a guide to coal availability and resource development in...
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RANDOLPH
MONROE
ST.CLAIR
UNION
JOHNSON POPE
HARDIN
WILLIAMSON
SALINE
GALLATINJACKSON
FRANKLIN
PERRY
HAMILTON
WHITE
JEFFERSON
WASHINGTON
EDWARDSWABASH
WAYNE
CLINTON
MARION
RICHLAND
LAWRENCE
CLAY
MADISON
BOND
JASPERCRAWFORD
FAYETTE
EFFINGHAM
JERSEY
CALHOUN
MACOUPIN MONTGOMERY21
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DixonSprings
Cave-In-Rock
FerneClyffe
GiantCity
Lake Murphysboro
Pyramid
Wayne Fitzgerrell
BeallWoods
FrankHolten
SouthShore
Eldon Hazlet
Horseshoe Lake
StephenA. Forbes
Red Hills
Pere Marquette
Sam ParrPere
MarquetteStoyOblong Palestine
Donnellson WatsonSt. Elmo RobinsonStaunton
Panama
Vienna
Rosiclare
ElizabethtownJonesboro
SimpsonAnna
Buncombe
Cave-In-Rock
Eddyville
Cobden
Goreville
AltoPass
New Burnside
CrealSprings
StonefortMakanda
GrandTower
Carrier Mills
OldShawneetown
Gorham
ShawneetownJunctionEquality
EnergyHarrisburg
Carbondale
MarionCrainville
Spillertown Muddy
Carterville Energy
Murphysboro
PittsburgWhiteashCarterville
Cambria
ColpRidgway
JohnstonCityDe Soto
JohnstonCity
Eldorado
RaleighRockwood
Herrin
HurstBush Galatia
Freeman Spur
RoyaltonAva
OmahaVergennesZeiglerElkville West
Frankfort
Orient NewHaven
ThompsonvilleKaskaskia
CampbellHillChester
Dowell Broughton
Hanaford
ChristopherBuckner
Willisville NorrisCity
NorthCity
West City
SteelevilleEllis GrovePercy
Du Quoin
Valier
CutlerSt.
Johns
Benton
Maunie
Macedonia
Pinckneyville
Prairie du RocherEvansville EwingSesser McLeansboro Carmi
Enfield
Ruma Tamaroa
Phillipstown
Fults
Ina
CrossvilleNason
BaldwinSpringerton
Sparta
Coulterville
DahlgrenBonnieTildenRed
BudWaltonville
DuBois
Belle Prairie CityMaeystownBelleRive
MarissaMill Shoals
Oakdale
Radom
Grayville
Lenzburg
HeckerValmeyer
New Athens
Woodlawn BlufordAshley
Keenes
Mount Vernon
Waterloo
WayneCity
KeensburgGolden GateSt.Libory Sims
FayettevilleRichview
Browns
Nashville
BellmontAddievilleFairfield Albion
Venedy
FreeburgSmithton
New MindenOkawville IrvingtonFreeburg
Hoyleton Jeffersonville
MountCarmel
DixBoneGapColumbia
Millstadt
WalnutHill
Kell
IrvingtonDamiansvilleWamac
Mount ErieJohnsonville
Cisne
WestSalem
BartelsoNewBaden
Hoffman AllendaleCentralia
Dupo
AlbersEast Carondelet
Scott AFBCentral
City
Mascoutah
GermantownShiloh
Swansea
Junction City
Belleville
Cahokia
SummerfieldAlorton
ParkersburgHueyBeckemeyer
Sauget
Centreville
TrentonAviston St.
FrancisvilleLebanon
Sandoval
O'Fallon
Iuka
FairviewHeights
BreeseOdin
CarlyleEast St. Louis
CaseyvilleWashingtonPark
XeniaSalem
NationalCity
BrooklynFairmont
CityCalhoun
Flora
Madison
Clay City
Noble
St. Jacob
Collinsville
BridgeportAlmaGranite
CitySumnerClaremont
TroyMaryville
Keyesport LawrencevilleOlney
Highland
Patoka
PontoonBeach
SailorSprings
GraniteCity
LouisvilleKinmundyPierron
GlenCarbon
MadisonCity
Marine
VernonEdwardsville
PocahontasGrantforkSouth
Roxana
RussellvilleIolaFarinaHartford
BirdsRoxana
St. PeterWoodRiver
GreenvilleAlhambraHamel Old RipleySmithboroGreenville
RosewoodHeights
EastAlton
FlatRock
Bethalto
Mulberry Grove Edgewood
Alton
Worden
Ste.Marie
Brussels MasonElsah
LivingstonNew
Douglas
Grafton
WilliamsonGodfreyBrownstown NewtonSorento
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A Guide to Coal Availability and Resource Development in Illinois
µ
Region 2
Region 1
Region 3
Herrin (No. 6) CoalSteven R. Gustison, Philip M. Johanek, Robert J. Finley, Illinois State Geological Survey
Illinois State Geological Survey gratefully acknowledges thefunding for this project from the Illinois Department of Commerceand Economic Opportunity, Office of Coal Development; 620East Adams Street; Springfield, IL 62701-1615.
Underground Mining Technological Restrictions Minimum seam thickness 42 in. Minimum bedrock cover variable Minimum ratio of bedrock to unconsolidated overburden 1:1 Floodplains1 ... Minimum interburden between minable seams 40 ft Minimum size of mining block (clean coal) 40 million tons Faults (width of zone of no mining ) Cottage Grove Fault System Master fault Subsidiary fault Rend Lake Fault System Centralia Fault Wabash Valley Fault System
500 to 1,000 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 800 ft
Walshville Channel, no mining within 0.5 mi Anvil Rock Channel, no mining within
Energy Shale, no mining within Anvil Rock Sandstone within 5 feet of coal Partings Minimum yield Maximim thickness2
1,800 ft transition zone identified not used …
Land-use Restrictions (width of unminable coal around feature) Surface and underground mines 200 ft Towns 0 ft Subdivisions not used Churches and schools not used Cemeteries not used High-voltage transmission towers not used Interstate highways 100 ft Major airports 100 ft Dams 100 ft Closely spaced oil wells >7 wells per
40 acres Available with Conditions Closely spaced oil wells 4 - 7 wells per
40 acres Potential land-use conflicts All otherwise available underground minable coal within areas where land-use patterns are incompatible with mining
identified
Coal quality limitations none Bedrock cover >minimum
but <100 ft
1 Floodplains are considered a restriction only if bedrock is less than 100 feet thick. 2 Areas where partings are likely to be too thick for mining were identified. Data were generally insufficient to isopach parting thickness.
1:250,0000 8 16 24 324
Miles0 8 16 24 324
Kilometers
Of the 88.5 billion tons of the original resources of the Herrin Coal in Illinois, 79 billion tons, or 89%, remain; the Herrin Coal is the largest remaining coal resource in the state. The other 9.4 billion tons have been mined or were lost in mining during the more than 200 years Illinois coal has been mined. The degree to which this remaining resource is used in the future depends on the availability of deposits that can be mined at a cost that is competitive with other coals and alternative fuels. This report identifies those resources that have the most favorable geologic and land-use characteristics for mining, shows the probable trend of future mining of these resources, and alerts mining companies to geologic conditions that have a potentially negative impact on mining costs. Approximately 58% of the original Herrin Coal resources (51 billion tons) is available for mining. Available means that the surface land-use and geologic conditions related to mining of the deposit (e.g. thickness, depth, in-place tonnage, stability of bedrock overburden) are comparable to other coals currently being mined in the state. Of these resources, 21 billion tons are 42 to 66 inches thick and 30 billion tons are greater than 66 inches thick. An additional 3 billion tons of Herrin Coal resources are available but have geologic or land-use conditions that are potentially restrictive, making them less desirable for mining. Technological factors (geologic conditions and economic parameters such as size of reserve block) restrict mining of 24% of the resources, and land-use factors (e.g., towns, highways) restrict mining of 4% of the resources. The available resources are primarily located in the central and southern portions of the state (map regions 2 and 3 on the key map) and are well suited for high-efficiency longwall mining. The Herrin Coal resources are relatively flat-lying; have a consistent seam thickness over large areas; are relatively free of faults, channels, or other geologic anomalies; are located predominantly in rural areas free from oil wells and other surface development; and are situated in minable blocks of hundreds of millions of tons. Whether or not the resources are ultimately mined is still dependent on other factors that have not been assessed, including the willingness of local landowners to lease the coal, demands for a particular quality of coal, accessibility of transportation infrastructure, proximity of the deposit to markets, and cost and availability of competing fuels. About 74 billion tons of the remaining Herrin Coal resources have greater than 1.67 pounds of sulfur per million BTU and are therefore mostly suited for the high-sulfur coal market. Although only 9% of the original resources has a sulfur content of less than 1.67 pounds per million BTU, almost one-third of the past mining has been concentrated in these deposits. About 6 billion tons of this lower-sulfur coal remain, and about half of this is classified as available or available with potential restrictions. For the most part, these lower-sulfur resources are too deep for surface mining and will have to be mined by underground methods. Technological factors, particularly seam thickness and the thickness of bedrock cover, are the primary restrictions on mining these lower-sulfur deposits. About 5% of these resources are available but potentially restricted by land use because of the eastward expansion of development in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Most of the available Herrin Coal resources will be mined by underground methods. Of the 86 billion tons of original resources that are at least 40 feet deep (and therefore potentially minable by underground methods), 57% (49 billions tons) is available for underground mining. An additional 4% (3 billion tons) is available but with potential restrictions that make the resources less desirable. These potential restrictions include the presence of closely spaced oil wells, less stable roof strata, or close proximity to developing urban areas. The major technological factors that restrict underground mining are unfavorable thicknesses of bedrock and unconsolidated overburden (9% of original resources) coal less than 42 inches thick (8%), and thin interburden between the Herrin Coal and an overlying or underlying seam (4%). Land use restricts underground mining of 5% of the original resources, and 10% has already been mined or lost in mining. Only about 15 billion tons of the original Herrin Coal resource lie at depths of less than 200 feet and are therefore potentially minable by surface methods. Of these resources, 21% have already been mined (3 billion tons) and 15% (2 billion tons) is available for surface mining. Land-use factors, primarily towns, restrict 17% of the resources. Technological factors, primarily the stripping ratio and thick unconsolidated material, restrict 45% of the surface-minable resources. To avoid high mining costs resulting from unfavorable geologic conditions, companies seeking sites for underground mines should avoid areas with the following conditions: thick drift and thin bedrock cover, close proximity to the Walshville or Anvil Rock Channels or faults, areas of closely spaced oil wells, and areas at the margins of the Energy Shale or closely overlain by Anvil Rock Sandstone. Areas with low-cost surface minable resources (areas with low stripping ratios that are free of conflicting land uses) are limited and will only support small, limited-term operations. From Treworgy, C.G., C.P. Korose, and C.L. Wiscombe, 2000, Availability of the Herrin Coal for mining in Illinois: Champaign, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois Minerals 120, 60 p.
Legend
Restricted or mined-out area
42 to 66 inches
Greater than 66 inches
Rivers where the 50-year low flow > 5 mgd
#0 Estimated 50 year Low Flow in mgd
Existing Reservoir
$ Potential Reservoir Sites in mgd
D Plant Site with Yield in mgd
14 mgd
28 mgd
72 mgd
C Industrial and Institutional Plant
B Utility Owned Power Plant
Transmission Line
Municipality
Township
County
Interstate
Railroad
Nature PreserveArea with significant ecological,geological, or archaeological features
Fish and Wildlife Area
Conservation Area
State Forest
State Park
Natural Areas Inventory
Federal Land
100 year Floodzone
Resource Rich Watersheds
Coal Availability
Surface Water Sources
Reservoirs
Wastewater Treatment Plants
Potential Groundwater Yields
Coal-burning Electric Power Plants
Electrical Power Grid
Political Boundaries
Transportation Systems
Areas of Concern