Coal Age

MAR 2013

Coal Age Magazine - For nearly 100 years, Coal Age has been the magazine that readers can trust for guidance and insight on this important industry.

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coal preparation continued The hydrocyclone wash plant is located on the top tier. The third tier has a large coal storage area, or commons, to receive and stockpile washed coal via conveyor from the wash plant and raw coals delivered by trucks from the various pits and mining operations. The second tier has the truck scales and the screening and Accelerator system. The first, bottom tier, is reserved for processed coal and storage for shipment to customers. On a monthly basis, Beechwood Coal Co. mines and processes more than 30,000 tons of coal from their mining operations and also purchases some raw coal from other mining companies. At any one time, there may be as many as seven different raw coals available for processing and blending in various ratios, to achieve a specific product analysis. Regardless of the origination, all coals are weighed by the certified truck scale as they come on-site and are dumped in specific stockpiles either at the wash plant or at the raw coal storage-staging area. The qualities of coals received vary by calorific value (Btu/lb), ash and sulfur. The local seams include the Redstone, Barton, Franklin, Waynesburg, Morantown, Big Vein (the most prolific seam), Little Pittsburgh and the Sewickley/Tyson. The Big Vein has a hard parting that typically measures from 4- to 6-inches thick with some carbonaceous shale and bone. In addition, crop coal and what Ritchie refers to as BV rations, which are low in sulfur, calorific value and ash, are also available for blending with higher sulfur coals to produce a lower sulfur product. "Many of the raw coal seams delivered are not of marketable quality by themselves," Ritchie said. "Most of our coal is a low- March 2013 The Accelerator sits below an 8- x 16-ft Tabor screen. volatile coal, ranging from 70 to 100 on the Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI). For some orders, certain raw coals may only need to be processed through the Accelerator to a 2inch top size with removal of oversized high ash and pyritic impurities to meet specifications. This process sometimes eliminates the need for washed coal blending. We also have www.coalage.com 35

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