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Chapter H, North Slope Fossil Fuel and Geothermal Energy Sources for Local Use in Alaska distinctly different source areas (Moore and others, 1994). The older units include a wide variety of rock types that were generally derived from the north between about 360 and 120 million years ago and record marine deposition in progressively deeper water to the south (toward the present- day Brooks Range). The younger unit (~120 Ma to present) is dominated by sandstone and shale derived from the Brooks Range that progressively filled the large Colville basin from the southwest to the northeast. This change in sedimentation patterns, and the subsiding basin itself (a foreland basin developed in front of the growing mountain belt), formed in response to the tectonic collision that gave rise to the ancestral Brooks Range mountain belt. The long geologic history of northern Alaska has endowed the region with an unusually rich collection of natural resources including coal, oil, and gas. To date, the North Slope has produced about 15 billion barrels of oil and represents one of the most prolific petroleum provinces in North America. Recent estimates by federal agencies suggest the region includes vast undiscovered resources (Houseknecht and Bird, 2006) and will likely continue to be the site of significant domestic exploration and production. GEOLOGIC ENERGY RESOURCE POTENTIAL IN THE NORTH SLOPE ENERGY REGION Mineable coal resource potential As explained in the discussion of requirements for mineable coal (see Chapter A), several factors must be considered when evaluating whether a coal deposit is exploitable. The most important factors include the maturity of the coal (rank), seam thickness, amount of impurities (ash and sulfur content), amount of overburden, and the degree of structural complications (steeply dipping seam, folds, faults, etc.). The higher the coal rank, the higher its energy content by weight. Coal rank also influences the minimum seam thickness worth exploiting. Low ash and sulfur contents are highly desirable, as ash reduces the amount of combustible material in a seam and sulfur combines on combustion to form environmentally damaging compounds. The Colville basin includes a staggering volume of coal in both Cretaceous and Cenozoic rocks, perhaps one-third of the known coal resource in all of the United States. Although estimates of the total reserves vary depending on the vintage of the assessment and the methodology used, studies have concluded the North Slope may contain as much as 3.2 trillion short tons of coal in the Cretaceous alone (Sable and Stricker, 1987) that is bituminous to subbituminous in rank (fig. H2). The Cretaceous coals of the western North Slope are most relevant to discussions of rural energy due to their superior quality, rank, and proximity to villages (fig. H2). Despite this vast resource, the history of coal mining in the region is limited to local use at select Eskimo villages and their hunting and fishing camps (Sanford and Pierce, 1946), seasonal mining along the Chukchi Sea coast to fuel whaling ships around the turn of the century, and brief mining ventures in the 1940s to support local needs (Flores and others, 2004). The village of Wainwright overlies thick, coal-bearing strata of the Cretaceous Nanushuk Formation (Martin and Callahan, 1978), and near-surface coals are known from a number of nearby localities bordering Peard Bay and along the Kugrua and Kuk rivers (fig. H3; Sanford and Pierce, 1946). Several coal beds from 5 to 10 feet thick are recognized; Kaiser Engineers, Inc. (1977) deemed these coals to have high potential for surface mining based on characteristics such as rank (high-volatile subbituminous B and C), high coal quality (low ash and low sulfur), limited overburden, and shallow dip. The proximity of this resource to Wainwright (7–20 miles) suggests coal would be a viable alternative source of energy in this rural community. Atqasuk similarly overlies coal-rich rock of the Cretaceous Nanushuk Formation, and surface exposures have been recognized in a number of locations along the Meade River (fig. H3). A modest mining effort was undertaken beginning in the mid 1940s to alleviate acute shortages in the community of Barrow approximately 60 miles to the north (Sanford and Pierce, 1946). The characteristics of these coals are very similar to the Wainwright occurrences noted above (5–6 feet thick, subbituminous, moderately low ash), suggesting extraction of this resource could be a reasonable source of local energy in Atqasuk. Point Lay lies adjacent to a moderately well studied, high-quality coal province and has long been considered for possible commercial development. A number of private, government, and Native organizations have undertaken geological and exploratory drilling programs aimed at delineating this resource (Kaiser Engineers, Inc., 1977; Clough and others, 1995). The Corwin Mine, south of the community of Point Lay near Corwin Bluffs (fig. H4), was a producer of bituminous coal for steamships from 1880 to 1923 with about 2,600 short tons of coal reportedly mined (Plangraphics, 1983). Smith and Mertie (1930) indicate there were four mines on the bluff and two mines up the nearby creek. Most recently, the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation was working closely with BHP Billiton on a coal exploration program in the region to the east of Corwin Bluffs, although recent reports indicate they will not proceed further (R. Kirkham, Alaska Division of Mining, Land and Water, written commun.). This long-standing interest stems from the outstanding resource base in the region. The abundant coals are found in the Cretaceous Nanushuk Formation, similar to the above examples, although deeper burial to the south has given rise to higher maturity (high-volatile bituminous) and excellent heating values up to 13,000 Btu/lb (Clough and others, 1995). The exposures of coal nearest the village of Point Lay appear to be along the Kukpowruk and Kokolik rivers (fig. H4), where Eskimos historically mined small amounts for local use (Plangraphics, Inc., 1983). Coal has North Slope Page 74PDF Image | FOSSIL FUEL AND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY SOURCES FOR LOCAL USE
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