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This cross section shows the deposition formation of Piceance Basin, Colorado.The thickest layer noted in the cross-section is the Mancos Shale Fm; dating back to the Late Cretaceous era. That thick, oil-enriched layer of shale is one of the main reasons the basin is a prime area for geological and petrological studies.
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12915&page=33
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12915&page=33
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The Piceance Basin contains a large reserve of natural gas and oil shale. The oil shale itself is considered to be one of the richest deposits in the world and is a place of huge research. This picture of an oil drill injection shows how deep the oil shale is located in the Mancos Shale Formation.
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This is a deposit cross-section of Piceance Basin, Colorado; stretching from West to East of Colorado.
http://www.sepmstrata.org/page.aspx?pageid=52
http://www.sepmstrata.org/page.aspx?pageid=52
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This stratigraphy of the Uinta-Piceance Basin shows the known formations of the basin. From here, we can understand the location and time frame of the rich oil-shale (Mancos Shale).
Simplified Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Eocene
Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin, Northwestern Colorado
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1012/OF13-1012.pdf
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1485/report.pdf
http://www.digforenergy.com/products/quick-start-maturity-tm/uinta-piceance-basin/
Simplified Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Eocene
Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin, Northwestern Colorado
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1012/OF13-1012.pdf
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1485/report.pdf
http://www.digforenergy.com/products/quick-start-maturity-tm/uinta-piceance-basin/