Laserfiche WebLink
readily adaptable to both heavy demand, and constrained demand, for coal. Market <br />demand determines not only the volume of coal produced, but also determines the <br />rate of production for each of the two coal beds being mined. <br />These factors have proven difficult to anticipate. As a result, Mid-Continent has found it <br />necessary to be highly adaptable in all aspects of the Coal Basin operations. <br />Modernization of mine will allow for greater productivity and higher tonnages if market <br />conditions are such that there is a demand for more coal production. From 1980-1986, <br />the average annual production for the Coal Basin operation totalled 815,121 tons, <br />which represents an increase over the 30-year average, although demand for coal has <br />been constrained due to a downturn in the steel industry. <br />Coal produced from the first year of production to the last full year of production prior <br />to submittal of the application (1956 through 1986) totals 19,332,146 tons, an average <br />of 644,404 tons per year. Production over the 30-year period for each of the <br />two seams being mined totals 14,468,121 tons of coal from the lower B-bed seam; <br />4,864,625 million tons of coal from the upper, M-bed seam. <br />During the first three quarters of 1987, the Coal Basin operations produced a total of <br />604,932 tons of coal, including 57,398 tons from the B-bed and 547,534 tons from the <br />M-bed. <br />• Operations <br />Mid-Continent utilizes both advancing and retreating configurations of longwall mining <br />and continuous mining in the Coal Basin operations. <br />The mining sequence entails driving main entry slopes with continuous mining <br />machines, and then establishing either longwall faces or room-and-pillar sections. <br />In addition to the actual cutting of coal, operations include the transport and <br />preparation of the coal, and other essential support activities which take place both <br />underground and on the surface. <br />Mining is underground, and coal is transported from the faces to the surface through <br />the Adit/Rock Tunnel. Underground support activities include ventilation, roof control, <br />rock dusting and maintenance. <br />The Adit/Rock Tunnel has been operational and in use since the fall of 1987. It extends <br />to both seams being mined and intersects the workings reached by Entries #1 and #2. <br />Additional work to be done on the Adit/Rock Tunnel includes driving lateral extensions <br />to the workings of Entries #3, #4 and #5. At the time of permit application submittal <br />(December, 1987), these are inactive due to constrained demand for coal. If reopened <br />13 <br />