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The Lower Coal Bearing (Bowie) members consist of 260 to <br />350 feet of interbedded gray shales, thin to thick lenticular <br />beds ofbuff-colored, fine- to medium-grained sandstones, and <br />coals. The top of the member is usually capped by a massive <br />buff-colored sandstone up to 90 feet in thickness. This <br />sandstone, however, appeazs not to be a single persistent bed, <br />but is actually several thick lenticular sandstones occumng at <br />progressively lower stratigraphic horizons from east to west. <br />Three coal horizons exist in the Lower Coal-Bearing member; <br />the A (Old King) horizon, the B (Somerset) horizon, and the <br />C (Beaz) horizon. The A horizon is immediately above the <br />Rollins Sandstone and is not currently mined. The B horizon <br />contains two coal seams and occurs about 20 to 120 feet <br />above the Rollins sandstone. This horizon is presently mined <br />by the Somerset Mine, the West Elk Mine, and the Beaz Mine. <br />The C horizon contains one coal seam that occurs 50 to 100 <br />feet above the B horizon. This has been mined at the <br />Somerset Mine and at the Beaz Mines. <br />The Upper Coal-Beazing (Paonia) member consists of 200 to <br />500 feet of gray shales, interbedded, buff-colored, lenticulaz <br />sandstones, and coals. The top of this member is generally <br />considered to be capped by a massive, cliff-forming <br />sandstone. However, like the similar sandstone at the top of <br />the Lower Coal member, this sandstone is not a single <br />persistent bed. Drill hole data for both the West Elk and the <br />Somerset life-of--mine areas show this sandstone unit to occur <br />as several lenticulaz sandstones at slightly different <br />stratigraphic horizons. Three coal horizons have been <br />identified in this member; the D (Oliver) horizon, the E <br />(Hawk's Nest) horizon, and the F horizon. The D horizon <br />occurs directly above the "massive" sandstone of the Lower <br />Coal-Beazing member and contains three seams. This horizon <br />is currently being mined in the Bowie # 1 Mine (formerly <br />knowen as Orchazd Valley Mine). The E horizon occurs about <br />130 feet above the D horizon and contains two coal seams. <br />This horizon has been mined at the Hawk's Nest Mine and at <br />the Blue Ribbon Mine. The F horizon contains two coal <br />seams and has been mined at the West Elk Mine. Coal seams <br />of the F horizon do not exist to the north of the North Fork in <br />thickness sufficient for mining. <br />Overlying the Upper Coal Member is the Barren <br />(Undifferentiated) member of the Mesaverde Formation. This <br />19 <br />