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Tract Delineation Report - 2003 The MCC WFT LBA Page <br />• VI. Mining Considerations <br />Surface Facilities MCC would access the WFT from their existing West Elk mine portals on their <br />fee property 3.1 miles W-NW of the delineated WFT. They also have existing coal handling <br />facilities including a train load-out which serves the West Elk mine. That train load-out facility <br />would also serve the WFT. Mining the coal on the delineated WFT could be well accomplished, <br />using the surfape coal handling facilities already available for the operation of the West Elk mine. <br />If the WFT were not acquired by MCC it is not likely that its coal could be accessed by a different <br />mining company. ,The WFT is too small with too questionable a reserve, (other than to provide a <br />prevention of bypass) for it to be attractive to a different mining company. The WFT does:not qualify: <br />as a stand alone property. <br />y. <br />Mining Method, lyline Life Geologic constraints dictate that underground mining be employed to <br />extract the coal from the WFT. For MCC, that method is restricted to the longwall method ofminirig <br />due to their commitment to employ that method in all their mining ventures. MCC .would use <br />continuous miner equipment to develop mains and gate roads to provide development for longwall <br />extraction from the coat reserves. The operation in the West Elk mine (B seam coal) east of the' <br />WFT successfully mines coal using continuous miners to develop longwall panels. <br />Mining Equipment The following is a list of longwall equipment projected for use by MCC and is <br />typical for an underground longwall operation: <br />• Continuous Miners 3 Roof Bolters 3 <br />Shuttle Cars 7 Utility Loaders 4 <br />Lube Truck 1 Utility Mantrips 6 <br />Timber Truck 1 Auxiliary fans 14 <br />60" BeIY Drives 2 72" Belt Drive 7 <br />Main Mine Fan 3 Joy Sheazer 2 <br />Shield Haulers 2 <br />LW Face Shields 165 LW Pan Line 2 <br />Employment Requirements Production on the WFT could proceed with a no increase in the level of <br />employment requirements if MCC were the successful bidder. The life ofthe existing coal operations <br />would have been extended; however, which could allow for an extended period of employment for <br />the existing office, surface, and underground employees. The projected employment level is <br />approximately 360 employees with a low of about 310 and a high of about 400, with about 50 <br />contractors being part of the group at higher employment levels. <br />• <br />