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The Cliff House Sandstone consisting of interbedded, thin to massive, marine
<br />sandstones, thin- to thick-bedded, silty shales, and mudatonea forms the sur-
<br />,;r face of the lease application area. The underlying Menefee Formation consists
<br />~'. of nonmarine, lenticular, thin to massive and crosabedded sandstones; inter-
<br />bedded black shales, carbonaceous shales and coal.
<br />COAL--In the area of the present Ring Coal lease the Henefee Formation is at
<br />Least 280 feet [hick and contains two thick, minable, coal beds; two thick coal
<br />zones that include interbedded shale, carbonaceous or coaly shale, and as many
<br />as five ocher thin to thick coal seams (see fig. 3 and Exhibit 8).
<br />The only coal bed presently mined in the Hay Gulch area is the Upper Henefee_
<br />("Pueblo" or "Biel Vein"), referred to in Chia report as coal bed 1. Coal
<br />e is a out 22 feet below the base of the Cliff House Sandstoae in drill-
<br />hole NKC in the f$~GSEftN1Jk sec. 32, T. 35 N., R. 11 W. According to Zapp (1949),
<br />coal bed 1 averages a little less than 6 feet thick in the Hay Gulch area and
<br />is generally free of partings. In the King Coal Mine this bed is reported to
<br />range from about 65 to 85 inches thick. Three drill holes (fig. 2) on the A. T.
<br />Hassey property, a joining the King Coal lease and application area in sec. 32,
<br />T. 35 N., R. I1 E., report 5.8 to 7 feet of coal in coal bed 1.
<br />A coal seam about 1 foot thick is exposed locally along the north side of Aay
<br />Gulch in secs. 29 and 30, T. 35 N., R. 11 E. It probably represents the bed
<br />shove on Exhibit B, 14 feet above coal bed 2.
<br />Coal bed 2 is about 80 feet atratigraphically belo~,r coal bed 1 in the Burnvell
<br />No. 2 Mine (figs. 1-2) adjoining the King Coal lease in Hay Gulch. Coal bed 2
<br />is 6 feet chick in the Burnvell mine, and 5 feet chick in drill-hole NKC on
<br />the King Coal lease.
<br />_ Coal beds below coal bed 2 are known only from drill-hole data (fig. 3, and
<br />Exhibit.8). These beds are 2 feet or less thick (Exhibit B); are considered
<br />not to be of economic interest at the present time, and were not considered
<br />in the following coal reserve tonnage calculations. •
<br />QUALITY OF COAL--Analysis of coal from the National King Coal Mine (Exhibits C
<br />and D) indicate a very low sulfur, ash, and moisture content. The coal is
<br />high-volatile B, and premium grade high-volatile A bituminous rank (Goolsby,
<br />1979, p. 45), is reported to have coking coal properties, and be an excellent
<br />steam coal. Berryhill (1951), Da~+son (1978), George (1937), Goolsby (1979),
<br />Haines (1973), Zapp (1949), and others, list other coal analyses from coal
<br />beds 1 and 2 in the Hay Gulch area.
<br />GEOLOGIC HAZARDS--No unusual geologic hazards are known that might adversely
<br />effect mining in the application area. Normal ground-water tables are probably
<br />below coal bed 1, the bed to be mined in the application area.
<br />PRIOR COAL EXPLORATION IN SUBJECT APPLICATION AREA--None known.
<br />DATA ACQUISITION AND ACKNO~ILEDGMENTS--Data gathered in this report is basically
<br />from published reports and from U.S. Geological Survey, Conservation Division
<br />files (see References). The writer spent part of a day in the Hay Gulch area,
<br />met with Mr. Brad Coshe, mine superintendent, Mrs. Violet Smith, and Mr. Al
<br />Salter, National King Coal Inc. engineer. Coal thickness data in the King
<br />• Coal Hine haulagevay, bordering the lease application area, vas obtained from
<br />Nessrs. Coshe and Salter, and from Conservation Division Hieing files. .
<br />2
<br />Novemlier 1993
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