The Coal Availability studies are funded by USGS-NMBGMR cooperative agreements to look at coal areas (on a quadrangle scale) that have potential for mining. These studies look at the original resource and then remove any mining, technological, environmental, or cultural restrictions to determine the available coal in an area. All of these calculations are done within a GIS.
    The first Coal Availability study was in the Bisti area, southwest of Farmington, New Mexico looking at Fruitland Formation coal resources. This study was completed in 1998. The second study was done in the Standing Rock area, northwest of Grants, New Mexico looking at Cleary Coal Member, Menefee Formation coals. This study was completed in September 1999.  A third study, completed in 2000, investigates the Upper Member Menefee Formation coals in the La Ventana area southwest of Cuba, New Mexico. Another availability study of the Fruitland Formation in the Fruitland and Navajo fields was completed and published as an open-file in 2001.

Publications:

Hoffman, G.K., and Jones, G. E., February 2001, Coal Availability Studies, Fruitland and Menefee Formations, San Juan Basin, New Mexico: in Transactions, Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, vol. 310. Abstract

Hoffman G.K., and Jones, G. E., 2001, Coal Availability Study- Upper Menefee Formation in the Chacra Mesa, La Ventan fields, Northwest New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Open-file report 457, 16 p., 1 appendix.

Hoffman, G.K. and Jones, G.E., 2001 Coal Availability Study-Fruitland Formation in the Fruitland and Navajo Fields, Northwest New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Open-file report 464, 33 p., 1 appendix.

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Photo is southwest of Bisti Trading Post, near the old Gateway coal mine. The coal is in the Fruitland Formation.