2024-09-05_PERMIT FILE - C1980007 (2)

Home Browse Search

West Elk Mine 2.05-5 Rev. 11/04- PR11; 03/06- PR10; 07/15- MR413; 07/18- PR15, 01/24-TR152, 04/24-TR154 The mine panels were and have been laid-out to recover as much coal as possible with consideration for personnel and equipment safety and surface protection. The percent of recovery in the development (room and pillar) sections is approximately 40-60 percent, more or less, depending upon pillar design. Longwall panel extraction methods increase that extraction ratio to 80-90 percent for the mining height, which is planned at approximately 10.0 to 12.0 feet for the B Seam and 8.0 to 14.0 feet for the E Seam. Using retreat mining in the mains, MCC plans on recovering 30 to 60 percent of the remaining coal depending on the location of the pillar. In 2023 mining was completed in the Sunset South Panels located in the E Seam. While mining this area many adverse mining conditions were encountered including faults and partings, and poor roof conditions due to the presence of mudstone bands, coal rider seams and weak laminations. Furthermore, on development it was found that the seam height reduced to a non- minable height on the east sides of the panels, causing all four Sunset panels to be shortened from earlier projections documented in Permit Revision 15 (PR-15). During longwall mining of Panels SS3 and SS4 the mudstone bands, coal rider seams and weak laminations created an un-washable product resulting in the need to cease mining earlier than projected in both Panels. SS3 Panel had a projection of 2.3 million tons and produced 2.0 million tons. SS4 Panel had a projection of 2.2 million tons and produced 0.4 million tons. PR-15 permitted 10.1 million tons to be mined from the Sunset Trail area. However, due to the adverse conditions encountered mentioned above, only 6.9 million tons were recovered. To maximize the amount of coal from the permitted area, Technical Revision 152 was submitted to recover approximately 20,000 tons in the Sunset South Mains, Technical Revision 154 and Minor Revision 484 was submitted to recover another approximate 275,000 tons in the Sunset Mains, bringing the final total recovered tons from the Sunset Trail area to 7.21 million tons, 2.89 million less then what was originally approved. The actual coal recovery will depend on the method of coal extraction as well as the actual coal seam thickness. Using room and pillar methods, MCC recovered about 50 percent of coal reserves in the F Seam. Using the longwall mining method, MCC has recovered and plans to recover about 80 percent of the thickness mined for the coal reserves of the B and E Seams (Table 29), based upon the current plans projected operations (see Maps 51 and 52.) Anticipated annual production is shown with expected employment needs in Table 32, (Section 2.05.3). Table 29 Recovery Rates for Room and Pillar and Longwall Mining Methods Room and Pillar Method Location Coal Recovery Main Development 30 – 40 % Mains Retreat Mining 30 – 60% Submain Development 30 – 40 % Panel Mining Partial Pillar Extraction 45 - 55 % Full Pillar Extraction 60 - 80 % Total 50 %