North Dakota Coal Resources and Development Potential
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Date
1974
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In 1974, the U.S. was facing a serious fuel shortage. The demand for energy was rapidly depleting our deposits of fossil fuels, particularly oil and natural gas. Much of western North Dakota is underlaid by lignite coal deposits. The lignite area covers more than 28,000 square miles (18 million acres). More than 100 beds over four feet in thickness were identified. The predominant use of North Dakota’s lignite
production was for electric power generation. Coal production in North Dakota has increased
dramatically in recent years rising from 2.5 million short tons in 1960 to 6.8 million short tons in 1973. Future coal development was projected to involve: production of coal for shipment to other areas, construction of more coal-fired electrical generating plants within the area, and construction of plants to convert coal to gas or liquid fuels. The article focuses on North Dakota Coal Resources and it's development potential.