Coal deposits in the USA are classified under six different provinces. Coal is mined in about 27 states in the USA. However, more than 90% of US coal reserve is contained within 10 states: Montana > Illinois >Wyoming >West Virginia >Kentucky >Pennsylvania > Ohio > Colorado >Texas > Indiana.
- US Coal Producing Regions (source EIA)
The Appalachian Province (Eastern Province):
- * Most extensively developed coal province in the United States.
- * Geologic Age: Carboniferous
- * Contains bituminous coal and almost all anthracite reserve in USA
- * Coal rank increases to the east within the Appalachian province.
- * Most of the Appalachian coal are classified as “steam coal”
- * Seam thickness: 0.5 – 3.6 meters
- * Mining types: Deep mines, open cuts, contour cut, mountain top removal
The Interior Province
- * Geologic Age: Carboniferous
- * Quality: Mostly high volatile bituminous coal, usually high in sulfur content (3-5%)
- * Springfield and Herrin coal seams are >1.5 m in thickness and accounts for the majority of coal production from the interior basin.
The Northern Great Plain Province
- * Geologic Age: Cretaceous to Tertiary
- * Mainly Sub-bituminous (Powder River Basin; Tertiary) and lignite (Williston Basin; Tertiary) coal deposits. Also has some bituminous coal reserve (Northern Montana, Cretaceous).
- * Tertiary coals of this province are with low sulfur content leading to higher demand from a environmental stand point.
- * Thickness: Usually >30 m, open cast mining.
The Rocky Mountain Province
- * Geologic Age: Cretaceous (Bituminous Coal) to Tertiary (Sub-bituminous and lignite)
- * Thickness: 3-10 meters
- * Series of intermontane basins
The Pacific Coast Province
- * Coal to the west of Rocky mountain and in Alaska
- * Geologic Age: Tertiary
- * Coal seams tectonized and metamorphosed in many places
- * Rank: Sub-bituminous and high volatile bituminous
The Gulf Coastal Plain Province
- * Geologic Age: Tertiary
- * Rank: Lignite Coal
- * Seam Thickness: 1.0 -7.5 meters, mainly opencast mining
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Coal Production and Coalbed Thickness by Major Coalbeds and Mine Type, 2008 (Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/coal/page/acr/table5.html)
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coalbed ID Number [1] Coalbed Name |
Production (thousand short tons) |
Thickness (inches) |
||||
| Underground | Surface | Total | Average[2] | Low | High | |
| 1699 Wyodak | - | 406,489 | 406,489 | 754 | 81 | 909 |
| 0036 Pittsburgh | 80,561 | 5,403 | 85,965 | 71 | 16 | 108 |
| 0489 No. 9 | 37,162 | 8,624 | 45,787 | 61 | 20 | 75 |
| 0111 Coalburg | 7,814 | 23,908 | 31,722 | 71 | 8 | 169 |
| 0484 Herrin (Illinois No. 6) | 24,544 | 3,941 | 28,485 | 69 | 36 | 96 |
| 1697 Canyon | - | 27,968 | 27,968 | 654 | 332 | 804 |
| 1569 Beulah-Zap | - | 27,550 | 27,550 | 179 | 135 | 210 |
| 1696 Anderson-Dietz 1-Dietz 2 | - | 22,345 | 22,345 | 901 | 660 | 960 |
| 0151 Upper Elkhorn No. 3 | 13,966 | 3,702 | 17,668 | 46 | 7 | 120 |
| 1787 Roland | - | 17,245 | 17,245 | 463 | 353 | 600 |
| 0084 Lower Kittanning | 7,223 | 9,919 | 17,142 | 51 | 12 | 94 |
| 1808 Rosebud | - | 16,376 | 16,376 | 255 | 172 | 276 |
| 0121 Winifrede | 4,926 | 11,066 | 15,992 | 67 | 5 | 116 |
| 0103 Stockton-Lewiston | 2,938 | 9,700 | 12,638 | 63 | 12 | 132 |
| 0168 Lower Elkhorn | 9,820 | 2,781 | 12,601 | 52 | 6 | 84 |
| 0135 Hazard No. 4 | 5,476 | 6,860 | 12,336 | 58 | 12 | 116 |
| 0157 Alma | 8,222 | 3,872 | 12,095 | 43 | 10 | 90 |
| 1488 Fruitland No. 8 | 7,046 | 4,631 | 11,677 | 147 | 41 | 193 |
| 0176 Eagle | 9,809 | 1,345 | 11,154 | 49 | 12 | 63 |
| 0071 Upper Freeport | 6,700 | 3,186 | 9,887 | 51 | 12 | 84 |
| 0280 Blue Creek | 8,793 | 470 | 9,263 | 60 | 8 | 120 |
| 0100 Hazard No. 8 | 1,099 | 7,538 | 8,637 | 43 | 10 | 84 |
| 0142 Williamson (Amburgy) | 6,035 | 2,317 | 8,352 | 43 | 6 | 130 |
| 0483 Indiana No. 6 | - | 8,147 | 8,147 | 53 | 16 | 96 |
| 1750 Wadge | 8,004 | - | 8,004 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Major Coalbeds Total | 250,138 | 635,383 | 885,521 | 436 | 5 | 960 |
| Other Coalbeds | 106,742 | 177,261 | 284,003 | 79 | 4 | 409 |
| Unknown[3] | 199 | 678 | 2,285 | NA | NA | NA |
| U.S. Total | 357,079 | 813,322 | 1,171,809 | 349 | 4 | 960 |
More information can be found at:
- US Coal reserves: A review and Update: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/ftproot/coal/052995.pdf
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