Name Asad

Reg # BSMT01143007

Applied Chemistry

DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

MINING OF COAL

Prospecting and exploration

Prospecting and exploration

The fundamental objective of coal prospecting is to discover coal resources through a

search. In areas where coal mining has not been previously practiced, the search process

should result in obtaining coal samples that give reasonable evidence of the existence of

a coal seam. Once a seam has been discovered, considerable further work

MINING METHODS

Coal is mined by two main methods:

1. Underground or 'deep' mining

2. Surface or 'open-cut' mining

The choice of method is largely determined by the geology of the

coal deposit, in particular the depth of the seam below the

surface.

What determines the type of mining?

Underground vs. Surface Mining

● Depth of below surface

● Size of the ore body

● Shape of the ore body

● Grade

● Type of Ore

Underground Mining

When do we mine underground?

The ore deposit is deep

Ore body is steep

Grade is high enough to cover costs

Underground MiningIn underground coal mining, the working environment is

completely enclosed by the geologic medium, which consists of

the coal seam and the overlying and underlying strata. Access to

the coal seam is gained by suitable openings from the surface,

There are two main methods of extracting coal by underground

mining:

1. room-and-pillar and

2. long wall mining.

Room-and-pillar mining

underground coal is mined by the roomand pillar method,

whereby rooms are cut into the coal bed leaving a series of

pillars, or columns of coal, to help support the mine roof and

control the flow of air.

Room-and-pillar mining

In the longwall mining method, mine development is carried out

in such a manner that large blocks of coal, usually 100 to 300

metres wide and 1,000 to 3,000 metres long, are available for

complete extraction

A block of coal is extracted in slices

Long wall mining

Long wall mining

When do you use Surface Mining?

● Large tonnage

● High rates of production

● Overburden (including rock) is thin

Surface Mining

surface mining

Surface mining is used when deposits of commercially useful

minerals or rock are found near the surface; that is, where the

overburden is relatively thin

In most forms of surface mining, heavy equipment

surface mining

Surface coal mining sequence of operations:

(1) clearing the land of trees and vegetation,

(2) removing and storing the top layers of the unconsolidated soil (topsoil),

(3) drilling the hard strata over the coal seam,

(4) fragmenting or blasting the hard strata with explosives,

(5) removing the blasted material, exposing the coal seam, and cleaning the

top of the coal seam,

(6) fragmenting the coal seam, as required, by drilling and blasting,

(7) loading the loose coal onto haulage conveyances,

(8) transporting the coal from the mine to the plant, and

(9) reclaiming lands affected by the mining activity.

Mining operations

1. clearing the land of trees and vegetation,

2. removing and storing the top layers of the unconsolidated soil (topsoil),

3. drilling the hard strata over the coal seam,

4. fragmenting or blasting the hard strata with explosives,

5. removing the blasted material, exposing the coal seam, and cleaning the top of the

coal seam,

6. fragmenting the coal seam, as required, by drilling and blasting,

7. loading the loose coal onto haulage conveyances,

8. transporting the coal from the mine to the plant, and

reclaiming lands affected by the mining activity.