First published use of name; intent to name not stated. Is a coal bed in the upper, coal-bearing division (of three divisions) of Raton Formation in central part of Raton coal field, Colfax Co, NM, Las Vegas-Raton basin. Underlies a dissected, 12-sq-mi area in York and Road Canyons. Ranges from a bed containing many partings and only a few in of coal in southeast part of outcrop area to a single bed of coal more than 10 ft thick near York Canyon mine. Coal is consistently at least 6 ft thick throughout bed area northeast of the mine. A major parting that rapidly thickens westward to about 30 ft divides bed into upper and lower benches along western margin of outcrop area. East of York Canyon, rocks are nearly flat but to west, beds are tilted to 15 degrees on east limb of Vermejo Park anticline. Stratigraphically, is about 300 ft above Left Fork coal beds, 1,500 ft above Upper Cretaceous Trinidad Sandstone, and 1,200-1,280 ft above base of Raton Formation. Probably equivalent to Ancho coal bed. Coal beds in Raton Formation may prove to be the most economically significant in the coal field. Special circumstances of deposition control the accumulation of thick coal deposits; because these conditions are of a regional nature, occurrence of one thick coal at a particular stratigraphic position in one area should provide a clue to position of other similar deposits elsewhere in basin. Is of Paleocene age.

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Denver GNULEX).