REV11427 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The MDW drill pads will require reopening of previously disturbed and reclaimed drill roads as previously discussed. The roads would be maintained at a 14- foot width. Disturbance of land for road and drill pad construction will be confined to areas approved for construction. No brush or tree removal is anticipated on the access route, however if trees are required to be felled, then MCC will contact the USFS District Ranger or his representative to establish payment for the resource. Drill pads of approximately 200 ft. x 200 ft. will be constructed to accommodate the drill equipment and drill cuttings sump or mud pits. Drill pads will be constructed only as lazge as necessary. Topsoil will be stripped, stockpiled, and identified with a sign to be used in the reclamation phase of the program. Mudpits to accommodate drill cuttings will be constructed with an approximate size of 10' x 20' x 6'. Water for the drilling operations will be pumped to the drill sites from portable tanks using high pressure hose. Alternatively, water may be transported to the drill sites with mobile water carriers. Mountain Coal Company L.L.C. owns water rights for these water resources. MCC may place portable stock tanks near the drill sites and maintain a minimum water level in the tanks to insure water is available for stock and wildlife. This will reduce the risk of stock and wildlife approaching the mudpits for water. DRILLING ACTNITIES Drilling activities for the proposed methane drainage wells will include mobilizing drill equipment to the sites and drilling and setting approximately 40 feet of 16 inch surface casing into bedrock. The holes will typically be rotary drilled with a 15 inch bit to within 250 feet of the B-Seam, then cased with 10 3/4 ID steel casing, then an 9 7/8 inch hole will be drilled to within 20-50 feet of the B-Seam in the "relaxed zone". The 9 7/8" drill hole will be cased with a 7 5/8 slotted casing. It is anticipated that one or more wells could be drilled from some of the pads where access is limited. Up to 10 vertical exploration hole may be drilled during the course of the project. Exploration holes will be logged for geophysical parameters and the MDW holes maybe logged as needed. METHANE DRAINAGE INSTALLATION Methane drainage of the longwall panels would be accomplished by extending a non- metal stack to the surface casing, attaching a lightning arrestor to it and venting to the ambient atmosphere, combined with a trailer or skid mounted gas exhauster, flame arrestor, valves, and non-metal stack with lightning arrestor that would exhaust the gases to the ambient atmosphere. The trailer would be totally enclosed with fencing and locked to protect and prevent persons from tampering with the equipment. The equipment would need to be approved and inspected as required by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). MONITORING