Laserfiche WebLink
4.3. GEOLOGY OF NATURAL SODA LEASE <br />4.3.1. Introduction <br />Federal Sodium Leases C-0118326, C-0118327, C-011986 and C-37474 (Natural <br />Soda Leases) are located in the north-central Piceance Creek Basin within all or <br />parts of Section 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33 and 34; <br />T1 S, R98W, 5th Principal Meridian (Figure 4-11). The Leases lie within Rio Blanco <br />County, Colorado, and have a total extent of about 8,222.6 acres (12.85 square <br />miles). The main part (11.2 square miles) of the lease area is positioned between <br />Piceance Creek on the east, Ryan Gulch on the south and Yellow Creek on the <br />west. An "annex" to the main body of the lease area is located west of Yellow Creek <br />and has an areal extent of about 1.9 square miles. <br />The Leases are approximately 41 road miles southwest of Meeker, Colorado, the <br />closest town. Prototype Oil Shale Tract C-a lies about five miles southwest of the <br />Leases, while Tract C-b is approximately eight miles to the southeast. Horse Draw <br />Mine, an inoperative experimental oil shale and saline mineral mining facility owned <br />by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, is approximately one mile to the east. American Soda, <br />LLP, sodium operations were located adjacent to the Leases immediately to the east <br />in the vicinity of Piceance Creek. <br />Access to the Lease area is via Rio Blanco County Road 5 (Piceance Creek Road), <br />a paved county highway connecting Colorado State Highways 64 and 13. From <br />Piceance Creek Road, the Lease is usually approached by Rio Blanco County Road <br />24 (Ryan Gulch Road) and then by Rio Blanco County Road 31, which extends 3.2 <br />miles and cuts across the southeast corner of the property (Figure 4-3). From this <br />paved all-season road, access to most of the Lease is available via unimproved dirt <br />roads, many of which were constructed in support of drilling operations. Access to <br />the Lease annex is available by gravel roads which pass down Yellow and Duck <br />Creeks. <br />Daub & Associates, Inc. Page 4-30 NSI Mine Plan 2010 Rev. <br />Printed: 7/5/2010 Section 4 Geology