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2.05.3 page 1 <br />• OPERATION PLAN -MINE PLAN AREA <br />METHOD OF COAL EXTRACTION <br />The King Coal Mine is an underground coal mine. A maximum stripping ratio of 1:50 <br />make coal extraction operations amendable to underground methods only. The method used is <br />common to most U.S. underground coal mines and is called coal extraction by room and pillar <br />mining. A series of mine openings are developed from the surface to the coal resources of the <br />mine property. At the King Coal Mine, the upper Menefee coal seam outcrops along Hay <br />Gulch. The portals (mine openings) are constructed at the seam outcrop. The openings or <br />entries are then advanced in the coal following the seam. No shafts (vertical openings) or <br />inclines through overburden material are necessary. <br />The coal reserves are divided up into sections or panels convenient for extraction. First, <br />rooms are developed leaving coal pillars to support the main roof. Later, after a panel has been <br />developed, the pillars are extracted on retreat from the panel. In this way, the recovery of the <br />coal is maximized. Since pillaring operations began at the King Coal Mine during the late <br />summer months of 1979, the extraction ratio of coal removed from the panels to coal left behind <br />is 5:1. This is an excellent extraction ratio. <br />MINE WORKINGS <br />Map C-3 shows the existing mine workings within the current and,proposed Permit Area <br />boundaries. Superimposed above the workings, the surface topography Has been drawn in for <br />correlation purposes between the surface and the underground workings: Mining projections of <br />future panel development are also shown on Map C-3. <br />• MINING EOUII'MENT <br />The coal is currently mined using two continuous miring units. These sections consist of <br />one or two continuous miners. two or three shuttle cars. one or two dual boom roof drills (bolter <br />mac nes , a feeder/breaker belt feeder, and a 4160/480 volt power center. After coal is ripped <br />from the face, it is loaded into the shuttle cars for transporting to the conveyor belt for removal <br />from the mine. All the above equipment is electrical. <br />Haulage vehicles for moving men and supplies into the mine are electric. <br />Electric power for the mine is supplied by a 1500kva surface sub-station. Voltage <br />entering the mine is 4160 vac which is stepped down by the power centers in the mine to 480 vac <br />for the electrical equipment. <br />Water used for dust suppression and motor cooling in the mine is supplied via a four inch <br />diameter P.V.C. pipe. Two wells supply the water. The location of the wells are shown on Map <br />C-4. <br />Ground water is generally absent and therefore spore water pressure does not contribute <br />to instability of the roof, floor or pillars. In general, working conditions in the mine are good. <br />• <br />December 1999 <br />