Evaluation of coking coals in Colorado. Resource series 7

Abstract

Certain coals from the State of Colorado have long served as a major component for the manufacture of coke in the western United States. However, decision-makers in both private industry and in all levels of government have been hampered by the lack of a comprehensive and detailed statewide coking-coal resource evaluation. To alleviate this problem, a two-year project was initiated to evaluate the resources of coking coal in Colorado. Based on a precedent set by workers in the US Bureau of Mines and Department of Energy, a classification system was established to evaluate coking-coal resources in Colorado. The classification system uses coal ash and sulfur content and ASTM rank designations to categorize coal resources as being either premium (0 to 1.0% S, 0 to 3.0% ash), marginal (1.1 to 1.8% S, 8.0 to 12.0% ash), or latent (1.9 to 3.0% S, 12.1 to 15.0% ash) grade coking coal. Using this classification system, in conjunction with general technologic and geologic considerations for coke oven feedstocks, the Uinta, San Juan River, and Raton Mesa coal regions, Colorado, were selected as areas containing potential coking-coal reserves. Identified original in-place coking-coal reserve estimates then were made utilizing the proposed coking-coal classification system, coal resourcemore » evaluation maps, and published coal reserve estimates. In Colorado, the Raton Mesa region contains 2.05 billion short tons, the San Juan River region 1.78 billion short tons, and the Uinta region 0.45 billion short tons of identified coking-coal reserves. The total identified original in-place coking-coal reserves for the State of Colorado are estimated at 4.3 billion short tons.« less