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Data Series 912

Geospatial Data for Coal Beds in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana

By Scott A. Kinney, David C. Scott, Lee M. Osmonson, and James A. Luppens

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (920 kB)Abstract

The purpose of this report is to provide geospatial data for various layers and themes in a Geographic Information System (GIS) format for the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana. In 2015, as part of the U.S. Coal Resources and Reserves Assessment Project, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment of coal resources and reserves within the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana. This report is supplemental to USGS Professional Paper 1809 and contains GIS data that can be used to view digital layers or themes, including the Tertiary limit of the Powder River Basin boundary, locations of drill holes, clinker, mined coal, land use and technical restrictions, geology, mineral estate ownership, coal thickness, depth to the top of the coal bed (overburden), and coal reliability categories. Larger scale maps may be viewed using the GIS data provided in this report supplemental to the page-size maps provided in USGS Professional Paper 1809. Additionally, these GIS data can be exported to other digital applications as needed by the user. The database used for this report contains a total of 29,928 drill holes, of which 21,393 are in the public domain. The public domain database is linked to the geodatabase in this report so that the user can access the drill-hole data through GIS applications. Results of this report are available at the USGS Energy Resources Program Web site, http://energy.usgs.gov/RegionalStudies/PowderRiverBasin.aspx.

First posted May 12, 2015

For additional information contact:
Director, Central Energy Resources Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Box 25046, MS-939
Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225-0046
http://energy.usgs.gov/

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Suggested citation:

Kinney, S.A., Scott, D.C., Osmonson, L.M., and Luppens, J.A , 2015, Geospatial data for coal beds in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 912, 7 p., GIS database, https://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds912.

ISSN 2327-638X (online)



Contents

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives

Assessment Methodology

Geospatial Data Description

The Data Package

Acknowledgments

References