Laserfiche WebLink
Chapter II <br /> Although there are other coal seams in Coal Basin, such as the Placita Seam (which <br /> is above the Middle bed), they are not considered to be commercially minable. <br /> The U.S. Bureau of Land Management estimates Recoverable Reserves for federal <br /> leases which Mid-Continent anticipates mining during the life of operations total <br /> 36,650,000 tons; in addition, estimated recoverable reserves of fee coal total <br /> 2,550,000 tons when calculated according to the BLM guidelines for estimation of <br /> recoverable reserves. The total estimated recoverable reserves for the life of <br /> operations at Coal Basin: 39,200,000 tons.* <br /> Estimated life of the operation, assuming an annual production of 1 million tons, is <br /> approximately 39 years from the time of this permit application submittal. <br /> Production and actual recovery of coal reserves depends upon significant factors <br /> which are largely beyond the control of the operator, namely market and geologic <br /> factors. Intense faulting, igneous intrusives and the extreme depth of cover are <br /> significant determinants of the rate and ratio of production, and require constant <br /> adaptation of the mine plan in response to the actual geologic conditions <br /> encountered as mining progresses. <br /> The competitive and volatile nature of the present metallurgical coal market <br /> exercises signicant influence over the mining operation as well, and requires that the <br /> operator be readily adaptable to both heavy demand, and constrained demand, for <br /> coal. Market demand determines not only the volume of coal produced, but also <br /> determines the rate of production for each of the two coal beds being mined. <br /> Appendix II-B-1 discusses at greater length the geologic and market factors which <br /> bear on mine planning. <br /> B. OPERATION PLAN - PERMIT AREA. <br /> 1 . Production Methods and Equipment. <br /> Mid-Continent utilizes both advancing and retreating configurations of longwall <br /> mining 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 /> * Clean coal tonnages (i.e., after "washing" to discard rock/materials from raw <br /> coal. <br /> 8 <br />