Individual lignite bodies have been mapped using over 2,700 water-well records, more than 100 electric logs, literature references, and unpublished well bores of the Forest Service. Petrographic, proximate, ultimate, and fusibility analyses have been determined.

The lignite occurs as scattered pods with overburden ranging from 25 to 200 ft (7 to 60 m). All of the lignite is of Tertiary age. Most of it is in the undifferentiated Wilcox Group and the rest is in the Midway Group.

The lignite bodies vary widely in their properties, but most are low grade. The average heat content is 7,849 BTU (8,280,695 J), but individual samples cover the entire range of heat values for lignite. The volatile content and ash content tend to be high. Sulfur averages 0.82% but ranges up to 3%. The fixed carbon content is low. In thin section, the samples appear to be typical lignites.

Most of the lignite pods contain less than 3 million tons in place, but three deposits range between 25 million and 50 million tons in place.

End_of_Article - Last_Page 516------------