remaining are 5,910,000,000 tons <br />(strippable) and 166,177,000,000 tons (deep resources) (Kevstone, 1977). <br /> <br />Utah* <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Coal is abundant in Utah; however, if only the coal seams under- <br />lying less than 3,000 feet of overburden and in seams of more than 4 <br />feet thickness are considered, the area of coal is reduced to only <br />about 4 percent of the state. Much of this coal is in the eastern part <br />of Utah in the Upper Colorado River Region drainage. <br /> <br />The coal picture in the Utah portion of the Upper Colorado River <br />Region is one of industrial and economic growth. Production is expected <br />to increase from a present rate of 10 million tons per year (~ITPY) to <br />over 51 MTPY by 1986. Estimated resources are 24,206,300,000 short tons, <br />eit.her measured, i...G.ic6. t.e.d ,. or inr-c"t'red. <br /> <br />Most of the active mines are located in the Emery and \hsatch <br />Plateau fields in Carbon, Emery, and Sevier counties. The most exten- <br />sive coal field, however, is the Kaiparowits in Kane and Garfield counties. <br /> <br />Only two mines, located in Emery and Wayne counties, employ strip <br />mining methods; all others are underground mines. All coal deposits <br />in the Utah portion are Cretaceous age. Seam thickness ranges from 1 <br />foot to 25 feet. <br /> <br />Average heat value (rank) is 11,280 Btu/lb, ranging from a low <br />of 9,895 Btu/1b in the Tabby Mountain Field to 12,597 Btu/lb in the <br /> <br />*This information was supplied by Barry Saunders, chief of planning <br />for the Division of Water Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources. <br />Utah is the only state for which production cost figures were obtained; <br />figures could be developed for the other sCates if necessary. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />.B-9 <br />