PERMFILE133694

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/4/2002
• Doc Name: Exploration Pad EEE & Drill Hole 2001-11-1
• Section_Exhibit Name: Exhibit 80 Drilling Activities - MR281
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

RECEIVE®
MAR 0 4 2002
• MOUNTAIN COAL
- \ - COMPANYL.L.C.
A suhsidiary o(Arch Wes~em Resources, LLC
August 13, 2001
Ms. Lynn Lewis
Bureau of Land Management
Uncompahgre Basin Resource Area
2505 South Townsend Ave.
Montrose, CO 81401
Division of Minerals and Geology
West Elk Mine
P.O. Boz 591
5174 Highway 133
Somerset, CO 81434
[phone]
Far [phone]
Re: Mountain Coal Company LLC (MCC), West Elk Mine; Permit No. C-80-007; Minor
Revision 281, Request for Approval from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of
Exploration Drill Pad EEE and Drill Hole 2001-11-1.
• Dear Ms. Lewis:
MCC is requesting a minor revision to the mining and reclamation permit for an additional drill pad
and exploration drill hole No. 2001-1 1-1. MCC requested authorization from the Colorado Division of
Minerals and Geology (CDMG) to construct and conduct drilling operations from pad EEE on this
same date. Included with this submittal are the biological and cultural assessments and a map
depicting the drill pad location. Also included is a schematic showing the proposed completion. It is
anticipated the drill hole will serve as a water monitoring hole in the B-Seam at completion, however,
because of the potential for suspected methane liberation and our previous experience of drilling just
south of the North Fork of the Gunnison River, MCC will address the feasibility of a water monitoring
well at completion of drilling.
The proposed drill pad and exploration hole is on BLM surface-owned property and is situated on
MCC's Coal Lease COC 56447 (Box Canyon Lease) and within the current permit area boundary. The
specific location has been flagged in the field and is located in Section 11, T.13 S., R. 90 W., 6`s
Principle Meridian.
The biological and cultural reports from our contractor (Greystone Consultants) indicate that there are
neither threatened, endangered, sensitive species, nor cultural resources present at this pad location.
The approvals from the BLM and CDMG for this pad location and drill hole are expected this week.
As soon as the approval is granted to MCC from the BLM to construct the pad and drill the exploration
• hole, copies of the approval decision will be forwarded to the CDMG.