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J <br />~~ <br />tvetstrwt <br />tnc. <br />A SuGfidiary <br />9r <br />Wefern Fuelr <br />Aavcia(ion, Inc <br />Area Manager <br />Bureau of Land Management <br />White River Resource Area <br />P.O. Box 928 <br />Meeker, CO 81641-0928 <br />RE: DESERADO MINE R,Pz <br />Deaz Sirs: <br />III IIIIIIIIIIIII III <br />999 <br />~tl.tlVtu <br />APR 0 5 1995 <br />Diw,ion of ~mnerais a ueoiogy <br />March 30, 1995 <br />Western Fuels-Utah (WFU) holds seven leases from BLM which have been combined to form an LMU <br />at the Deserado Mine near Rangely. The seven leases are C-023703, C-0126669, C-8424, C-8425, <br />D-047201, C-44693 and COC51551. A modified Resource Recovery and Protection Plan (RZPZ) for <br />the LMU was submitted to BLM in August, 1991. <br />WFU has found it necessary to revise Deserado Mine's D-Seam mine plan due fo the difficulty it is <br />faang in conducting a safe and economically feasible longwall mining operation. A number of factors <br />have seated this situation. We have encountered increasing thicknesses of middle D seam parting, <br />areas with the thin D to E interburden, and increasing overburden depth. The middle D seam parting <br />and the thin D to E seam interburden both result in higher non-coal dilution which threatens to <br />overload the preparation plant. Increasing overburden depth with poor roof conditions results in slower <br />development and additional dilution from non-coal out of seam material. Based on our past <br />experience, a number of changes have been made in D-Seam mine plan. Longwall panel LW-7 was <br />shortened by about 520 feet and longwall panel LW-11 is shortened by about 600 feet to avoid thinner <br />coal and higher dilution from both in-seam partings and out of seam dilution. The East Mains that <br />were reduced from six entries to five entries inbye gate road 11th East will be reduced to three entries <br />inbye 12th East and driven on a heading of N.50°E or at an angle to the East Mains of about 28°. <br />Longwall panel LW-12 will not be mined. Changes to the East Mains and eliminating LW-12 is <br />required to avoid thinner coal, high dilution, and poor roof conditions. All of the longwall panels on the <br />west side of the East Mains are shortened to avoid thin coal (4 to 5 feet) and/or thick rock parting. <br />Longwall panel LW-13 (previous) will be renamed LW-12 and will be moved to the south to make it <br />at least as long as longwall panels LW-8, LW-9 and LW-10. Previous longwall panels LW-16 and <br />LW-17 will not be mined to avoid thin coal (4 to 5 feet) and/or thick parting. The longwall panels have <br />been renumbered in the revised mine plan. <br />Suite #305 <br />405 Urban Street <br />Lakevood. Colorado 802 <br />Telephone 303/98&96?6 <br />Telecopier 303i986~e147 <br />