Coal Age

FEB 2013

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u . s . l o n g wa l l c e n s u s America���s Longwall Operations Demonstrate Stability During an Uncertain Period Total population remains the same as several new longwall installations ramp up to reach full production in 2012 BY STEVE FISCOR, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF For the first time, the total number of longwall mines, according to Coal Age���s annual U.S. longwall census remains the same as it did last year. U.S. coal operators have 43 installations with five mines operating two faces for a total of 48. Two of the longwall installations are non-coal mines cutting soft rock in Wyoming. CONSOL Energy remains the leading U.S. longwall producer with 11 faces. Arch Coal and Murray Energy operate five longwall mines. Alpha Natural Resources and Walter Energy each have one mine operating two longwall faces. Both companies operate three longwall mines and four longwall faces. Alliance Resource Partners brought the Tunnel Ridge longwall online during May 2012 in West Virginia. Foresight Energy commissioned its longwall at the Deer Run mine in Illinois. Both of these new longwalls were included in last year���s census even though they were not yet operational. With 13 faces, West Virginia remains the longwall leader, followed by Pennsylvania (7), Alabama (6), and Utah (5). Looking at the numbers, the average U.S. longwall mine operating in coal has a cutting height of 90 inches, a panel width (or face length) of 1,137 ft, and a panel length of 10,802 ft. Last year those numbers were 94 inches, 1,086 ft, and 10,321 ft respectively. A total of 17 longwalls operate in the Pittsburgh No. 8 seam. The maximum overburden on average reaches 1,178 ft. Except for a few mines in Utah, most are developed with 3entry gates. Using a 1,178-hp doubledrum, ranging-arm shearer, they take a 38-inch cut. The average yield setting on the shield is 1,012 tons. Most (41 faces) are high voltage (4,160 volts). As far as extremes, the deepest longwall mine is the West Ridge mine in 24 www.coalage.com Table 1���Longwall Installations, by Parent Company (2012-2013). Company Alliance Resource Partners Alpha Natural Resources AmCoal American Energy Arch Coal BHP Billiton Blue Mountain Energy Bowie Resources Ltd. Cliffs Natural Resources CONSOL Energy Drummond Energy West FMC Corp. Foresight Energy Ohio Valley Coal Oxbow Mining Pacific Minerals Patriot Coal Peabody Energy Signal Peak Energy Solvay Chemicals UtahAmerican Energy Inc. Walter Energy Total Ala. Colo. Ill. Mont. N.M. Ohio Pa. Utah Va. W.Va. Wyo. 2 1 3 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 6 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 4 6 5 4 1 Utah, operating at a depth of 3,000 ft. Alpha Natural Resources��� Cumberland mine operates the longest face: 1,580 ft. At 21,500 ft, Signal Peak Energy���s Bull Mountain mine has the longest panel. Arch Coal���s West Elk and SUFCO mines are operating 2,805-hp shearers. Safety Improves at America���s Most Productive Mines CONSOL Energy���s Enlow Fork mine achieved a safety milestone by becoming the first longwall operation in the company's history to accumulate more than 1 2 7 5 1 13 3 Total 2 4 2 1 5 1 1 1 2 11 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 4 48 1 million man-hours without incurring a lost time incident. During 2012, CONSOL Energy's Coal Division saw safety exceptions drop 11%, from 150 to 134. During the third quarter of 2012, CONSOL Energy briefly idled the Blacksville and Robinson Run mines due to weak thermal coal markets. Two new conveyor belts at the Bailey prep plant collapsed, which impacted production at the Enlow Fork and Bailey mines. Engineers and contractors working around the clock had one belt rebuilt by the third week in August. The mines were re-started at a February 2013

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