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Bureau of Mines Publicationsby George Zamora [For ordering information on these publications, see bottom of page.] NMBM&MR Publishes Oil and Gas Resource Study of WIPP Site SOCORRO, NM, Jan 21, 1999 -- Geologic and economic studies of the oil and gas resources underlying the area which surrounds the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site, nearly 30 miles east of Carlsbad, are the focus of a recent report published by the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources (NMBM&MR). "Hydrocarbon resources at WIPP site, New Mexico," Circular 206, combines a comprehensive estimate and evaluation of the volume of oil and natural gas resources underlying a 16-square-mile area (and an additional one-mile-wide surrounding strip), which is centered on the WIPP site, along with a detailed valuation of those same estimated oil and gas reserves in the study area. The work for the report was done by the NMBM&MR as part of a larger project conducted in 1994 and 1995, which evaluated all of the energy and mineral resources within the boundaries of the WIPP land withdrawal area and the additional one-mile-wide area. Several sheets of detailed stratigraphic cross sections of pertinent areas also are included as an addition to the 82-page soft-bound publication. Circular 206, or "Hydrocarbon resources at WIPP site, New Mexico," is available for $22, plus $2.50 for shipping and handling, from the address at the end of this article. Geologic Map Highlights Coal-Bearing Units In San Juan Basin The NMBM&MR has published a two-sheet geologic map portraying the areal distribution of the coal-bearing stratigraphic units in the San Juan Basin in northwestern New Mexico. "Distribution of near-surface coal deposits in San Juan Basin, New Mexico," by Edward C. Beaumont, shows the distribution of seven major regressive and transgressive Cretaceous coal-bearing geologic units with surface-mining potential. Beaumont began geologic mapping of the Upper Cretaceous rocks in northwestern New Mexico in 1948 for the U.S. Geological Survey. In the text provided on the back of one of the map sheets, Beaumont recounts early USGS studies of the area, describes depositional sequences, evaluates the potential of individual coal-bearing units, reviews the history of coal mining in the San Juan Basin, and provides a candid discussion of the factors influencing the future of San Juan Basin's coal-mining industries. "Distribution of near-surface coal deposits in San Juan Basin, New Mexico," Resource Map 19, is available for $20, plus $2.50 for shipping and handling, from the address at the end of this article. Geologic Map Features McLeod Tank Quadrangle in Caballo Mountains The NMBM&MR has published a multi-colored geologic map of the McLeod Tank quadrangle, located in the heart of the southern Caballo Mountains, south of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. "Geology of McLeod Tank quadrangle, Sierra and Doña Ana Counties, New Mexico," by William R. Seager and Greg H. Mack, covers one of the major uplifts in the southern Rio Grande rift the Caballo fault blocks which expose rocks of every geologic system, except the Triassic and Jurassic. Of special interest are thick lower and upper Tertiary orogenic deposits, which together with structural features of the same age, offer a relatively complete record of the nature of the Laramide orogeny and evolution of the Rio Grande rift in south-central New Mexico. "Geology of McLeod Tank quadrangle, Sierra and Doña Ana Counties, New Mexico," or Geologic Map 77 as the map is designated, is available for $15, plus $2.50 for shipping and handling, from the address at the end of this article. New Mexico Geology Focuses On State's 1997 Oil and Gas Activities The latest issue of New Mexico Geology features a comprehensive summary of significant oil and gas discoveries, dry holes, and frontier wildcat wells drilled in New Mexico in 1997. "Oil and gas activities in New Mexico in 1997," by Ronald F. Broadhead of NMBM&MR, summarizes the exploratory activity which resulted in 1,562 wells being completed during that year throughout New Mexico, most of them located within the Permian Basin in the southeast corner of the state and the San Juan Basin in the northwest corner of the state. The issue also includes a feature on "Jurassic stratigraphy and correlation in New Mexico," which examines Jurassic strata which are widely exposed across northern New Mexico and are almost entirely of nonmarine origin. The article notes that essentially all of New Mexico's gypsum resources are located in Jurassic strata, as were much of the nation's extracted uranium ore. Jurassic strata also are important sources of building stone and regionally significant aquifers across the region. Another installment of the New Mexico Geology's "New
Mexico State Park Series" examines the geologic and cultural
history of Oasis State Park, located about 18 miles southwest
of Clovis and seven miles north of Portales. Oasis State Park
was established in 1961 to preserve the natural beauty of what
is considered a "true oasis" in the sandy desert of
the Llano Estacado, or "staked plains" of eastern
New Mexico and West Texas. The area is known to have been occupied
by early hunters at least 11,500 years ago as evidenced by stone
tools, projectile points, and butchering sites found at the nearby
Blackwater Draw National Archaeological Site. Developed facilities
at the state park include picnic areas, hiking trails, campgrounds,
a playground, a pond stocked with trout and catfish, and ready
availability of drinking water, showers, electric hookups, dump
stations, and handicap-accessible restroom facilities. Order publications from: |