Stratigraphy and Resource Base

Thirty-two coal beds, with thickness in excess of 14 inches (36 cm), are identified in the Middle Pennsylvanian stratigraphic column in eastern Kansas. Most of these coals are in the Cherokee group -- a cyclothemic unit composed of marine and terrestrial sandstones and shales, marine carbonates, and minor coal. Up to 14 coal beds can be encountered in a typical well. Most coals are less than 28" (71 cm) thick.