Abstract
Geologic Mapping of the Fruitland Formation Coals, Archuleta County, Colorado
Track: Mining and Geosciences
Author(s): Chris Carroll
Coalbed methane (cbm) exploration in the northern San Juan Basin is planned over the next decade. Government regulators, concerned citizens, and gas industry managers all have an interest in determining the location and number of drill holes necessary for the exploration to proceed in an environmentally responsible manner. A government mandate sets a limit on drilling within 1.5 miles of the Fruitland Formation outcrop to limit the amount of methane leakage to the surface.
Detailed geologic mapping determines the exact position of where that boundary is located. In 2008 Colorado Geological Survey geologists mapped 23 miles of Fruitland Formation coal bed outcrops on Federal and private land. This field data was compiled in GIS using spatial imagery overlaying aerial photography with base maps and geologic data. Measured sections were used to correlate coal beds and incorporated into the project.
Chris Carroll
Colorado Geological Survey
1313 Sherman St. ##715
Denver , Colorado 80203
United States
Phone: 303 866-2611
Fax: 303 866-2461
E-mail: Chris.Carroll@state.co.us