The Virginia-based operation was evacuated and sealed on February 16 to extinguish any fire by cutting off oxygen to the mine's underground atmosphere.
Since then 16 boreholes have been established at various areas of the mine including a number of holes near the area of the cave-in.
Consol said temperature measurements taken through the boreholes indicated no elevation in temperature from ambient levels underground. In addition, video equipment lowered into the holes revealed no sign of active fire.
Gas readings taken from the boreholes and other monitoring sites indicated the mine atmosphere was inert in nearly all areas.
The company has not set a timetable for re-entering the mine but said company officials and officials from federal and state agencies had been developing and reviewing plans and procedures that would be used when re-entry began.
These plans include such items as the start-up sequence for ventilation fans and procedures to be used by mine rescue teams in their examination of the underground areas of the mine.
At the end of March, approximately 145,000 tons of the approximately 270,000 tons of stockpiled coal from Buchanan had been shipped to customers.
The company declared force majeure on coal contracts scheduled for shipment from the mine through the end of May 2005. This may be extended, but the publicised date suggests Consol is hopeful of re-entering this month.
Buchanan Mine typically produces 300,000-400,000t per month of metallurgical grade coal for sale primarily to steel producers in the US and overseas. It also supplies about 20% of the company's total gas production.
