RESULTS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY'S REGIONAL COAL ASSESSMENT IN THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL APPALACHIAN BASIN COAL REGIONS

The U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with State geological surveys, recently completed a digital resource assessment of five coal beds/zones in the northern and central Appalachian Basin coal regions. These include the Pittsburgh, Upper Freeport, Fire Clay, Pond Creek, and Pocahontas No. 3 coal beds and zones. Products include digital geologic maps (extent, mined areas, structure contour, overburden thickness, and coal thickness); geochemical maps and tables; public stratigraphic and geochemical databases; methodology documentation; and original and remaining resources, by coal bed/zone, state, and county. The total original resource for the five coals is estimated at about 93 billion short tons (bst), of which about 66 bst remain. Much of the remaining coal is thinner (<3.5 ft) and deeper (>1,000 ft) than the coal that was mined. However, economic resources are still available and coal mining will continue throughout this decade and into the next at current market conditions.

Appalachian Basin coal production is increasingly influenced by two factors: coal quality, especially sulfur content, and the demand for electricity. SO₂ emission regulations currently favor production of the lower sulfur central Appalachian coals over the more plentiful, but higher sulfur, northern Appalachian coals. However, almost 90% of new electrical generating capacity is anticipated to use natural gas as a fuel. If natural gas supplies cannot meet this demand, gas prices will rise providing incentives to utilities to build new coal-fired power plants equipped with flue-gas desulfurization units or to retrofit older units. This scenario could result in increased demand for northern Appalachian coals.