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West Elk Mine shaft, one compartment for ventilation and the other for the hoist. This 700 feet deep, 26- ~ foot diameter shaft is concrete lined. The E Seam workings are accessed from the existing slopes between the F and the B seams. The two slopes are separated by approximately 100 feet horizontally, and the portion of the slopes between the F and the E seams is approximately 1,000 feet long. Production Methods and Equipment Longwall technology is employed at West Elk Mine. The current longwall was acquired in 1992 and updated over the years, although a good portion of the longwall equipment is original. MCC intends to extend the life of this longwall equipment to complete the mining planned for the B Seam. At that time a new longwall will be needed for mining the E Seam. Longwall panels are developed using conventional continuous mining methods. Several key pieces of equipment, including continuous miners, diesel-powered coal haulers, roof- bolters, feeder-breakers, and other support equipment are used to develop headgate, tailgate, and bleeder entries for the longwall panels. All coal is conveyed to the surface via conveyor systems. Other mining infrastructure includes electric power supply, water supply, water discharge, rock dust supply, compressed air supply, communications, mine monitoring„ and other ancillary mining . support systems. Associated surface facilities include main ventilation fans; mine dewatering installations; methane drainage systems; coal stockpiles; coal crushing, screening, and conveying systems; silos for coal storage; train loadout facilities; maintenance and warehouse facilities; office bathhouse facilities; and various ancillary facilities. Coal Reserves and Recovery The West Elk Mine reserve base consists of mineable coal reserves in six Federal coal leases, one private lease, and other fee coal properties. The Federal leases are D-044569, C- 0117192, COC-56447, COC-54558, C-1362, and COC-76011. The private lease is the Mt. Gunnison Fuel lease. Together, the seven coal leases and fee properties encompass about 15,500 acres. Federal leases D-044569, C-0117192, COC-54558, COC-56447, C-1362, and COC-67011 account for 1,380 acres, 923 acres, 1,012 acres, 2,770 acres, 4,836, and •690 acres, respectively. The private lease and fee coal covers the remaining 4,600 acres. Six major coal seams exist on MCC lease holdings. The seams are identified alphabetically with the "A Seam" being the lowermost and the F Seam the uppermost. The intervals between the seams vary from as little as 15 feet to more than 250 feet. Current and future economically minable coal reserves in these leases occur in two of the six seams (the E and B Seams). The B Seam has been mined and the E Seam is planned to be mined in Lease D-044569; the B Seam • has been mined in Leases COC-54558 and C-0117192, where mining continues; the B Seam is 2.05-3 Revised November 1004 PRlI