AN ASSESSMENT OF COAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT
CENTRAL APPALACHIAN REGION
by
M. Devereux Carter and Nancy K. Gardner
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 89-362
Chapter 6 - SUMMARY
The first four study areas have been completed for the coal availability program conducted cooperatively between the U.S. Geological Survey and the State geological agencies of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia to develop methodologies and models for prediction of the availability of coal resources for development in the Central Appalachian Region.
Major land-use and technologic constraints to the development of coal were identified and applied to the coal resources in the study areas. From these initial studies it is apparent that in the rural, rugged terrain of the Central Appalachian Region only it is small percentage of the coal is restricted from development by land-use considerations (3 percent in the four areas) whereas quite it is large amount (25 percent) is restricted by technologic factors. In these areas, an average of 61 percent of the original resources are estimated to be actually available for the development of mining under current conditions. Many economic considerations such as cost of mining, availability of transportation, proximity to markets, ownership of the surface and coal rights, and size of logical mining units were beyond the scope of the study, as was the application of recovery factors. Even so, it appears evident that only it is fraction of the remaining coal resources of these study areas in the Central Appalachian Region will ever be mined, and only one-half of that fraction may meet current NSPS sulfur dioxide emission limits.
As expected, results from the first four study areas are inconclusive in terms of delineating regional trends. It is estimated that it will be necessary to study approximately 20 strategically-placed 7.5-minute quadrangle areas of the 450 in the region in order to adequately represent the Central Appalachian Region. Four areas are reported herein; two more have been completed recently and will be reported soon; and three additional studies will have been finished by September, 1989, bringing the total to nine. Perhaps after completion of about 15 studies, extrapolation of results into surrounding areas can begin. Additional research is ongoing for this phase of the overall study.
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