Chemical analyses of deep core coal and shale samples from the Almond Formation, Washakie Basin, Sweetwater County, Wyoming

During gas and oil exploration efforts in the Washakie Basin in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, undertaken by Ladd Petroleum Co. (a subsidiary of Utah International Inc.) core from the Upper Cretaceous Almond Formation of the Mesaverde Group was collected from their 1-22 Federal well. (See figure 1 for location.) From this core three coal and two carbonaceous shale samples, orginally at depths ranging from 3,091 to 3,116 m (see table 1 for descriptions), were selected and given to the U.S. Geological Survey for study. Results of chemical analyses on the samples and a comparison of these analyses with analyses of near-surface Almond Formation coal samples in Carbon County, Wyoming, are the topics of this report.