|
West Elk Mine
<br /> shaft, one compartment for ventilation and the other for a mine hoist for transporting men and
<br /> light materials. Ventilation shaft 41 is 650 feet deep and 34-feet in diameter and shaft #2 is 693
<br /> feet deep and 28-feet in diameter. Both shafts are concrete-lined.
<br /> The E Seam workings are accessed from the existing slopes between the F and the B seams. The
<br /> two slopes are separated by approximately 100 feet horizontally, and the portion of the slopes
<br /> between the F and the E seams is approximately 1,000 feet long. The southern B Seam longwall
<br /> panels will be ventilated and accessed through three rock slope entries and a ventilation shaft
<br /> between the E and B Seams. The rock slopes will be nearly 1,400 feet in length on a 14% grade
<br /> and the ventilation shaft will be about 20 feet in diameter and 200 feet in depth.
<br /> Production Uethods and Equipment
<br /> Longwall technology is employed at West Elk Mine. The first longwall (utilized in the northern
<br /> B seam area) was acquired in 1992 and was updated over the years. A new longwall was
<br /> acquired in 2008 for mining the E Seam and is also well-suited for future mining the southern B
<br /> Seam longwall panels.
<br /> Longwall panels are developed using conventional continuous mining methods. Several key
<br /> pieces of equipment, including continuous miners, diesel-powered coal haulers, roof-bolters,
<br /> feeder-breakers, and other support equipment are used to develop headgate, tailgate, and other
<br /> entries for the longwall panels.
<br /> All coal is conveyed to the surface via conveyor systems. Other mining infrastructure includes
<br /> electric power supply, water supply, water discharge, rock dust supply, compressed air supply,
<br /> communications, mine monitoring, and other ancillary mining support systems. Associated
<br /> surface facilities include main ventilation fans; mine dewatering installations; mine ventilation
<br /> borehole systems; coal stockpiles; coal crushing, screening, and conveying systems; silos for
<br /> coal storage; train loadout facilities; maintenance and warehouse facilities; office/bathhouse
<br /> facilities; and various ancillary facilities.
<br /> Coal Reserves and Recovery
<br /> The West Elk Mine reserve base consists of mineable coal reserves in seven Federal coal leases,
<br /> one private (fee) lease, and other fee coal properties. The Federal leases are D-044569, C-
<br /> 0117192, COC-56447, COC-54558, C-1362, COC-67011, COC-67232. The private lease is the
<br /> Mt. Gunnison Fuel Company lease.
<br /> Together, the eight coal leases and fee properties encompass about 19,620 acres. Federal leases
<br /> D-044569, C-0117192, COC-54558, COC-56447, C-1362, COC-67011, and COC-67232
<br /> account for 1,380 acres, 923 acres, 1,012 acres, 2,770 acres, 5,797 acres, 690 acres, and 2,448
<br /> acres, respectively. The private lease and fee coal covers the remaining 4,600 acres.
<br /> Six major coal seams exist on MCC lease holdings. The seams are identified alphabetically with
<br /> the A Seam being the lowermost and the F Seam the uppermost. The intervals between the
<br /> seams vary from as little as 15 feet to more than 250 feet. Current and future economically
<br /> 2.05-3 Rev. 11/04-PRI 1, 03/06-PRIG,05/15-TR137, 07/15-MR413;03/18-PR-15
<br />
|