A MISSISSIPPIAN AND PENNSYLVANIAN REGIONAL CORRELATION STUDY ON THE PINE MOUNTAIN OVERTHRUST AREA OF TENNESSEE AND PART OF KENTUCKY

A regional cross-section was constructed across the Pine Mountain Overthrust area of Tennessee and Kentucky in order to evaluate the regional relationships of the various coal zones and formation members. This study was necessary to establish consistent coal zone correlations on the overthrust area and create a cross-section that could be used to compare other drill hole, e-log, and measured section information. This cross-section correlates coal zones and strata from the Middle Pennsylvanian Breathitt Formation down to the Upper Mississippian Newman Limestone (“Big Lime”). Stratigraphic information from core holes, measured sections, and oil and gas well e-logs was used to create the cross-section, which was tied to as many “type-localities” of formation members and coal zones as possible. Several regionally recognized stratigraphic horizons that contain marine invertebrate fossils were used as marker beds to correlate the various coal zones in Tennessee. Two tonstein (flintclay) partings are included in the cross-section and were used as additional marker beds.

This study resolved a number of stratigraphic nomenclature problems on the Pine Mountain Overthrust. Several previously miscorrelated coal zones in the Walnut Mountain area of Campbell County, Tennessee have been correlated with recognized coal zones in the Log Mountains area of Claiborne County, Tennessee and Bell County, Kentucky. These improved correlations will insure more accurate coal reserve maps and reserve estimates for the various coal zones. For example, this study has determined that several mines previously identified as being located in the Rich Mountain seam are actually in two different seams within the Rich Mountain coal zone tentatively identified as the “Upper Rich Mountain” seam and the “Lower Rich Mountain” seam. The extension of the Tennessee regional correlation cross-section into Kentucky will facilitate the proper correlation of Tennessee coal zones with the type-sections and coal zones in Kentucky.