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.
Issue link: https://coal.epubxp.com/i/82345
1990-1999 *COAL, November 1992 increase in 10 years. Over the next six years, the Indonesian Government projects pro- duction to increase by almost 9 million tpy by 2000; they are expecting to produce 88 million tons. By 1995, Colombia has now grown to become the world's fourth largest exporter after Australia, the U.S. and South Africa. Coal is the country's third largest export behind coffee and petroleum. Current pro- duction is 22 million mt, of which, 16 mil- lion mt is exported. Vast reserves of high-quality coal are located in relatively close proximity to the Caribbean Coast. Production from El Cerrejón's North Mining complex rivals large North American surface coal operations. The mine has reserves of 1.6 billion mt and is a 50:50 joint venture of Carbocol, the Colombian state company formed in 1976, and Intercor, a subsidiary of Exxon Corp. Cerrejón shipped 14 million mt in 1993. Other important producers for the export market include Produce and Carbones del Caribe. All three have expansion plans that will raise total capacity to 33 million mtpy by 2000. The world coal market staged a recovery in 1994. Hard coal production rose by 2.4% from 3.79 billion mt in 1993 to 3.88 billion mt in 1994. Since 1974, world hard coal production rose 61%, which equals an average annual growth rate of 2.1%. The leading producers are China (1.27 billion mt), U.S. (930 million mt), Russia (414 million mt), India (283 million mt), South Africa (200 million mt), Australia (195 million mt) and the European Union (144 million mt). Longwall Production Pulls Ahead of Continuous Miners The underground coal industry in the U.S. is about to experience an evolutionary shift in production as coal operators master long- wall mining. At the beginning of the decade room-and-pillar mining still dominates the landscape. Continuous miner manufactur- ers are concentrating efforts on making the machines operate better and improving development methods for longwall gate roads. Four manufacturers exist: Eimco, Jeffrey (Dresser), Joy Technologies and Simmons Rand. Two of the manufacturers have developed on-board independent roof bolting systems. Joy is field testing a system that gives the continuous miner the ability to repeat the cutting cycle automatically. With a cut control system, the machine is shown where to start and stop and how far to sump into the face. The machines will repeat the sequence until it is told to change. Monthly Longwall Production Records Feb. 94 Meigs 31 527,835 tons Dec. 94 Twentymile 548,575 tons Aug. 95 Cumberland 573,000 tons Unclear West Elk West Elk Aug. 96 Twentymile 810,049 tons June 97 Twentymile 1,001,401 tons 164 www.coalage.com 100th Anniversary Special Issue 601,068 tons March 96 Twentymile 689,759 tons July 96 781,355 tons August 2012