CONOLLY, CAROL L., and KRUEGER, ALEX J., Indiana Geological Survey, Bloomington, IN

The purpose of a coal availability study is to estimate the amount of coal resources available for mining within a 7.5 minute quadrangle. Available coal resources are the remaining coal resources minus coal restricted by land-use and technological factors.
Since 1993, the Indiana Geological Survey has completed coal availability studies in eight 7.5 minute quadrangles in southwest Indiana: Alfordsville, Center Point, Santa Claus, Glendale, Dugger, Oakland City, Wheatland, and Seelyville. A total of 13 coalbeds ranging from Lower to Middle Pennsylvanian in age were examined in the course of these studies. In ascending stratigraphic order, they are: Blue Creek, Mariah Hill, Lower Block, Upper Block, Buffaloville, Seelyville, Colchester, Survant, Houchin Creek, Springfield, Bucktown, Hymera, and Danville Coal Members.
Ranked in order of decreasing volume (millions of short tons), the coalbeds having the largest volume of available resources in each quadrangle are: Seelyville (272) in the Seelyville Quadrangle, Seelyville (256) in the Dugger Quadrangle, Springfield (151) in the Wheatland Quadrangle, Springfield (111) in the Oakland City Quadrangle, Blue Creek (80) in the Alfordsville Quadrangle, Buffaloville (78) in the Glendale Quadrangle, Lower Block (56) in the Center Point Quadrangle, and Buffaloville (21) in the Santa Claus Quadrangle.
In six of the eight quadrangles, the coal having the greatest volume of remaining resources was also the coal having the greatest volume of available resources. In the two quadrangles in which this was not the case, the coalbeds were restricted significantly by technological factors.

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