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USGS Central Region Energy Resources Team

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Coal recoverability in the Hilight quadrangle, Powder River Basin, Wyoming:
a prototype study in a western coal field

by
Lee M. Osmonson1, Timothy J. Rohrbacher1, Carol L. Molnia1,
and Gerald L. Sullivan2

Coal mining image

Open-File Report 00-103

Electronic edition

February 2000


This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code.  Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

The entire Open-File Report 00-103 can be successfully viewed or downloaded for use with Adobe Acrobat Reader.  If you do not already have Acrobat Reader version 3.0 or later, you may download the latest version here.


Contents

Abstract
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Definitions
Objectives
Mining Restrictions Used in this Study
Methodology
Results
Comparison to Earlier Study
Conclusions
References

Figures
Figure 1. Location of the Hilight quadrangle
Figure 2. Coal availability calculation
Figure 3. Coal recoverability calculation
Figure 4. Restrictions to mining in the Hilight quadrangle
Figure 5. Thickness of overburden and interburden
Figure 6. Total coal thickness
Figure 7. Ratio of waste rock to coal (stripping ratio)
Figure 8. Hilight quadrangle coal availability and recoverability results, in short tons
Figure 9. Hilight quadrangle coal availability and recoverability results, in percentages

Tables
Table 1     Original coal resources, unavailable resources, available resources,
mining losses, and recoverable resources in the Hilight quadrangle by coal ownership

Table 2.    Economically recoverable coal resources by sales-price level in the Hilight quadrangle

Table 3.    Original coal resources, unavailable resources, available resources, mining losses, and recoverable resources in the Hilight quadrangle by  coal ownership, assuming the coalbed-methane area is not available for mine development

Table  4.    Differences between the two studies of the Hilight quadrangle


Abbreviations and Conversions
To convert from To Multiply by
Inches (in) Centimeters 2.54
Feet (ft) Meters 0.3048
Miles (mi) Kilometers 1.609344
Pounds (lbs) Kilograms 0.4536
Short Tons (2,000 lbs) Metric tons (2,204.6 lbs) 0.90718474
All tonnage values in this report are in short tons


1U.S. Geological Survey, MS 939, Box 25046, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225
2 U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Denver, Colorado 80225


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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-103


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