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GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 77
June 1950
COAL RESOURCES OF MICHIGAN
George V. Cohee, Ruth N. Burns, Andrew Brown, Russell A. Brant, and Dorothy Wright
. I - PURVEY 1-.:- »f:^-,-:iuQ DFFICE
SAN FKAI-J-I3CD. CALIFORNIA
Prepared in cooperation with theMichigan Geological Survey Division,Department of Conservation, and the
Department of Geology, University of Michigan
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Oscar L. Chapman, Secretary
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Free on application to the Geological Survey, Washington 26, D. C.
CONTENTS
Page Introduction................................. 1
Acknowledgements........................ 2Michigan coal basin.......................... 2
Coal-bearing rocks....................... '2Glacial drift............................. 3Thickness, extent, and character
of the coal............................. 3History of mining......................... 4History of production..................... 4
Michigan coal basin Continued PageCoal recovered in mining.................. 5
Michigan coal reserves....................... 5Sources of information.................... 5Method of estimating reserves............. 5Measured coal reserves................... 6Indicated and inferred coal reserves........ 6Areas favorable for coal occurrence........ 6The future of coal mining in Michigan....... 7
Bibliography................................ 7
Plate 1.
Figure 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.
10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.
.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34.
35..
36.37.
Table
ILLUSTRATIONS
Page Map of the Michigan coal basin showing areas containing coal reserves, thickness of
glacial drift, and depth of possible coal-bearing rocks.................................In pocketCoal production in Michigan, 1860 to 1949.................................................. 1Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N.Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N.Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N.Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N.Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N.Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N.Measured coal reserves, T. 15 N.Measured coal reserves, T. 15 N.Measured coal reserves, T. 16 N.
R. R. R. R. R. R. R. R.
4 E. 5E. 6E. 3E. 4E. 5E. 3E. 4E.
R. 3 E.
Bay County, Michigan.......................... 9Bay County, Michigan.......................... 10Bay County, Michigan.......................... 11Bay County, Michigan.......................... 12Bay County, Michigan.......................... 13Bay County, Michigan.......................... 14Bay County, Michigan.......................... 15Bay County, Michigan.......................... 16Bay County, Michigan.......................... 17
Measured coal reserves, T. 7 N., R. 6 E., Genesee County, Michigan....................... 18Measured coal reserves, T. 7 N., R. 7 E., Genesee County, Michigan....................... 19Measured coal reserves, T. 15 N., R. 9 E., Huron County, Michigan........................ 20Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 2 E., Midland County, Michigan...................... 21Measured coal reserves, T. 9 N., R. 2 E., Saginaw County, Michigan....................... 22
3 E., Saginaw County, Michigan....................... 23Measured coal reserves, T. 9 N., R. Measured coal reserves, T. 10 N. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured goal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. Measured coal reserves, T. 7 N., R. Measured coal reserves, T. 8 N., R.
ION.ION.11 N.11 N.UN.12 N.12 N.12 N.13 N.13 N.13 N.
R.R.R.R.R.R.R.R.R.R.R.
2 E.3.E.2E.3E.4E..4E.5E.6 E.3 E.4E.5E.
4E.,
Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 24Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 25Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 26Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 27Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 28Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 29Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 30Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 31Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 32Saginaw County, Michigan...................... 33Saginaw County, Michigan.............. t....... 34
Shiawassee County, Michigan.................... 353 E., Shiawassee County, Michigan.................... 36
Measured coal reserves, T. 8 N., R. 4 E., Shiawassee County, Michigan.................... 37Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 7 E., Tuscola County, Michigan...................... 38Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 8 E.,- Tuscola County, Michigan...................... 39Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 7 E., Tuscola County, Michigan...................... 40Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 8 E., Tuscola County, Michigan, depth range,
100-200 feet......................................................................... 41Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 8 E., Tuscola County, Michigan, depth range,
200-300 feet......................................................................... 42Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 9 E., Tuscola County, Michigan..................'.... 43Measured coal reserves, T. 15 N., R. 8 E., Tuscola County, Michigan..'.................... 44
TABLESPage
Thickness and character of glacial drift in areas of measured coal reserves.................. 45-47Names and locations of former coal mines in Michigan..................................... 48-51Measured coal reserves in Michigan as of January 1, 1950, by counties and townships......... 52-53Total measured coal reserves in Michigan as of January 1, 1950, by counties................ 54Indicated and inferred coal reserves in Michigan as of January 1, 1950, by counties and.
townships.......................................................................... 55Annual production of coal in Michigan, 1860 to 1949....................................... 56
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COAL RESOURCES OF MICHIGANBy
George V. Cohee, Ruth N. Burns, Andrew Brown, Russell A. Brant, and Dorothy Wright
INTRODUCTION
This report on the coal resources of Michigan is the third of a series of State summary studies undertaken by the U. S. Geological Survey as part of a program to reappraise the coal reserves of the United States. Reappraisals of the coal reserves of North Carolina and Montana have been published previously in "Geology of the Deep River coal field, Chatham, Lee, and Moore Counties, North Carolina," U. S. Geological Survey Preliminary Map, June 1949; and "Coal Resources of Montana, " U. S. Geological Survey Circular 53, August 1949.
Since 1928, when the latest estimate of coal reserves in the United States was made by M. R. Campbell of the U. S. Geological Survey, many detailed maps of local coal field areas throughout the United States have been com pleted both by the U. S. Geological Survey and by the state Geological Surveys, and much exploration and development have been carried on by private companies. It is now possible, therefore, to prepare modern, com prehensive summary appraisals of coal reserves in most of the United States, by classes according to thickness of bed, amount of overburden, reliability of information, and other pertinent factors. The U. S. Geological Survey, with cooperation from state Surveys, mining companies, and private individuals, has undertaken this work and expects to continue it until a new appraisal of total reserves in the United States has been completed. As this circular goes to press new summary appraisals of coal reserves in New Mexico and Wyoming are in preparation.
Millions of short too*
2.000
1.750
1.500
1,250
1.000
0.750
0.500
0.250
1907
Snail mines ra Jackson, Eat and Sbiawasee Comities
Misiog begun in Bsy and Sagiaaw Counties
I860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 ,1950
Figurel.-Coal Production in Michigan, 1860 to 1949 (Production in million! of toni; data from the Michigan Geological Survey Division)
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The coal fields in Michigan are on the east side of the Michigan coal basin, a large structural basin underlain by rocks of Pennsylvanian age forming the central part of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan. Mining has been carried on in parts of Bay,< Saginaw, Tuscola, Shiawassee, Genesee, Ingham, Eaton, Calhoun, and Jackson Counties, and occurrences of coal have been reported in other counties in the basin. The coal, which is of Pennsylvanian age, is of high- volatile B and C bituminous ranks.
In preparing this report on the coal resources of Michigan, data from published and unpublished reports and maps in the files of the Michigan Geological Survey Division, and more than 2, 500 logs of coal test-wells, and several hundred sets of drill cuttings from exploratory wells for oil and gas have been examined for detailed information about areas where coal has been mined and where further exploration may be warranted.
The coal in Michigan occurs sporadically in iso lated beds that vary greatly in thickness, and gener ally pinch out within relatively short distances. In consequence, a coal bed mined at one locality may not be the same as one mined a few miles away. As there is little assurance that coal beds in Michigan extend beyond the areas of detailed information, satisfactory estimates of the extent and average thick ness of the coal beds are possible only for relatively small areas. In preparing estimates of Michigan coal reserves, therefore, only those areas having adequate test-hole information have been considered. No esti mates are given for a large part of the Michigan coal basin where coal should be present, but where speci fic information is lacking.
According to the present estimate the total re serves of coal in Michigan on January 1, 1950, are 220 million tons, which are divided as follows:
Million tons Measured reserves. ........... 125Indicated reserves. ............ 29Inferred reserves. ............ 66
Total
Assuming that mining losses of 50 percent will be experienced in future mining, the estimated potentially recoverable reserves of all classes in Michigan are 110 million tons. The total amount of coal mined and lost in mining in Michigan from the days of earliest mining to January 1, 1950, is about 77 million tons, based upon a known total production of 46, 239, 607 tons, and assuming that past losses in mining have been about 40 percent of the original coal underground.
Acknowledgments
The writers greatly appreciate the assistance provided by many persons whose help and advice were sought during the preparation of this report. Gerald E. Eddy, State Geologist, and Harry Hardenberg, Economic Geologist, of the Michigan Geological Sur vey Division, contributed mine information and pro vided many helpful suggestions. P. P. Morrison, of the Robert Gage Coal Company, Bay City, Michigan, made available for use in the report drill records, mine maps and mining data. John Ferris, of the Ground- Water Branch, U. S. Geological Survey,
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Lansing, Michigan, supplied maps and well records giving the thickness and character of the glacial drift in several areas. W. A.,Kelly, Michigan State College, C. A. Arnold, University of Michigan, and H. R. Wanless> University of Illinois, provided data regarding the correlations of certain Pennsylvanian beds in the Michigan coal basin and with rocks of the same age in the Illinois and Appalachian basins.
MICHIGAN COAL BASIN
The coal-bearing rocks in Michigan, which are of lower Pennsylvanian age, cover an area of 11,500 square miles in the central part of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan (fig. 1). The beds dip towards the center of the Michigan basin at an average rate of about 20 feet per mile on the north flank, and about 11 feet per mile on the south flank. Because of this eccentricity, the point of maximum structural depres sion of the basin is in the northern part of the area underlain by Pennsylvanian rocks. The greatest depth of the base of the Pennsylvanian is in north-central . Midland County, where it is 960 feet below the surface, or 310 feet below sea level. Near this point the Pennsylvanian rocks are more than 750 feet thick, which is the maximum thickness yet observed. Due to post-Pennsylvanian erosion, the total thickness of Pennsylvanian rocks decreases in all directions from this point of maximum thickness.
Overlying the Pennsylvanian strata locally are scattered patches of unconsolidated to poorly consoli dated, red clastic sediments and gypsum, commonly referred to as redbeds, which may be of Permian age. These deposits are overlain in turn by a concealing mantle of glacial drift ranging in thickness from a few feet to nearly 1,000 feet.
The surface of the Michigan coal basin is flat or gently undulating with local relief rarely exceeding 100 feet. Elevations range from 580 feet above sea level at the shore of Saginaw Bay to about 1, 700 feet above sea level in north-central Osceola County. The land surface is very flat in the vicinity of Saginaw Bay in the eastern part of the coal basin. This area was covered by glacial lakes in Pleistocene time, and the present flat surface of the land in the Saginaw Valley is due to deposition of sediments on the former lake bottoms. South and west of this flat area the glacial deposits are more irregular, and moraine topography is common. Pennsylvanian beds are exposed in only a very few localities in the eastern and southern parts of the coal basin, and the exposures are of limited area! and vertical extent.
Coal-bearing rocks
The Pennsylvanian rocks in Michigan are divided into the Parma sandstone below and the Saginaw for mation above. The Parma sandstone, which is non- coal-bearing, was named from outcrops near Parma, in Jackson County. It ranges in thickness from 15 to 150 feet. The Saginaw formation, which includes all of the coal beds in Michigan, was named from the Saginaw Valley where the sequence of beds was first clearly revealed in mine shafts. The "formation generally is from 200 to 500 feet thick in the area of the former mines in the Saginaw Valley, and consists typically of gray, dark gray to black shale, sandstone, shaly limestone and coals. Locally, however, it is in
large part sandstone. In the center of the Michigan coal basin the Saginaw formation attains a maximum thickness of approximately 650 feet. All of the sand stone beds and some of the shale beds in the Saginaw formation were deposited in streams and swamps, and for the most part, their bedding and lithology are so irregular that it is impossible to trace individual beds for more than a short distance. Calcareous shale and argillaceous limestone beds of marine origin, and hence more uniformly bedded and more persistent than other beds in the Saginaw formation, were deposited at intervals throughout the deposition of the Saginaw formation. Kelly I/ has found several cycles of alternate continental, and marine deposition, and many local unconformities in the exposures of the Saginaw rocks. The Verne shaly limestone, named from the Verne mine in Saginaw County, is a persistent marine limestone that is useful as a marker bed. The fauna of the shale and shaly limestone beds of the Saginaw formation indicate that it is of lower Pennsylvanian age, and is equivalent to the upper part of the Kanawha formation and the lower part of the Allegheny formation of the Appalachian basin, and to part of the Tradewater formation of the Illinois basin. According to Arnold 2/ the flora of the Saginaw formation appears to be more closely related to the late Caseyville and Tradewater floras of the Illinois basin than to floras of comparable age in Ohio. Arnold states also that data on flora suggest upper New River age for the Saginaw coal and late Kanawha age for the highest floras of the Saginaw formation.
The Pennsylvanian rocks of Michigan were de posited on an eroded surface cut into slightly folded lower Mississippian rocks. It has been observed that in some outcrop areas in Jackson County basal Pennsylvanian sandstones occupy valleys cut in lower Mississippian rocks. According to subsurface data, several hundred feet of lower Mississippian rocks were eroded from anticlines in the vicinity of Saginaw Bay prior to the deposition of the Pennsylvanian rocks.
Glacial drift
Glacial deposits, of Pleistocene age, cover most of the area of coal-bearing rocks in Michigan. This material, consisting of unconsolidated gravel, sand, silt and till, was deposited on an irregularly eroded surface cut in the Pennsylvanian rocks. The present smooth to Tolling surface of Michigan, therefore, is the result of this process of filling and leveling.
The glacial drift locally is thin or absent, and rarely exceeds 200 feet in thickness in the area where .coal has been mined ( pi. 1). In central and western Michigan, however, where Pennsylvanian rocks are present, and coal undoubtedly is likewise present, the glacial drift generally ranges from 300 to more than 800 feet in thickness. This thick mantle of glacial drift has greatly hindered prospecting for coal in central and western Michigan. Where the drift is thick, exploration and mining costs are high. In many places, for example, pre-Pleistocene drainage valleys filled with loosfcly consolidated glacial sand and gravel cut out the coal beds. As such glacial cut-outs are common, the location and pattern of the
lK*lll, W. A., The P»niwylvonlon lyittm of Michigani Michigan Gtool. Surv«y, , Pub. 40, Gtool. Mr, 34, pt. 2,,p. 1S9, 18M.3Arnold,' C. A., Foull flora cd the Michigan ocxi bmini Michigan Univ., MM.
Pataontology, Cento, vol. 7, n. 9, pp. ISl-ISS, 1940.
pre-glacial drainage systems in Michigan miast be considered in future exploration for coal, the nature of the material composing the glacial drift :&fcso must be considered, as some shafts were lost iii ttoe early days of mining .in Michigan because they coulg not penetrate areas of poorly consolidated, saturated sand in the drift.
Most of the coal in Michigan is below the water table and water from the porous sand and gravel in the glacial drift seeped into many mines. Consequently the water had to be pumped out of the mines to keep them from flooding. Table 1 gives the detailed infor mation available about the thickness and character of the glacial drift in areas where mining and. exploration has taken place, and where the remaining measured coal reserves in Michigan are located,
Thickness, extent, and character of the, coal
Although locally numerous, all of Ithe coal beds in the Saginaw formation are of small area! exfeent, and many of them are too thin to be mined profitably with % present mining methods. As many as 14 thlaa-coal beds have been reported in parts of Bay County, and almost as many in adjoining counties. Only three of these beds, however, the Saginaw, the Lower Verne, and the" Upper Verne coal beds, are persistent, and they are thin as compared with coal beds in the Appalachian field. The Saginaw coal, which is the most extensive coal bed in the State, is the lowest bed of commercial importance. It was the principal coal mined in Saginaw County, where it was more than 3 feet thick in some areas. The Lower and Upper Verne coals occur above the Saginaw coal, and in some areas the two beds are so close together that they eotd-d be worked as one coal bed, whereas in other areas they are as much as 40 feet apart. The Lower Verne coal is generally about 2 feet thick, and is high in ash and sulfur. The Upper Verne coal, which yielded most of the coal mined in Bay County, is generally 2i feet thick but in some places, now mostly mined-out, it was from 3 to 4 feet thick. The Upper Venie coal is commonly underlain by fire clay, and overlain by black shale. - .
Other named coal beds in Michigan include the Bangor coal and its "rider," which are nearly 400 feet below the surface in Bay County, and are the lowest named coal beds in the State; the Lower Coal and its "rider," which are below the Saginaw coal and, above the Bangor coal; and the Salzburg, Unionville, and Reese coals and their "riders," which are above the Verne coals. All of these coal beds occur in an inter val of about 400 feet. Locally, as in the vicinity Of the Wolverine No. 3 mine, T. 14 N., R. 3; 4E^ Bay County, as many as 10 .beds of coal occur in an interval of 175 feet, 3/ and deeper drilling in the adjacent terri tory has shown that there are at least three or four additional thin coal beds below the lowest eoal explored in the vicinity of the Wolverine No, 3 mine. At the Wolverine No. 3 mine, however, only the;so-«ealled Verne coal was of minable thickness, and the other beds were thin lenses or pockets of coal of very limited extent,
Few of the coal beds that have been mined in Michigan average more than 3 feet 14 thickness, and'Smith, R. A,, Coal in Mlohlgdn, Mtehiawi Oml. slid ii«l.,Surv«* Pub. 19,
0«ol. «. 16, pt..Z, P. 252, 191&.
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some are only about 2| feet thick. The thickest coal mined was the bed in the Wenona mine north of Bay City; it was 4i feet thick. Drill-hole records have shown coal as much as 7 feet thick, but most of the test drilling for coal was done with a churn drill, which may not give as accurate a thickness of the coal as could be obtained with a core drill. It is possible, also, that black shale and partings associated with the coal may have been included in the thicknesses re corded in some of the drillers' logs.
It has been found in mining that coal beds may vary in altitude from 30 to 50 feet or more in a quarter of a mile; thicken, thin, or pinch out entirely in a few hundred feet; or split into two or more dis tinct beds. Displacement of the coal beds by faulting was observed in the Porter mine at Jackson, and in the mine at. Sebewaing. Most of the areas of proved coal contain less than 150 acres; some contain more than 250 acres; and only a few contain more than 1,000 acres.
Michigan coal, which is of high-volatile B and C bituminous ranks, is suitable for domestic and in dustrial fuel, but it is not suitable for manufacturing coke. Analyses of face samples of the coal on an "as received" basis show heat values ranging from about 10,500 B. t. u. to about 12, 300 B. t. u., and rather high moisture-content; 'generally averaging from 8 to 13 percent. 4/ The sulfur content, which differs be tween beds and between areas, generally averages from 1 to 3 percent in Bay and Saginaw Counties, but is greater near the margin of the coal basin. The ash content, which ranges from 3 to 9 percent in Bay and Saginaw Counties, also is greater near the margin of the coal basin. The volatile matter.ranges from 31 to 41 percent, and fixed carbon from 39 to 53 percent. Regarding the analyses of mined coal, which are more numerous than analyses of face samples, Eddy b/ believes that many older analyses of mined or de livered coal may not truly represent the quality of Michigan coal. Unless extreme care is exercised in mining the thin, irregular beds and in washing the mined product, some roof and floor rock tends to be included with the coal. This included material in creases the ash content and lowers the heat value of the delivered coal. It can be said of Michigan coal, in general, that by careful mining and thorough wash ing, commercial coal with the composition of a face sample should be obtained.
The coals in Michigan vary greatly in their charac teristics. The coals in the southern part of the coal basin are generally high in sulfur and ash, and have a low fixed carbon content, whereas, the coals in Bay and Saginaw Counties are of better quality. The Saginaw coal bed, where it is thick enough to be mined, is of better quality than the younger coals.
History of mining
Coal was first discovered in sec. 1, T. 3 S., R. 2 W., Jackson County, in 1835, while workmen were digging the foundation for a mill, 6/ and small mines were later opened in that locality."" Mining was
*U. S. Bur. Mine* Tech. Paper 700, pp. 32-40, 1948, and unpublished analyees . in the files of the Michigan Geological Survey Division. Eddy, Gerald E., personal communication.
' Wine he 11, A., First biennial report of the progress of the Geol. Survey of Michigan, p. 115, 1861.
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carried on in the vicinity of Grand Ledge, Eaton County, as early as 1839, and small mines were oper ated in Jackson County until 1910. These shallow deposits of coal generally were not more than 2 or 3 hundred yards wide and a few hundred yards long. Coal was mined near Corunna and Owosso, Shiawassee County, before 1860. Coal was discovered in a salt well drilled in Bay City in 1861, but it was not until 1897 that coal was mined in Saginaw and Bay Counties. Mining in Huron, Tuscola, and Genesee Counties followed a few years later.
In the southeastern part of the Michigan coal basin, particularly parts of Ingham, Eaton, and Shiawassee Counties, the glacial drift is thin or absent, and coal beds of the Saginaw formation are at the surface or covered by very little overburden. These deposits were readily accessible for strip mining. In 1932 the Cedar River Coal Co. opened a pit in sec. 36, T. 4 N., R. IE., at the east edge of Williamston, and operated it for a few years. At this locality the coal was 32 inches thick; it is overlain by about 20 feet of over burden. Just prior to World War II a small strip-pit was opened south of the earlier operation. Here the coal was about 30 inches thick and of good quality, but of limited extent. This development was suspended in 1946. Strip mining has been carried on also about 2 miles northeast of Corunna, Shiawassee County, in sec. 15, T. 7 N., R. 3 E., and in sec. 22 of the same township; also in sees. 14 and 28, T. 3 N;, R, 5 W., northeast of Chester, Eaton County, and in sees. 2 and 3 of T. 4 N., R. 4 W., near Grand Ledge, Eaton County. No strip mine covered more than a few acres, as the coal at all localities appears to have been of limited extent. Where the Pennsylvanian rocks are near the surface, or are overlain by only a thin mantle of glacial drift, it is probable that many more, small areas suitable for stripping will be found by future exploration.
The principal area of shaft mining has been in Bay and Saginaw Counties, where at least 59 mines have been operated (pi. 1 and table 2). Shaft mines were operated also in Midland, Tuscola, Genesee, Shiawassee, Ingham, Eaton, Jackson, and Calhoun Counties. Coal mining was attempted in Arenac County but encountered great irregularity in thickness and continuity of the coal. The former mines varied in depth from a few feet in the southern part of the coal basin to more than 200 feet in Midland County. The room-and-pillar method of mining was used in all of the mines. The long-wall method was tried in several mines but it proved unsuccessful.
History of production
The recorded production of coal in Michigan from 1860, when records of the production of coal were first maintained, to January 1, 1950, is 46, 239, 607 short tons. In the early days of coal mining in the State only the beds exposed or at shallow depths in the vicinity of Grand Ledge, Jackson, and Corunna were mined, and the rate of production was low. After the mines in Bay and Saginaw Counties were opened in 1897, however, coal mining became an important industry in the State. The greatest tonnage mined was in 1907 when a total of 2 million tons was produced by 37 mines. Except for a few minor temporary increases between 1918 and 1935, production declined steadily after 1907. Since 1923, the annual production of coal
in Michigan has not exceeded 1 million tons, and in 1949, with only one mine operating, it has declined to approximately 12,000 tons, the lowest in 85 years. Table 6, prepared from production records in the files of the Michigan Geological Survey Division, gives the annual production of coal, in Michigan since 1860; figure 1 shows the same information in graphic form, and emphasizes the decline in production that has taken place since 1907.
Coal recovered in mining
In mining operations in various parts of the United States, coal losses due to coal left in pillars, barriers, at the top and bottom of the bed, under towns and highways, and around oil wells have amounted to as much as 50 percent of the coal in the ground. In Michigan, however, Frank Pardee, Mining Engineer, Michigan Geological Survey Division, and Louis Gabrick, Mine Inspector, Michigan Depart ment of Labor, estimate that past losses in mining have been 40 percent of the coal in the ground. _?/ This smaller estimate of former losses in Michigan, as compared with other areas, might be due to the fact that the coal beds in Michigan are generally thinner and of smaller extent than beds mined in most States, and hence probably were more carefully and com pletely mined.
MICHIGAN COAL RESERVES
Sources of Information
Mine maps, drill records, and coal analyses from all available sources were examined and correlated in preparing the accompanying estimate of Michigan coal reserves. More than 2, 500 logs of coal test-wells, numerous mine maps, and several hundred coal analyses in the files of the Robert Gage Coal Co., to gether with several hundred sets of drill cuttings from exploratory wells for oil and gas, and a considerable number of mine maps from areas of former active mining, in the files of the Michigan Geological Survey Division, were included in the material used in pre paring the estimate. Published geological reports which are listed in the bibliography also were exam ined. A manuscript report on the coal reserves of several areas in eastern Michigan prepared by H. M. Chance in 1911 for the board of the State Tax Com missioners was used as a source of information for areas where more recent data were not available. This report is now in the files of the Michigan Geo logical Survey Division. As the coal mining industry in Michigan has been declining for a number of years, and as many coal company offices have been closed, some well records and mine maps have been lost, or are not available for examination. The number of such records is believed to be small, however, as compared with the number examined in the prepara tion of this report.
Method of estimating reserves
The irregular thickness and erratic distribution of coal in Michigan is generally due to the lensing of the beds and locally to preglacial cutouts. Therefore, accurate estimates of reserves can be made only where detailed information is available.
Hordenberg, H. J., personal communication
The occurrence of coal in isolated wells and surface exposures cannot be relied upon as evidence of the existence of continuous beds, as is generally true in other areas. Nor is the absence of coal in a single well sufficient evidence to indicate its absence in more than a small area, for some test wells show no coal although they were drilled in areas surrounded by coal. Because of the lenticular nature of the coal beds, it was considered advisable to confine the estimates of measured, indicated, and inferred coal to areas in which closely spaced drilling for coal had been done, and for which drill-hole records and mine information were available. The part of the coal besin for which this kind of information is available is restricted to the Saginaw Valley, south and southwest of Saginaw Bay, and includes 33 townships in Bay, Tuscola, Midland, Saginaw, Huron, Shiawassee, and Genesee Counties (pi. 1).
The assumptions and procedures used in computing the coal reserves of Michigan, which of necessity were more rigid than those employed in other states where the coal beds may be assumed to have a reasonable continuity, are summarized briefly below:
Measured coal is coal for which tonnages are computed from measurements taken in mine workings and drill holes. The points of observation and measurement are so closely spaced, and the thickness and extent of the coal so well defined, that the com puted tonnage is judged to be accurate within 20 per cent or less of the actual tonnage. The outer limit of a block of measured coal is drawn within a few hundred feet of the outermost points of positive information, which conservative assumption is necessary to define measured coal in Michigan because of the known lack of continuity of the beds.
Indicated coal is coal for which tonnage estimates are based primarily on thickness measurements in isolated drill holes. It is. assumed that the thickness of coal observed in the drill holes is representative of the area covered by a circle with a radius of 1/8 mile, the drill hole being the center.
Inferred coal is coal for which tonnage estimates are based on the isolated drill holes that were also used in computing indicated reserves. The general rule was to limit inferred coal to the area lying out side the circle of 1/8-mile radius containing indicated reserves and inside a circle of 1/4 -mile radius. In some areas, however, where drill iioles are more than 1/2 mile, but less than 1 mile apart, and the evidence indicates that the coal is fairly persistent, some reserves have been inferred to be present between the holes.
Because of the relatively small area covered by the estimates and the completeness and density of the data, it was possible to eliminate mined-out areas before calculations were made, and to present esti mates of coal remaining in the ground as of January 1, 1950.
The measured reserves were divided for purposes of summary study and tabulation into three thickness categories of 14 to 28 inches, 28 to 42 inches, and more than 42 inches, according to recommendations of the National Bituminous Coal Advisory Council. They v/ere further separated, where appropriate, into
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ranges of depth below the surface of 50 to 100 feet, 100 to 200 feet, 200 to 300 feet, and 300 to 400 feet. No attempt was made to break down the indicated arid inferred reserves into thickness and depth categories because of the small amount of information available for making the estimates.
Measured coal reserves
The first step in the preparation of estimates of the coal reserves of Michigan was the drafting of maps of each of the 33 townships for which estimates were made. On each of these maps (figs. 2-37) all drill holes and all data on mined-out areas were plotted, as were the areas outlined by Mr. Chance in his 1911 report. From the drill-hole and mine in formation the area underlain by each coal bed more than ,14 inches thick was outlined. In most of the areas of concentrated information more than one bed was present, and it was necessary to establish correla tions between holes on the basis of the thickness of the individual beds, the intervals between beds, and the lithology of the enclosing rocks. The weighted average thickness of each bed was then determined, all partings more than 3/8-inch thick being excluded, and the reserves in each individual bed computed. For purposes of calculation the coal in the ground was assumed to weigh 1, 800 tons per acre-foot.
No coal beds over or under a mined-out area are shown on the maps, although it is known that coal is present both above and below such areas in some places. It is considered that this coal, if it is of minable thickness, could be recovered with difficulty, if at all, and it was therefore not included in the estimates.
Many of the areas outlined by Mr. Chance in his report were later mined out, but several areas re main undeveloped. In some of the undeveloped areas where drill-hole information was not available for this study, but had been available to Mr. Chance, his original determinations of thickness of coal and area! extent have been used. The largest of these areas are in T. 16 N., R. 3 E., Bay County; and T. 7 N., R. 6E., and T. 7 N., R. 7E., near Flint, Genesee County (figs. 10, 11 and 12).
Examination of the township maps shows that the areas of measured reserves range in size from less than 100 acres to more than 1, 400 acres. Many of the areas adjoin mined-out areas in the same bed, and thus obviously were not economically minable at the time the mine shut down. Such reserves, however,- conform to the definition of measured reserves em ployed for the purpose of this study, and are shown as a matter of record.
A summary of the measured reserves shown on the township maps is given in tables 3 and 4. These tables show that Bay, Saginaw, and Tuscola Counties, which have yielded most of the coal mined in Michigan, contain 87 percent of the measured reserves, the re maining 13 percent being divided between Huron, Genesee, Midland, and Shiawassee Counties. The largest concentrations of measured reserves are in T. 14 N., R. 8 E., Tuscola County, and T. 16 N., R. 3 E., Bay County, each of which contains more than 16 million tons (figs. 24, 35, and JO). The
largest single area of measured coal, more than 1, 400 acres, is in T. 16 N., R. 3 E. Other town ships with large measured reserves are in T. 14 N., Rs. 3 and 4 E., Bay County, each of which contains more than 9 million tons.
Indicated and inferred coal reserves
Of the great number of test holes examined during the course of the present study, many contained coal more than 14 inches thick, but could not be included in the areas classed as containing measured coal because the wells were too widely spaced. These wells, which are shown by solid black dots on the township maps, indicate the presence of a considerable quantity of coal, however, and are the basis for the estimates of indicated and inferred coal. The methods by which reserves in these categories were computed are outlined above, and although it was not practicable to outline areas of indicated and inferred coal on the maps (figs. 2-37), their location and size is shown by the pattern of the drill holes that contain coal. Some of the indicated coal, also, represents extensions of measured deposits made on the basis of drill holes that are fairly close to the area of measured coal, but not close enough to justify considering the coal to be measured under Michigan conditions.
As shown in table 5, the total indicated reserves in the townships for which measured coal was com puted are 28. 98 million tons, and the total inferred coal in the same area is 66.05 million tons. The total for the two classes of reserves is 95.03 million tons. Nearly all of this tonnage is in Bay, Saginaw, and Tuscola Counties. Of special interest are T. 14 N., Rs. 4 and 5 E., in Bay County, which contain about 31 million tons of indicated and inferred reserves. Four of the townships in which measured coal is shown do not have adequate data for the estimation of indicated and inferred reserves, and are omitted from table 5. These townships are T. 7 N., R. 6 E., in Genesee County; T. 14 N., R. 2 E., in Midland County; T. 11 N., R. 4 E., in Saginaw County; and T. 8 N., R. 3 E. in Shiawassee County.
Areas favorable for coal occurrence
Outside of the 33 townships for which coal reserves have been estimated, coal has been discovered in widely spaced localities in the eastern and southern parts of the Michigan coal basin, and fragments of coal are present in the glacial drift in Montcalm, Newago, and Osceola Counties, in the western part. In the northern and western parts of the coal basin the coal-bearing rocks are not exposed at the surface. Much of this area is covered by thick glacial drift, and no exploration for coal has been undertaken. Explora tory drilling for oil and gas, however, has provided useful subsurface information in many localities. Examination of the cuttings from these wells has re vealed that the Pennsylvanian rocks locally contain dark gray to black carbonaceous shale, which suggests the occurrence of coal beds associated with the shale, similar to the sequence of coal and shale in the areas of known coal. The fact that fragments of the coal are not present in the well cuttings is to be expected, as such fragments rarely are preserved in-the cuttings from oil-well drilling in the areas of known coal in Bay and Saginaw Counties.
- 6 -
Not all of the wells drilled in the Michigan coal basin show the carbonaceous shale that suggests the presence of coal; many of the drill holes show mostly sandstone, and they probably indicate areas barren of coal. The pattern of possible coal holes and barren holes is much like that in the more thoroughly ex plored areas in the Saginaw Valley, and this suggests that the lenticular nature of the coal beds, which is typical of areas that have been mined, is also typical of the remainder of the coal basin. The distribution of the holes that have been drilled for oil and gas are shown on the map (pi. 1); those wells in which indi cations of coal are present are represented by a double ring, the barren holes by a single ring.
Wells that penetrated black shale, and which, therefore, may be considered as possibly containing coal? have been drilled in 70 townships outside of the area for which reserves have been computed. These 70 townships are in Roscommon, Lake, Osceola, Clare, Gladwin, Bay, Midland, Isabella, Mecosta, Montcalm, Gratiot, Saginaw, Tuscola, Genesee, Shiawassee, Clinton, Ionia, Eaton, and Ingham Counties. The total area that may be assumed to be underlain by coal on the basis of these wells is about 1, 900 square miles; this area will probably be in creased as more data become available with further drilling. Because no outcrops are available and thicknesses cannot be estimated from the drill-hole records, and because the points of information are widely spaced, it has not been considered advisable to estimate inferred reserves for this area. It should be emphasized, however, that the parts of the Michigan coal basin that have'not been prospected for coal probably contain deposits comparable in size and character to those in the region where mining and prospecting have been carried on. It is possible, therefore, that intensive drilling might discover coal beds that could be recovered economically despite the handicaps imposed by the thickness and nature of the
glacial overburden. The present information suggests that the areas most favorable for prospecting are in Clare, Gladwin, Isabella, Montcalm, and Osceola Counties.
The future of coal mining in Michigan
Although coal reserves are known to be present in Michigan, the future of mining in the State appears unfavorable as of January 1950. Factors that have contributed to the steady decline in production during recent years, and that remain as burdens to future operations, are the thinness and general discontinuity of the beds; the necessity in most localities for shafts to reach the coal; the blanket of glacial drift that con ceals the coal-bearing rocks; the prevalence of ground water at depth; increased costs of labor and timber; and increased competition from crude oil and natural gas.
Nevertheless, a continuing demand for coal in Michigan is attested by the importation from other states in 1946 of more than 25 million tons, of which more than 8 million tons was intended for domestic use. 8>/ In spite of the increasing use of oil and natural gas in Michigan, the demand for coal for domestic use and steam-raising is large enough to support a local mining industry, and it is possible that slight changes in the fuel economy of the State may result in increased local mining activity, or that ex ploration may reveal new deposits of coal that can be worked more readily than those now known.
It is possible, also, that the development of under ground gasification methods, now being carried on experimentally, may utilize part of the coal in Michigan.
8Bltuminous coal distribution, calendar year, 1946: U. S. Bureau of Mines, Mineral Market Report No. 1592, p. 7, June 1948.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Andrews, D. A. and Huddle, J. W., Analyses of Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas coals: U. S. Bur. Mines Tech. Paper 700, pp. 1-4, 32-41, 1948.
Arnold, C. A., Fossil flora of the Michigan coal basin: Michigan Univ., Mus. Paleontology, Contr., vol. 7, no. 9, pp. 131-269, 1949.
Cohee, George V., Macha, Carol, and Hoik, Margery, Lithology and thickness of the Upper Devonian and Car boniferous rocks in Michigan: U. S. Geol. Survey, Oil and Gas Investigations, Chart OC 41 (in press).
Cooper, W. F., Geological report on Bay County: Michigan Geol. Survey Ann. Kept, for 1905, pp. 135-426, 1906.
____ Report on the geology of Tuscola County, Michigan: Michigan Geol. Survey Ann. Rept. for 1908, pp. 175^183, 187-196, 1909.
Gregory, W. M., Geological report on Arenac County: Michigan Geol. and Biol. Survey Pub. 11, Geol. ser. 8, pp. 39-47, 1912.
Kelly, W. A., Lower Pennsylvania^ faunas from Michigan: Jour. Paleontology, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 129-151, 1930.
A review of the stratigraphy of the Saginaw formation: Michigan Acad. Sci. Arts and Letters, vol. 14,pp. 453-461, 1931.
_____ Pennsylvania^ stratigraphy near Grand Ledge, Michigan: Jour. Geology, vol. 41, pp. 77-89, 1933.
The Pennsylvania system of Michigan: Michigan Geol. Survey Pub. 40, Geol. ser. 34, pt. 2, 'pp. , 1936.
- 7 -
Lane, A. C., Geology of lower Michigan with reference to deep borings: Michigan Geol. Survey, vol. 5, pt. 2, 1895.
_____ [Suggestion from the State Geologist] Michigan Miner 3, no. 10, p. 9, 1901.
_____ The Northern Interior Coal Field: U. S. Geol. Survey 22d Ann. Kept., pt. 3, pp. 315-331, 1901.
_____ Coal of Michigan, its mode of occurrence and quality: Michigan Geol. Survey, vol. 8, pt. 2, 1902.
_____ Annual Report of the State Geologist: Michigan Geol. Survey Ann. Kept, for 1907, pp. 7-31, 1908.
_____ Notes on the geological section of Michigan: Michigan Geol. Survey Ann. Kept, for 1908, pt. 2, 1909.
Martin, Helen M., Mineral resources of Michigan; non-metallic minerals: Michigan Geol. and Biol. Survey Pub. 29, Geol. ser. 24, pt. 2, pp. 147-149, 1920.
Poindexter, O. F., Mineral industries of Michigan 1934 to 1938 and prior years: Michigan Geol. Survey Div., Dept. of Conservation, pp. 27-29, 1940.
Rominger, Carl, Geology of the Lower Peninsula, coal measures: Michigan Geol. Survey, vol. 3, pt. 1, pp. 122-150, 1876.
Smith, R. A., Michigan coal, mineral resources of Michigan: Michigan Geol. and Biol. Survey Pub. 8, Geol. ser. 6, pp. 257-303, 1912.
_____ Coal in Michigan: Michigan Geol. and Biol. Survey Pub. 19, Geol. ser. 16, pt. 2, pp. 247-270, 1915.
Deep well borings, mineral resources of Michigan: Michigan Geol. and Biol. Survey Pub. 24, Geol.ser. 20, pp. 209-256, 1917.
Winchell, A., First biennial report of the progress of the Michigan Geol. Survey, pp. 112-127, 1861.
Coal reserves in south half of T. 13 N., R. 4 E. are shown in figure 26.
31 36-
EXPLANATION
172-175 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2. 4 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
82-113
126-172
157-231
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.8-2.9
1.4-3.0
2.2-2.9
Total
Area (Acres)
131
481
751
1,363
Reserves (Short tons)
600,000
2. 310, 000
3. 590,OOP
6, 500,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 2.--Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 4 E., Bay County, Michigan.
9
R. i
T.13N.
-5-5'°s^k
.^i
i
3
8.
w*.^\
80-90' T78~O
O
o
1
*
+f-112 L.5
123-121, 1.9
Coal rese
-
jrves in isouth half
BoSagin
of T. IS
E.
y Coaw C
N. , R.
untyounty
5 E. are
134i 0 1
shown in
'^O
O
figure 27
>WJ * ° iWvlszim
20C
219-233
1 (
1
2
2
3
O 1-207 4 \
&
D
4
o
EXPLANATION
134-159 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 178 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Depth Pattern Description (Range in feet)
^\VV\\ UppermostNxvo hoH
1 Intermediate ------- beds'///// Lowermost'///// h^H
Drill hole containing O Drill hole containing O Barren drill hole.
Thickness (Range in feet)
'Area (Acres)
80-112 1.5-1.8 88
123-173 1.8-2.3 69
200-233 1. 4-2. 3 50
Total 20?
more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates, less than 14 inches of coal.
Reserves (Short tons)
250, 000
250, 000
180, OOP
680, 000
Figure 3. Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 5 E., Bay County, Michigan..
10
R. 6 £.
EXPLANATION
151-155 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. ITS = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern DescriptionDepth
(Range in feet)
S^s^
1 IIIUppermost
bed
1 Lowermost bed
Mined- out area,Jan. 1, 1950
125-155
147-178
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.3-2.1
1.6-1.8
Total
Area (Acres)
133
145
278
Reserves (Short tons)
430,000
450, OOP
880,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates .9 Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure 4.-Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 6 E., Bay County, Michigan.
11
R. 3 E.
EXPLANATION
177-245 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 470"= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediate
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
133-176
140-206
177-235
Thickness (Range in feet)
2. 1-4. 1
1.4-6.6
1.3-4.0
Total
Area (Acres)
Reserves (Short tons)
677
661
238
1,576
3, 440, 000
4, 760, 000
1, 460, 000
9, 660, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 5. Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 3 E., Bay County, Michigan.
12
R. 4 E.
EXPLANATION
209-216 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. ITS = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
80-143
130-187
171-216
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.8-3.6
1.8-7.7
1.6-1.9
Total
Area (Acres)
901
1,016
__88
2,005
Reserves (Short tons)
3,670,000
5, 310, 000
.270, OOP
9, 250,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 6. Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 4 E., Bay County, Michigan.
13
EXPLANATION
123-128 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. ITS = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
s\\\X^ Uppermost vvvsV bed1 MM II I Intermediate
B Mil II 1 beds''////^// Lowermost //''' bed
Depth Thickness (Range in feet) (Range in feet)
85-128 1.3-1.9
128-173 1.7-2.3
153-189 2.2-2.5
[....V.V...J Jan( 1> 19 5o Total
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included Q Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. O Barren drill hole.
Area (Acres)
252
314
143
709
in estimates.
Reserves (Short tons)
1, 080, 000
1, 050, 000
600, 000
2, 730, 000
Figure 7.--Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 5 E., Bay County, Michigan.
14
R. 3 E.
18-
T. 15 N.
19
-30
12-
13
31
216-253
EXPLANATION
216-253 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 273 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Lowermostbed
Depth (Range in feet)
160-211
216-253
Thickness (Range in feet)
3.6
2.3
Total
Area (Acres)
160
234
394
Reserves (Short tons)
1,040,000
970.000
2,010/000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 8.-Measured coal reserves, T. 15 N., R. 3 E., Bay County, Michigan,
15
R. 4 E. 9
18-
T. 15 N.
19
30-
160-211 --
31
Pattern
EXPLANATION
160-211 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 3TB= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth, and thickness, January 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
160-211
Dth
'Thickness (Range in feet)
3.0-3.6
Area (Acres)
137
Reserves (Short tons)
760,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates.9 Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure 9.--Measured coal reserves, T. 15 N., R. 4 E., Bay County, Michigan.
16
R. 3 E,
EXPLANATION
138-185 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 3. 0 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Lowermostbed
Depth (Range in feet)
131-176
138-204
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.6-3.2
3.0-3.1
Total
Area (Acres)
499
2,495
2,994
Reserves (Short tons)
2,450,000
13,740,000
16,190,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates.O Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure lO.-Measured coal reserves, T. 16 N., R. 3 E., Bay County, Michigan.
17
R* 6
18-
T.7
19
-30
31
EXPLANATION
100-200 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 3TO"= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
PatternDepth
(Range in feet)
84-257
Thickness (Range in feet)
3.0
Area (Acres)
330
Reserves (Short tons)
1, 780,000
Figure 11. Measured coal reserves, T. 7 N., R. 6 E M Genesee County, Michigan.
18
R. 7 E.
168-170-12-
18- 13
19 -24
-25
31 36-
EXPLANATION
188-246 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet.. 3773= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern
^
Description
Uppermost bed
Lowermost bed
Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
168-170
188-247
Thickness (Range in feet)
3.4
3.0
Total
Area C^cres)
40
911
951
Reserves (Short tons)
240, 000
4,920,000
5,160,000
O Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. O Barren drill hole.
Figure 12. Measured coal reserves, T. 7 N., R. 7 E., Genesee County, Michigan.
19
R. 9
T. 15 N.
12-
13
-24-
-25-
36-
EXPLANATION
76-118 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 3.3 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern
^
Depth (Range in feet)
76-118
Thickness (Range in feet)
3.3
Area (Acres)
1,075
Reserves (Short tons)
6, 380, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates.O Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure 13.-Measured coal reserves, T. 15 N., R. 9 E., Huron County, Michigan.
20
R. 2 E.
18-
T. 14N.
19
-30
31
EXPLANATION
190-218 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 370"= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
170-218
233-266
Thickness (Range in feet)
3.0
1.9
Total
Area (Acres)
128
185
313
Reserves (Short tons)
690,000
.630,OOP
1, 320, 000
o o
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 14. Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 2 E., Midland County, Michigan.
21
R. 2 £.
-12-
18- 13
T.9NJ
19
30
-111
31
EXPLANATION
97-111 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2.4 = Average thickness, January 1950
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Lowermostbed
Mined-out Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
65-94
97-111
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.3
2.4
Total
Area (Acres)
84
147
231
Reserves (Short tons)
350, 000
630, OOP
980, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 15.~Measured coal reserves, T. 9 N., R. 2 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
22
R. 3
12-
T.9N.
18 13
-24
-25-
36-
EXPLANATION
122-140 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 575 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
77-111
122-149
143-169
Thickness (Range in feet)
2. 3-2. 4
1.4-1.7
2.5
Total
Area (Acres)
308
80
118
506
Reserves (Short tons)
1, 300,000
260,000
530, OOP
2, 090,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 16. Measured coal reserves, T. 9 N., R. 3 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
23
R. 2 £.
O159-171^
12-
18-
T. 10 N.
13
19 -24-
30 25
31 36-
EXPLANATION
174-186 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. O = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
PatternDepth
(Range in feet)
159-186Mined-out area,
Jan. 1, 1950
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.3-1.8
Area (Acres)
Reserves (Short tons)
200,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 17.-Measured coal reserves, T. 10 N., R. 2 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
24
R. 3 E.
EXPLANATION
107-120 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 271 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern
^Illlllll,vm.
Description
Uppermost
Intermediate beds
Lowermost bed
Mined- out area,Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
69-136 .
125-195
163-232
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.6-2.7
1.7-3.8
2.5-4.3
Total
Area . (Acres)
131
156
686
a 1 C
Reserves (Short tons)
510, 000
780, 000
3, 640, 000
4, 930, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 18. Measured coal reserves, T. 10 N., R. 3 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
25
R. 2
18-
T.11N.
19
-30
12-
13
31
" EXPLANATION
202-221 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. S7T3 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
102-116
172-200
203-221
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.2
1.8-2.1
2.0
Total
Area (Acres)
58
75
47
180
Reserves (Short, tons)
200,000
280,000
170, OOP
650, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 19. Measured coal reserves, T. 11 N., R. 2 E. F Saginaw County, Michigan.
26
R. 3
EXPLANATION
142-176 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 173= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed "
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
89-119
128-176
150-216
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.8-2.6
1.3-3.3
1.8-4.2
Total
Area (Acres)
114
407
1,449
1,970
Reserves (Short tons)
450,000
1, 780, 000
6, 750,OOP
8, 980,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates.O Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure 20.-Measured coal reserves, T. 11 N., R. 3 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
27
R. 4
EXPLANATION
124-151 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2. 8 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern
^VZ4&
Description
Uppermost bed
Lowermost bed
TV/Fl Tl ^H-. Plllf Q T'OCl
Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
121-157
136-183
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.0-2.8
1.8-3.3
Total
Area (Acres)
233
1,113
1,346
Reserves (Short tons)
1, 140, 000
4, 450, 000
5, 590, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates.Q Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure 21. Measured coal reserves, T. 11 N., R. 4 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
28
R. 4 £.
EXPLANATION
166-184 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2. 8 = Average thickness of bed, feet,
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern
MITT
Description
Uppermost bed
Lowermost bed
Jan. 1. 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
110-153
166-184
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.8-3.0
2.8
Total
Area (Acres)
26
380
406
Reserves (Short tons)
130, 000
1,910,000
2.040.000
Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.
Figure 22. Measured coal reserves, T. 12 N., R. 4 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
29
EXPLANATION
130-156 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. ITS= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
90-133
130-156
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.8-3.0
1.9
Total
Area (Acres)
360
45
405
Reserves (Short tons)
1, 340,000
150, OOP
1, 490,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates.Q Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure 23. Measured coal reserves, T. 12 N., R. 5 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
30
R. 6
T.12N.
1&
W~
o
0
\\
«!
j
i1
s1
s>khT'5
^
::::/
\V~" '
90-124
1<
sj
.Y.Y.Y!
"v/iYjK
/.vl&k
f
i
9
0
1
Pattern
Vs\V
^
>k\
^
e0
> o
9
11
f
Q
f%
N^93-:
163-164 2.8
> 136-142.3
J^J$
L2?
113-129
K*0*
C
4
4
o e0
9
0
EXPLANATION
113-129 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 573 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Depth Thickness Area Description (Range in feet) (Range in feet) (Acres)
Uppermost bed 90-127 1.8-2.1 243
Intermediate beds 113-151 1.2-2.3 55
Lowermost bed 163-164 2.8 17
Mined- out area, Jan. 1, 1950 Total 315
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
1
1
2
2
3
2
4
fb
Reserves (Short tons)
850, 000
190, 000
90, 000
1, 130, 000
Figure 24. Measured coal reserves, T. 12 N., R. 6 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
31
R. 3 E.
T. 13N.
1
1
1
3
7 -
8
9
0
1
Pattern
^nrnm
Descriptic
Uppermos bed
Inter medi beds
Lowermoj bed
Drill hole c O Drill hole c O Barren dri
Hfe>*&
'^
270
^7/7\ t
^
?17-243 ^TB
12
194-222.2
EXPLANATION
229-270 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 4. 0 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Depth Thickness Dn (Range in feet) (Range in feet)
t 135-156 3.5
ate 150-183 2,3-3.0
3t
169-270 2/2-4.0
9-l83_ 2.3
1 ^^
169-:~27f
0
o omIP 25 ^3
150- 3.
2
2
^ 3
135-1563.5
o I ^-~~>mK^^ 3 -y-165 /03
4
0
6
Area Reserves (Acres) (Short tons)
82 520, 000
36 180, 000
707 3, 510, 000
Total 825 4, 210, 000
:ontaining more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. :ontaining less than 14 inches of coal. 11 hole.
Figure 25. Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 3 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
32
T* 13N.
R. 4 E.
/
1
o2CX)-231 -/
2.6 Vr
3
y
o
1
Coal res«
P
]
;rves in i
e
L96-198.1.7 '
lorth half
0 s
9 ]
eQ
of T. IE
Bay
aginaw
L75-152
e
V
N., R.
Counl
f Cou
»o
4 E. are
fynty
>
shown in figure 2.
1
1
2
2
3
2
3
4
5-
f+O
EXPLANATION
175-182 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2.8 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
\X\X\
1y//^y/
Uppermost bed
Intermediate beds
Lowermosthprt
Depth (Range in feet)
175-182
196-198
200-231
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.8
1.7
2.6
Total
Area (Acres)
36
19
191
2^6
Reserves (Short tons)
180, 000
60, 000
890, 000
1, 130, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in'estimates.O Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure 26.-Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 4 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
R. 5 E.
Coal reserves in north half of T. 13 N., R. 5 E. are shown in figure 3.
18- 13
T. 13 N.
Bay County
Saginaw County
19
-30
1-7
U2-178
31 36-
113-126
EXPLANATION
113-126 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 178 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
113-136
142-188
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.8
1.7-1.8
Total
Area ( Acres)
118
27
145
Reserves (Short tons)
380, 000
80,OOP
460, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 27. Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 5 E., Saginaw County, Michigan.
34
R. 4
18-
12-
13
19 -24
-30 -25-
31 36-
EXPLANATION
82-114 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2.2= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
22-26
82-114
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.4
2.2
Total
Area (Acres)
118
126
Reserves (Short tons)
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill.hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 28. Measured coal reserves, T. 7 N., R. 4 E., Shiawassee County, Michigan.
35
T.8N.
18-
R. 3 E.
12-
13
19 24
-30 -25-
31 36-
EXPLANATION
115-123 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. S7B = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern
1^Depth
(Range in feet)
115-123 Mined- out area,
Jan. 1, 1950
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.6
Area (Acres)
74
Reserves (Short tons)
340, 000
Figure 29. Measured coal reserves, T. 8 N., R. 3 E., Shiawassee County, Michigan.
36
R» 4
EXPLANATION
133-167 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2T3= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern
M^
Depth (Range in feet)
133-176 Mined-out area,
Jan. 1, 1950
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.1-2.3
Area (Acres)
538
Reserves (Short tons)
2, 170, 000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates.O Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole.
Figure 30. Measured coal reserves, T. 8 N., R. 4 E., Shiawassee County, Michigan.
37
12-
18- 13
T,13tN,
19 -24-
9 0
-30 -25-
31 36-
EXPLANATION
330-333 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. ITS = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Lowermostbed
Depth (Range in feet)
300-333
347-366
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.5
2.8
Total
Area (Acres)
37
114
151
Reserves (Short tons)
160,000
570, OOP
730,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 31. Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 7 E., Tuscola County, Michigan.
38
R» 8 E«
\177-
12-
0 0
18- 13
T. 13 N.
19 -24
-30 -25
31 36-
EXPLANATION
177-193 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 1. 7 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
PatternDepth
(Range in feet)
177-193Mined-out area,
Jan. 1, 1950
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.5
Area (Acres)
Reserves (Short tons)
40,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 32.-Measured coal reserves, T. 13 N., R. 8 E., Tuscola County, Michigan.
39
R.7 E.
EXPLANATION
300-333 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2. 7 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed
Depth (Range in feet)
277-300
300 7 333
347-366
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.5
2.5
2.8
Total
Area (Acres)
125
480
24
629
Reserves (Short tons)
560,000
2,160, 000
120, OOP
2,840,000
Drill hole containing more, than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates.O Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal.O Barren drill hole. }
Figure 33.--Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 7 E., Tuscola County, Michigan.
40
Pattern
EXPLANATION
134-146 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 1. 7 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
130-178
123-182
136-208
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.4-1.9
1. 7-3. 6
1. 6-3. 5
Total
Area (Acres)
178
476
2,346
3,000
Reserves (Short tons)
540,000
1,710,000
10,100, OOP
12,350,000
9 O
Figure
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
34.~Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 8 E., Tuscola County, Michigan. Depth range, 100-200 feet.
41
A* O £f «r
EXPLANATION
220-240 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. §77 = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed
Mined-out area, Jan. 1, 1950
Depth (Range in feet)
191-205
193-225
216-240
Thickness (Range in feet)
2.5
2. 1-3. 5
2. 7-3. 3
Total
Area (Acres)
34
270
514
818
Reserves (Short tons)
150,000
1,450,000
2, 550, OOP
4,150,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.O
Figure 35.--Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 8 E., Tuscola County, Michigan. Depth range, 200-300 feet.
R. 9 E.
T. 14N:
12-
13
-24-
O O
-25-
36-
EXPLANATION
123-140 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. O = Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern Description
Uppermostbed
Intermediatebeds
Lowermostbed
Depth (Range in feet)
123-152
136-202
160-190
Thickness (Range in feet)
1.8
3. 2-3. 3
3. 0-4. 2
Total
Area (Acres)
84
116
234
434
Reserves (Short tons)
390,000
670,000
1,390,OOP
2,450,000
O O
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 36.--Measured coal reserves, T. 14 N., R. 9 E., Tuscola County, Michigan.
43
EXPLANATION
120-132 = Depth range of bed below surface, feet. 2. 7= Average thickness of bed, feet.
Reserves by depth and thickness, January 1950
Pattern
FT /^/%
Description
Uppermost bed
Intermediate beds
Lowermost bed
Jan. 1, 1650
Depth (Range in feet)
110-132
126-162
164-186
Thickness (Range in feet)
1. 5-2. 7
1. 6-3. 5
2.8-3.7
Total
Area (Acres)
127
286
68
481
Reserves (Short tons)
430,000
1,330,000^.
360,000 '
2,120,000
Drill hole containing more than 14 inches of coal, not included in estimates. Drill hole containing less than 14 inches of coal. Barren drill hole.
Figure 37.--Measured coal reserves, T. 15 N., B- 8 E., Tuscola County, Michigan.
44
Table 1. Thickness and character of glacial drift in areas of measured coal reserves
County and township
Bay CountyT. 13 N., R. 4 E.
T. 13 N., R. 5 E.
T. 13 N., R. 6 E.
T. 14 N., R. 3 E.
T. 14 N., R. 4 E.
T. 14 N., R. 5 E.
T. 15 N., R. 3 E.
T. 15 N., R. 4 E.
Section
124
6,712151718
16,7
1216,1717,2030,31
24
9,1610,1110,15
12
13
14,1519,30
24
25,36
26,27
7
15
9,16
19
2020,21
212527
27,28,333036
17,18,19,2018,19
29,30,3134,3535,3625,36
11,14
Thickness of glacial drift
(Feet)
10090-150
150150-180
76-80100-150
150150
98-11896-98
98-10182-10886-8778-92
80100125125130
93-116
70-165
150170-206
121-147
120-133
126-138
85-134
98-128
91-114
107-132
100-15092-124
10084-10960-76
100107-11597-101
80-9383-84
60-10697-11596-120
100
68-80
Remarks
All clay, sandy clay in basalpart.
All clay.Predominantly clay with sand antgravel at the base.
Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.
Predominantly clay with someinterbedded sand.
Predominantly clay with someinterbedded sand.
Predominantly clay with someinterbedded gravel.
Clay and coarse gravel interbedded.
Clay and sandy clay interbedded with sand and gravel.
Predominantly clay with a largeamount of interbedded sand.
Predominantly clay with someinterbedded sand and gravel.
Predominantly clay with 13 to72 feet of sand and gravel atthe base.
Predominantly clay with 5 to21 feet of sand at the base.
Predominantly clay with 10 to30 feet of sand at the base.
Sand and clay.Clay and sand with 34 to 50 fee
of sand at the base.
Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.Predominantly, clay.Predominantly clay with sand
at base.
.Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.Predominantly clay.
Predominantly clay, sandy inpart .
45
Table 1. Thickness and character of glacial drift in areas of measured coal reserves--Continued.
County and township
T. 16 N., R. 3 E.
Genesee QountvT. 7 N., R. 6 E.
T. 7 N., R. 7 E.
Huron CountyT. 15 N., R. 9 E.
Midland CountyT. 14 N. ,R. 2 E.
Saginaw CountyT. 9 N., R. 2 E.
T. 9 N., R. 3 E.
T. 10 N. , R. 2 E.
T. 10 N., R. 3 E.
T. 11 N., R. 2 E.
T. 11 N., R. -3 E.
Section
4,5,3,9
5,610,15
15,16,17,2021,22
21,22,23,2627,28
11,1425
1016,17,18
30
7,8,17,18
24,25
35
10,11,14,1525
4,5,8
30
1
45
5,86,7
89,10
1718
21,22
25
26,35
36
8,99
9,1011,1412,13
202229
29,33,34
3132
Thickness of glacial drift
(Feet)
109-114
150125
136-164
150
5075
757575
50-100
175-245
200
80-10066-77
40-125
58-90
78-146
50-8050-82
28-6052-68
47-5225-7833-6640-5751-65
60-109
76-130
65-89
120100100
72-116100
110-14657-72
72-111
40-70
62-7354-73
Remarks
Clay with a large amount ofsand interbedded.
Clay with a large amount ofsand interbedded.
Predominantly clay with somesand interbedded.
Clay with some sand and gravelinterbedded.
Clay with some sand and gravelinterbedded.
Predominantly clay with 3 to 10feet of sand and gravel at thbase.
Clay, sand, and gravel, interbedded.
Clay, sand, and gravel, interbedded.
Clay with 12 to 78 feet of sandand gravel at the base.
Clay, sand and gravel.Clay, sand with 8 feet of grave
at the base.Clay with s.orae sand interbeddedClay with some sand inter
bedded.Clay with some sand interbeddedClay.Sand and clay.Sand and clay.Clay, sandy in part.
Clay with small amounts of sandinterbedded and 2 to 7 feet ogravel at base.
Predominantly clay, 13 feet ofgravel at the base.
Predominantly, clay.
Predominantly clay.
All clay.All clay.Predominantly clay with
23 feet of sand andgravel at the base.
Predominantly clay with6 feet of sand at base.
All clay.Clay with 16 to 50 feet of
-sand at base.
46
Table 1. Thickness arid character of glacial drift in areas of measured coal reserves Continued
County and township
T. 11 N., R. 4 E.
T. 12 N., R. 4 E.
T. 12 N., R. 5 B.
T. 12 N., R. 6 E.
T. 13 N., R. 3 E.
T. 13 N., R. 4 B.
T. 13 N., R. 5 E.
Shiawassee Count?T. 7 N., R. 4 E.
T. 8 N., R, 3 E.
A
T. 8 N.., R. 4 E.
Tuscola CountyT. 13 N., R. 7 E.
T. 13 N., R. 8 E.
T. 14 N., R. 7 E.
T. 14 N., R. 8 E.
T. 14 N., R. 9 E.
T. 15 N., R. 8 E.
Section
2,3
5,8 7, 8,. 17, 18, 19
21,27,28 35
25,36
2,3 24
30,31
5 6
5,6,7,8
7,18
4,9 9,10 12,13
13
20 28
25 34
10,15,16
17,18
16,17,20,21
2,3
4
28,33,34,35
1,12,13
3,4,5,10,11
10,11,14,15 13*24
24
28 33
6,7 7,18 18,19
30
26,35
27
34 34,35
Thickness of glacial drift
(Feet)
100
100 64-83
115-170 100 100
78-82 81-88
100
lOCf 100
82-90
89-100
150-160 175
131-156
120-152
186-198 138-148
100 76-80
90
46-68
68-90
82-90
65-70
70-105
68-157
65-210
50-100 69-112
78-153
62-70 65-70
68-157 120-126
74-76 72-104
72-110
63-67
60-78 60-70
., Remarks
Clay with aome sand and gravel interbedded'.
Predominantly clay with 1 to 7 feet of sand and gravel at bas
All clay. Clay, some sand and gravel.
All clay. All clay.
Clay with 3 to 10 feet of sand and gravel at base.
All clay.
Predominantly clay with some sand and gravel.
Predominantly clay with some sand and gravel.
Clay and sand interbedded. Predominantly clay with 23 to
48 feet of sand at base.
All clay.
Predominantly clay in western part of area, predominantly sand and gravel in eastern part of the area.
All clay.
All clay.
All clay.
Predominantly clay with some sand at the base.
Clay with sand and gravel interbedded.
Predominantly clay with small amount of sand and gravel interbedded.
Predominantly clay. Clay with 20 -to 23 feet of sand
at base.Clay with 32 feet of sand and gravel at base.
Predominantly clay. All clay.
Clay with some sand interbedded. Predominantly clay. All clay. Clay with sand at the base.
Predominantly clay with some sand interbedded.
Predominantly clay with 11 feet of sand at base.
Predominantly clay. Predominantly clay with sand and
gravel at base.
47
Table 2.. Names and locations of former coal mines in- Michigan
Line Number
12
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
161718
19
, 202122
23242526
272829
3031
32
33
34
3536
County and township
Bay County.T. 13 N., $. 4 E.Prank enlxist Township
T. 13 N-. , R. 6 E.Merritt Township
T. 14 N., R. 3 E.Williams Township
T. 14 N., R. 4 E.Monitor Township
T. 14 N., R. 5 E.Bangor Townshipand part ofMonitor Township
T. 15 N., R. 5 E.Bangor Township
Calhoun CountyT. 2 S., R. 4 W.
Sheridan Township
Eaton CountyT. 3 N., R. 5 W.
Chester Township
T. 4 N., R. 4 W.Oneida Township
, Section
1,21
4
15
30,31
31
1,12
24
25,36
30
7,18
19
17,18,19,20
19,30
15,16,17,20,21
21,82,273625
30
2428,3335,36
34
1729
29,3029,30
31
3334
14
14
28
33
Mine name
Beaver mineMichigan 'Vitrified
Brick Co.Bay City mine
No. 2Pittsburg mine
What Cheer mineNo. 1 '
Uncle Henry mine No. 2
Wolverine Coal Co.No. 3
Robert Gage mineNo. 5
Robert Gage mineNo. 7
Randall mine
Wolverine Coal Co.mine No. 3
Robert Gage mineNo. 5
Robert Gage mineNo. 6
Robert Gage mineNo. 7
Wolverine Coal Co.mine No. 2
Monitor mineMonitor mine No. 1Michigan Standard
Coal & Mining Co.New Michigan CoalMining Co. mineNo. 1
Sun mineBay mine No. 1Beaver mine
Aplin Beach mine.Wenona mineUnited City mine
Area mined- out (Acres)
(I/)13
7077
(<*/)
(3/)
34 6a/
256a/
512a/358a/
(4/)
(5/)
160
(6/)
678141
90a/
-
38
10958
573a/
45a/211a/
38Salzburg Coal Mining
Co.Cresent mineCentral mineMonitor mine No. 1
Wenona mineAplin Beach mine
Peoples Coal MiningCo.
Chester Coal Co.(strip mine)
?
Riverside mine
3826
-(7/)
(§/) '(9/)
-
--
Unemployed 'Citizen's League (strip mine).
Month, day, and year abandoned
3-22-30-
6-?-08-
4-1-27
6-10-27
1-2-19
1-1-13
4-30-363-11-37
1-2-19
1-1-13
11-1-18
4-30-26
3-6-391-17-147-3-47
-
?-?-42
4-1-20-
3-22-30
-1-7-07
8-25-12
12-1-04?-?-38
1-17-147-3-47
1-7-07-
-
--
?-?-32
Table 2. Names and locations of former coal mines in Michigan Continued.
Line Number
37
38 39 40
41
42
43
44
45 46
47
48 49
50
51. 52 53
54
55
56 57 58
59
60
61
County and township
Genesee CountyT. 8 N., R. 5 E.
Flushing Town ship
T. 7 N.-, R. 7 E. Burton Township
Ingham County T. 3 N., R. 1 W. Alaiedon Township
T. 4 N., R. 1 E. Will lams ton Town ship
Jackson CountyT. 1 S., R. 1 W. Rives Township
T. 2 S., R. 1 W. Blackman Township
T. 2 S., R. 2 W.Sandstone Town ship
T. 3 S., R. 2 W. Spring Arbor Town ship
Midland CountyT. 14 N., R. 2 E. Midland Township
Saginaw County T. 9 N., R. 2 E. Brady Township
T. 9 N., R. 3 E. Chesaning Town ship
T. 10 N., R. 2 E. Brant Township
T. 10 N., R. 3 E. St. Charles Town ship
Section
11
?
21
19
33
36
36 36
15
20,21,26 31,32
26
14 25 36
1
24,25
10,11 11
10,15
5
1
4
Mine name
Eldridge & Dixon Coal Co.
Bennett Coal Co . Follett CoalV Co . Cheesemond mine
Sanborn mine Shaft
Corsaut Mining Co. (strip mine)
Cedar River Coal Co. (strip mine)
Grand River Coal Co. ? (strip mine)
Grand River Mining Co. (strip mine)
(Several small shaft mines)
Porter mine
Eaton Mining Co . Sam Graham mine Woodville mine
Hayden mine ( the first coal mine In Michigan; opened in 1835)
Randall mine
Community mine White Ash Coal Co. Brady Coal Co.
St. Charles - Chesaning Co.
Robert Gage mine No. 8
Robert Gage mine No. 9
Area mined-out (Acres)
-
40
-
_
-
-
(io/)
45\m52
(13/)
(14/)
Month, day, and year abandoned
-
-
(Shut down)
_
-
-
3-11-37
3-15-24 1-5-34
10-29-31
3-t-43
3-19-31
-
49
Table 2. Names and locations.of former coal mines in Michigan Continued.
Line Number
62
63
64
65
66
67
686970
71
72
73
7475
7677
7879 8081
82
83 848586
87
88
899091
9293
94
95
County and township
T. 10 N., R. 4 E.Albee Township
T. 11 N., R. 2 E.Fremont Township
T. 11 N., R. 3 E.Swan Creek Township and part ofJames Township
T. 11 N., R. 4 E.Spaulding Township and partsof James andSaginaw Tps .
T. 11 N., R. 5 E.Bridgeport Township
T. 12 N., R. 4 E.Saginaw Township
Section
5,6
7,8
17
4,8,9,16,17
4,5,8,9
9,10
1414
14,23
25,26,35,36
31
32,33
19,2016,17,20,21
10,1521,22
912,13
1212,13
11,14
7,8,17,18,19 7,85,83,4
3
2
566
33,34,3528,33
21,22,27,28
26,27,35
Mine name
Robert Gagemine No . 8
Robert Gagemine No.3, 3rd
Robert Gagemine No .3, Upper
Robert Gagemine Nos .2 and 3
Robert Gagemine No. 1
Robert Gagemine No. 4
Ed Savage mineIdeal Coal Co.Verne mine
Robert Gage mineNo. 8
Robert Gage mineNo. 8
Robert Gage mineNo. 9
Aurora Coal Co.St. Charles-
Garfield Co.Bliss mineSwan CreekMining Co.
Hodd Coal Co.Shiawassee mine Jim town mineBanner Coal Co.
(Consumersmine)
Bliss mine
Shiawassee mine Jimtown minejChippewa mineRiverside mine
No. 1Riverside mine
No. 2Cass River mine
tunnamed )Buena Vista mineStandard mine
Barnard minePere Marquettemine No . 3
Pere Marquettemine No. 2
Chappel andPordneymine No . 1
Area mined-out (Acres)
(15/)
10210
775
349
128
-128
77 5a/
(!§/)
467a/77
122358a/
45
m243
(IS/)
909a/ 333a/
109
307*
192-
5132a/38
275
128
416
128
Month, day, and year abandoned
3-19-31
-1-21-28
1-17-18
-
-
-11-2-23
-
3-19-31
3-19-31
-5-1-38
6-28-377-?-14
7-7-383-20-29 9-?-13
8-T-227-?-14
3-20-29 9-?-134-15-40
8-20-13
4-1-24-
-?-?-13
-
-
-
-
-
.50
Table 2. Names and locations of former coal mines in Michigan Continued
Line Number
96
97
98
99100
101
102103
104
-105
106
107
108109110111112113
114
115
County and township
T. 12 N., R. 5 E.Buena Vista Township, and part ofSaginaw Township
T. 12 N., R. 6 E.Blumfield Township
T. 13 N., R. 5 E.Portsmouth Township
Shiawassee CountyT. 7 N., R. 3 E.Caledonia Township
T. 8 N., R. 3 E.New Haven Township
T. 8 N., R. 4 E.Hazelton Township
Section
26,35
22
21
3130
24
30,3132
7,18
4,5,8,9
6,7
23,24,25,26
152222222222
18
21
Mine name
Chappel andPordney mineNo. 2
Caledonia mineNo. 2
Caledonia mineNo. 3
Buena Vista mineCaledonia mine
No. 1 'Commercial mine(James Streetmine)Saginaw minePere Marquettemine No. 1
Uncle Henry mineNo. 1
Uncle Henry mineNo. 2 (East)
Uncle Henry mineNo. 2
What Cheer mineNo. 1
? ( strip mine)? ( strip mine)
Barry mineHedge's mine
9
Corunna mine
Six Mile Creekmine
7
Area mined-out (Acres)
51
51
57
(20/)
19
5131458
112
141
428a/
531a/
*
------
.
-
Month, day, and year abandoned
-
-
-
?-?-13
-
3-31-41-
-
-
4-21-31
6-10-27
4-1-27\
------
-
In the following footnotes the total mined-out area of mines located in more than one town ship, or the combined mined-out area of two or more mines, is given on the lines indicated.
I/ line 22; 2/ line 107; 3/ line 106; 4/ line 7; 5/ line 8; 6/ line 9; Z, 4 - _ _ 8/ line 24; 9/ line 23; 10/ line 10; ll/ line 56; I2/ line 56; 13/ line 71; 14/ line 73; 15/ line 71/; JL6/ line 71; IT/ line 83; 18/ line 84; 19/ line 76; 20/ line 90 .
a/ Total mined-out area of mine located in more than one township. b/ In operation December 31, 1949.
51
Table
3. - Me
asur
ed coal reserves In M
ichi
gan
as of
Ja
nuar
y 1,
19
50,
by counties and
town
ship
s(In mi
llio
ns of
sh
ort
tons)
Town
ship
50 to
1OO
feet
overburden
In b
eds
14 to 28
Inches
thic
k
In beds
28 t
o 42
Inches
thic
k
In beds
more
than
42
Inches
thick
Total
100
to 20
0 fe
et ov
erbu
rden
In b
eds
14 t
o 28
In
ches
thick
In b
eds
28 to 42
Inch
es
thick
In bed
s more
than 42
Inches
thick
.
Total
200
to 300
feet
ov
erbu
rden
In b
eds
14 to
28
In
ches
th
ick
In b
eds
28 t
o 42
In
ches
th
ick
In b
eds
more
than 42
Inches
thic
k
Tota
l
Tota
l In all
overburden
categories
In b
ads
14 to
28
In
ches
thick
In beds
28 t
o 42
Inches
thic
k
In b
eds
more
than
42
Inch
es
thic
k
Town
ship
total
T.1
3N
.,R
.4E
.
T.1
3N
.,R
.5E
.
T.1
3N
.,R
.6E
.
T.1
4N
.,R
.3E
.
T.1
4M
.,R
.4E
.
T.1
4N
.,R
.5E
.
T.1
5N
.,R
.3E
.
T.1
5N
.,R
.4E
.
Cou
nty
tota
l
0.0
9
0.2
5
On
A
0.5
8
0.4
7
0.1
8
0.1
1
0.7
6
....
....
....
0.5
6
0.2
5
0.1
8
0«ac
1.3
4
0.4
5
0.1
6
OQ
Q
0.6
3
2.0
0
1.2
4
5.3
6
5.2
6
0.0
9
3.1
1
6.2
2
1f\
rw
0.6
4
16
.19
32
.58
....
4.4
6
0.7
3
0.0
7
1.0
4
019
6.4
2
5.7
1
0.2
5
OQ
Q
8{>
n
8.9
5
2.3
8
1.0
4
0.7
6
16.1
9
44.3
6
0.0
5
0.0
9
0.1
2
0.2
6
0.2
3
0.1
3
0.1
5
0.9
7
1.4
8
....
1.2
2
1.2
2
0.2
3
0.1
8
1.4
6
0.1
2
OftIT
.
2.9
6
0.5
4
0.4
6
0.8
8
0.7
2
2.1
2
1.4
8
6.2
0
5.9
6
0.2
2
3.2
6
6.4
0
1 18
0.9
7
0.6
4
16
.19
34
.82
....
5.6
8
0.7
3
0.0
7
IrtA
.
OT
9
7.6
4
6.5
0
0.6
8
0.8
8
9.6
6
9.2
5
817*
8/\
i
0.7
6
16.1
9
48.6
6
Dene
see
Coun
t]
Tm
j p
rr
o
T.1
5M
.,R
.9E
.
T.1
4N
.,R
.2E
.
1.7
8
OO
J
8f\
n
6.3
8
6.3
8
Hur
or
Mld
lanc
1.7
8
0.2
4
2 no
i C
ount
y
6.3
8
6.3
8
1 C
ount
y
....
1^9
1^9
4O
9
4Q
9
4Q
9
4O
9
1* n
1*
0
....
1*0
1^9
1170
5.1
6
6Q
A
6.3
8
6«Q
*
* * *
Iff
VQ
51
e
6.9
4
6*58
6*58
1T
O
1.3
2
Table
3, Sheet
2
TO
M
13
*M8
Tl
Dil
i 13
O
T?
Tl
OW
Q
^tf
T.1
1N
.,R
.2E
.
T.1
1N
.,R
.3E
.
Tl
1 W
P
A
t?
Tl
OW
B
A
TS1
T.1
2N
.,R
.5E
.
T.1
2N
.,R
.6E
.
T.1
3N
.,R
.3E
.
T.1
3N
.,R
.4B
.
Tl
*^U
O
S
I?
Cou
nty
tota
l
OT
ti
....
0.1
3
0.3
5
1*n
0.1
9
1.8
4
....
....
0.3
5
1*n
0.1
3
0.1
9
1.9
7
OQ
fi
0.2
0
0.4
3
OA
R
2.6
0
2.3
6
1.4
4
0.8
8
0.0
6
0.4
6
9.1
7
OA
4L
Oeq
t
3.0
9
4.3
2
3.2
3
2C
\±
0.0
5
0.2
5
0.5
4
0.1
8
14
.86
10
0
....
0.5
2
1.8
0
Oft
.**
0*7
Q
0.2
0
4 on
0.4
8
6.9
2
5.5
9
2r\
A
1.4
9
1.1
3
1.0
6
0.2
4
OA
ft
25.8
3
0.1
7
0.2
1
1.5
9
1.9
7
....
0.8
7
0.8
9
1.7
6
1.6
6
0.6
9
2.3
5
0.1
7
1.8
7
3.1
5
0.8
9
6.0
8
0.2
6
0.2
0
0.5
6
0.6
5
2.8
1
2.3
6
1.4
4
0.8
8
1.5
9
0.0
6
0.4
6
11
.27
0.9
8
1.8
3
3.0
9
4.5
1
3.2
3
2.0
4
0.0
5
0.2
5
1.4
1
1.0
7
18
.46
1.2
8
1.6
6
1.2
1
4.1
5
0.9
8
2.0
9
0.2
0
4.9
3
0.6
5
8.9
8
5.5
9
2C
\A.
1.4
9
1.1
3
4.2
1
1.1
3
OA
ft.
33.8
8
Shia
wass
ee Count;
Tnj
r p
AV
T.8
N.,
R
.3B
.
T.8
N.,
R.4
E.
0.4
7
0.4
7
1/0
.03
1/0
.03
1/0
.50
1/0
.50
0.5
2
0.5
2
O^A
1.6
5
1Q
Q
0.3
4
2.1
7
2.5
1
0.4
7
0.5
2
OQ
Q
0.0
3
0.3
4
1.6
5
2 no
Ocri
0*4
2.1
7
3/M
Tuscola
Coun
ty
T.1
3N
.,R
.7B
.
T.1
3N
..R
.8E
.
T.1
4N
.,R
.7E
.
T.1
4N
.,R
.8E
.
T.1
4N
..R
.9E
.
T.1
5N
.,R
.8E
.
7.6
4
0.3
9
0.7
2
8*7
*%
0.0
4
4.2
6
1.3
6
0.6
1
6 on
0.4
5
0.7
0
0.7
9
1.9
4
0.0
4
12
.35
2.4
5
2.1
2
1 A
Q
A
0.3
7
0*17
2/0
.73
3/2
.84
2.7
0
4/6
.27
1.0
8
Infi
2/0
.73
3/2
.84
4.1
5
A. /n
n&
8.0
1
0.3
9
0.7
2
91
9
0.7
3
0.0
4
2.8
4
6.9
6
1.3
6
0.6
1
1.5
3
0.7
0
0.7
9
3 no
0.7
3
0.0
4
2.8
4
16
.50
2.*
C
21
O
Qj|
/*
Q
Incl
udes 0.03 with overburden ra
ngin
g from 2
2 to 26
feet.
Overburden ra
nges
from
300
to 366
feet
.In
cludes
2.28 with
overburden ranging
from 3
00 to 366
feet.
Includes 3.
01 wi
th ov
erbu
rden
ra
ngin
g from 300
to
366
feet
.
Table
4. - To
tal
meas
ured
coal re
serv
es in Mic
higa
n as of
Ja
nuar
y 1, 1S
50,
by co
unti
es(in mi
llio
ns of sh
ort
tons
)
Cou
nty
Bay
Gen
e see
Hur
on
Mid
land
Sag
lnaw
Shl
awas
see
Tu
scola
Sta
te to
tal
SO to
10
0 fe
et
over
burd
en
In b
eds
14 to
28
inch
es
thic
k 0.5
8
0.1
3
0.4
7
1.1
8
In b
eds
28 to
42
inch
es
thic
k 0.7
6
1.8
4
1/0
.03
1/2
.63
In b
eds
mor
e th
an
42
Inch
es
thic
k ....
....
....
To
tal
1.3
4
1.9
7
1/0
.50
1/3
,81
100
to
200
feet
ov
erb
urd
en
In b
eds
14 to
28
Inch
es
thic
k 5.3
6
9.1
7
0.5
2
8.7
5
23.8
0
In b
eds
28 to
42
in
ches
th
ick
32.5
8
2.0
2
6.3
8
14.8
6
1.9
9
6.2
7
64.1
0
In b
eda
mor
e th
an
42
inch
es
thic
k 6.4
2
1.8
0
1.9
4
10
.16
Tota
l
44
.36
2.0
2
6.3
8
. 25.8
3
2.5
1
16.9
6
98.0
6
200
to
300
feet
ov
erb
urd
en
In b
eds
14 to
28
In
ches
th
ick 0.2
6
1.3
2
1.9
7
0.3
7
3.9
2
In b
ads
28 to
42
In
ches
th
ick 1.4
8
4.9
2
1.7
6
2/6
.27
2/1
4.4
3
In b
eda
mor
e th
an 4
2 In
ches
th
ick 1.2
2
2.3
5
1.0
8
4.6
5
Tota
l
2.9
6
4.9
2
1.3
2
6.0
8
2/7
.72
2/2
3.0
0
Tota
l In
all
over
burd
en
cate
gori
esIn
bed
s 14
to
28
In
ches
th
ick 6.2
0
1.3
2
11.2
7
0.9
9
9.1
2
28.9
0
In b
eds
28 t
o
42
Inch
es
thic
k
34.8
2
6.9
4
6.3
8
18.4
6
2.0
2
12.5
4
81
.16
In b
eds
mor
e th
an 4
2 In
ches
th
ick 7.6
4
4.1
5
3.0
2
14.8
1
Cou
nty
tota
l
48
.66
6.9
4
6.3
8
1.3
2
33.8
8
3.0
1
24.6
8
124.
87
Incl
udes 0.03 w
ith
over
burden r
angi
ng from 22 to
26
feet.
Incl
udes
3.
01 wi
th o
verb
urde
n ra
ngin
g from 3
00 to 36
6 feet.
Table 5. Indicated and inferred coal reserves in Michigan as of January 1, 1950, by counties and townships.
Township Indicated reserves (Millions of short tons)
Inferred reserves (Millions of short tons)
Bay County
T. 13 N, R. 4 E.T. 13 N, R. 5 E.T. 13 N, R. 6 E.T. 14 N. R. 3 E.T. 14 N. R. 4 E.T. 14 N. R. 5 E.T. 15 N. R. 3 E.T. 15 N. R. 4 E.T. 16 N. R. 3 E.Total for Bay County
0.570.431.620.796.244.340.250.220.56
15.02
0.981.124.882.1512.018.980.620.581.61
32. §3
Genesee County
T. 7 N., R 7 TP* f Sat 0 .09 0 .20
Huron County
T. 15 N., R. 9 E. 0.08 0.19
Saginaw County
T. 9 N. R. 2 E.T. 9 N. R. 3 E.T. 10 N. R. 2 E.T. 10 N. R. 3 E.T. 11 N, R. 2 E.T. 11 N. R. 3 E.T. 12 N. R. 4 S.T. 12 N. R. 5 E.T. 12 N. R. 6 E.T. 13 N. R. 3 E.T. 13 N. R. 4 E.T. 13 N. R. 5 E.
Total for Saginaw County
0.160.400.221.350.451.080.161.390.950.070.220.206*76"5
0.191.250.603.120.952.530.473.881.49
0.49Q>59
15.54
Shiawasa«e tJounty
T. 7 N., R. 4 E. T. 8 N., R. 4 E.Total for Shiawassee County
0-24 0.27oT5I
0.310.43oTrT
Tuscola County
T. 13 N. R. 7 E.T. 13 N. R. 8 E.T. 14 N. R. 7 E.T. 14 N. R. 8 E.T. 14 N. R. 9 E.T. 15 N. R. 8 E.
Total for Tuscola County
Grand total
0.501.890.412.070. 681.08 B763
28.98
1.454.981.594.672.001.74
16. 43
66.05