MSHA representative Amy Louviere said that Drummond Company’s Shoal Creek operation has suffered no explosions since early last week, when the last of three were felt at the facility in Adger, Jefferson County.
“In addition to the first one last Friday morning [February 24], there were explosions on Sunday afternoon around 2.30pm and one on Monday around 2pm,” she said. “There have been no apparent explosions in the last couple of days.”
The explosions may have come from the operation’s 800 feet by 3000ft longwall, but the agency is still investigating. “We believe the explosions may have originated in the longwall area; however, we can’t be 100% certain since there has be no re-entry into the mine,” said Louviere. “There appears to be combustion in the gob area behind the longwall.”
MSHA’s preliminary report noted that an “ignition/explosion occurred when a flammable methane/air mixture was ignited by possible friction during a roof fall in the gob behind the headgate shields.” A witness, according to the filing, reported the presence of a flame in a roof cavity behind the shields.
Louviere noted that, although re-entry is not currently possible, efforts are being made to determine cause and inert potential fire and combustion hazards. “So far, there have been four or five boreholes drilled into the mine for the purposes of gas and air sampling and water injection. We are injecting water into the gob, and in other areas of the mine dewatering, or pumping water out.”
One of the boreholes, which measured about 1000ft, was used to send in a camera but no explosion or fire damage was detected. The borehole is now being used for water injection. As for MSHA’s V2 robot, she said, there are “no reports at this time as to whether the robot will be brought into action”
No injuries were reported in the blasts at the operation, which was evacuated immediately after the initial explosion that occurred at approximately 1.20am local time February 24. There were 160 workers underground at the time of the blast, according to MSHA’s preliminary report.
Shoal Creek, a unionised mine which employs both room and pillar and longwall methods, employs about 850 people (700 underground) and produced about 1.377 million tons in the first half of 2005.
