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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 63 (1979)

Issue: 3. (March)

First Page: 503

Last Page: 504

Title: Coal Resources of Part of Southern Illinois Basin: ABSTRACT

Author(s): James A. Noel

Article Type: Meeting abstract

Abstract:

Pennsylvanian rocks in the southern Illinois basin are sandstone, shale, coal, and thin discontinuous beds of limestone. Stratigraphically these rocks and their associated coal seams have been designated: Caseyville Group, Mt. Rorah and Wise Ridge coals; Tradewater Group, Davis and Dekoven coals; Carbondale Group, #2, #2A, #3, #4, #5, #5A, and #6 coals. The Wise Ridge, Davis, Dekoven, #5, and #6 coals have been strip mined, and the #5 and #6 coals have been deep mined. Extensive subsurface reserves have been proven for the Davis, Dekoven, and #5 coal and strippable reserves for the #5.

The Pennsylvanian sediments dip to the north and northwest at 80 to 100 ft/mi. Rocks of the Tradewater Group have been faulted against Upper Mississippian sediments along the Shawneetown-Rough Creek fault, whose displacement is about 1,400 ft (420 m). The upthrown block forms a broad curving ridge with a steep fault-line scarp on the north and this ridge is the dominant topographic feature of the area. The Cottage Grove fault trends slightly north of west across the northern boundary of the area and has a displacement up to 150 ft (45 m). No structural features have been discovered on the east and west sides of the area.

The sediments between the coals generally consist of,

End_Page 503------------------------------

from bottom to top: black carbonaceous fossiliferous shale; gray shale locally fossiliferous; gray shale; cross-bedded micaceous sandstone which is interlaminated and interbedded at the bottom with shale. These rocks are believed to represent marine-lagoonal, tidal-flat, distributary-channel, or channel environments, respectively.

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