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.~„~ ,~, <br /><'~~==~~-~`.~ United St.at.es Dc~fvtment of the Interior 999 <br />,.;; ~~ ~~ <br />~:T.j District Mining Office C-25079 <br />® "~_~"'° 2135 Ea ;t N.ain Street C-27432 <br />Grand Junction, Colorado 81501 <br />• ODM 1-8-18 August 12, 1981 <br />Technical Malysis, Colorado Westmoreland, Inc., Orchard Valley Pfine; Leases <br />C-25079 and C-27432 <br />Lessee (address): Colorado lestmoreland Inc. <br />Ronald Stucki <br />P. 0. Box E <br />Paonia, Colorado 81428 ~ • <br />...;,. <br />Description of Existing Environment <br />Colorado Westmoreland Inc. mines the D-seam of the Afesaverde Formation of <br />Cretaceous Age. It is one of several seams that are economically significant. <br />The A and B seams in the Orchard Valley Mine area have partings, thus, elimin- <br />ating their economic importance. The C-seam is only 3'~ feet thick in most of <br />the Paonia area. The D-seam is 27 feet at its outcrop but pinches out 3 miles <br />to the north. The seam varies from 6~ feet to 27 feet thick and dips north- <br />ward 5 to 6 percent. <br />~_ The roof consists of interbedded Claystone, Silts one, Carbonaceous Shale, and <br />Sandstone. The bottom consists of [he same rock as the roof. <br />In the Summer of 1980, a major fault was encountered that caused a 47 foot drop <br />of the D-seam. There is limited information on this condition and a real pos- <br />sibility of more major faults [o the north. <br />The surface of the Orchard Valley property is covered with a layer of gravel <br />and lava boulders over 100 feet thic:c. No other mineral resource of any value <br />is known. <br />Applicant's Proposal <br />Colorado Westmoreland uses the room and pillar method using continuous miners. <br />The 1st North Afains consist of a 350 foot barrier, a set of four entries, a <br />200 foot barrier, a se[ of five entries, and a 350 foot barrier. Entries and <br />crosscuts are on 100 foot and 125 foot centers, respectively. <br />Pfining is completed in 1st 47est and 1st through 6th East A:ain. Presently, <br />the three mining units are in 7th East I~fain, 3rd West, and 1st North Atain. <br />In 1st $or[h l~fain ~oestside at no. 40 crosscut the company is driving rock <br />tunnels through the fault to the D-seam. The 1st }fain eastside is up [0 7th <br />East ?fain. <br /> <br />