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West Elk Mrne <br />I• <br /> <br />Recove Table 29 <br />Rates for Room and Pillar and Lon <br />all Minin Methods <br /> Room and Pillar Method <br /> <br />Location Coal Recove <br />Main Develo ment 30-40% <br />Submain Develo ment 30 - 40 <br />Panel Minin <br />Partial Pillar EMraction 45 - 55 <br />Full Pillar Extraction 60 - 80 <br />Total 50 <br /> <br /> Lon all Method <br />Location Coal Recove <br />Main Develo ment 30 - 40 <br />Submain Develo ment 30 - 40 <br />Panels BO - 90 <br />Total 80% <br />Coal recovery depends on the method of coal extraction. Using room and pillar methods, MCC <br />recovered about 50 percent of coal reserves in the F Seam. With the longwall mining method, <br />Mountain Coal Company recovers (and plans to recover) about 80 percent of the thickness mined <br />for the coal reserves of the B and E Seams (Table 29), based upon current mine plans. <br />Anticipated Annual Production is shown with expected employment needs in Table 32, (2.05.3}. <br />Mining Equipment <br />Mining equipment in use at West Elk Mine varies. Typical equipment used in the development <br />mining operations is shown on Table 30. Typical equipment used in the longwall mining <br />operations is shown on Table 31. <br />Use and Conservation ofthe Coal Resource <br /> <br />The mine plan has been laid out to recover as much coal as practical, considering prudent <br />mining practices and economic viability of the operation. Longwall technology is utilized at <br />West Elk Mine to achieve the maximum economic recovery of the coal reserves, enhance <br />personnel safety, and protect surface resources. Although this method attains the highest overall <br />reserve recovery, not all coal will be recovered. <br />Although high recovery rates will be achieved for the E and B Seams, some coal will remain <br />unmined. Because of the specific and regular pattern needed for longwall panel development, <br />small azeas of marginally thick E and B Seam coal will not be mined. These areas occur where <br />the planned longwall panel layout cannot be configured to fit the reserve azea. Where E and B <br />Seam mining will occur, some top coal, from one to two feet in thickness, will be left unmined <br />in the roof to improve roof conditions and hence, personnel safety and product quality. Because <br />the full seam thickness commonly exceeds the maximum extraction height of the mining <br />equipment, some floor coal will also be left unrnined. <br />2.05-5 <br />Revised November 2004 PR!/ <br />