Production from the 47 mines dropped about 1.3% compared with 2004, while the number of workers increased from 13,242 to 14,161 – based on the average number of workers per mine.
Major mining company Consol Energy led the line-up of top producers with the giant Bailey operation setting a new record in 2005 with 11 million clean tonnes, 9% better than in 2004.
Consol’s neighbouring Enlow Fork was the third biggest hitter, producing 9.7Mt, about 4% down on last year. Enlow Fork is undergoing a $US500 million expansion that will increase annual production by 70% to 17 million tonnes per annum and provide 400 new jobs for the area.
The company’s McElroy mine also set a new record with its output of 10.4Mt.
Peabody Energy’s Twentymile mine in Colorado produced 9.3Mt and is about to begin commissioning a new DBT longwall that will increase nameplate capacity to 12Mt. The package includes DBT’s new generation EL3000 shearer, rated at 3000hp and weighing in at just under 100t. This is the first EL3000 to be placed in coal in the US.
BHP Billiton’s San Juan mine in New Mexico produced 7.9Mt followed by Arch’s Sufco mine in Utah, which produced 7Mt.
Output from Arch Coal’s West Elk declined about 14% to 5.5Mt after the mine shut down for two months late last year when dangerous levels of gas were detected. West Elk went back into production in mid-March.
Consol’s Buchanan operation faced two major problems this year, which drove down production by 70%. A goaf fire in February forced the company to seal the mine in Virginia and then in September production was again halted due to a broken skip hoist. Mining resumed in December.
Several new longwall mines are on the drawing board including the Bull Mountain Coal Mine at Roundup in Montana and a host of Illinois-based projects including the 7Mt Pond Creek mine near Johnston City.
