Deposits Sediments of the Upper Pottsville Mary Lee coal zone are Lower Pennsylvanian in age and comprised of cyclic sequences that include sandstone, siltstone, shale, and coal. Located within the middle of the Black Warrior Basin stratigraphic sequence, the Mary Lee and Blue Creek horizon is situated below drainage throughout the Property and is accessed by shafts. The lithologic variability of the Mary Lee - Blue Creek sequence and enclosing strata is discussed below: > The New Castle seam s present approximately 20 to 80 feet above the Mary Lee seam. > Lithologic composition of the roof strata varies throughout the Property, consisting primarily of a coarsening-upward sequence of shale or sandy shale, with occasional sandstone channels located within the immediate or main roof of the Mary Lee seam. > In areas where sandstone occupies the immediate roof of the Mary Lee seam, seam scouring may locally occur. Where sandstone channels are present within 4 to 6 feet above the Mary Lee (roof bolt horizon), there is potential for increased drawrock conditions and roof instability beneath the sandstone/shale contact. > Thickness and composition of the stratum comprising the Middleman are variable, ranging from: shale, carbonaceous shale, o fireclay, to sandy shale. > Areas, where the combined thickness of the Mary Lee - Blue Creek horizon is less than a minimum continuous miner cutting height (7.0 feet), are generally rare, and where this occurs, roof (and/or floor) strata ........

Due to its coal reserve and seam characteristics, the Property utilizes longwall mining methods with continuous miner units to support two longwall production units.

Run-of-mine coal is transported to the surface via a skip system which transports coal to the surface vertically. Adjacent to the skip shaft is a service shaft for the transportation of workers, supplies and equipment to the coal mine. In addition to the portal located adjacent to the preparation plant, Warrior utilizes a second portal to staff works and transport employees to the second longwall unit and support sections. Bleeder shafts are installed at each longwall district.

Operating at approximately 2,000 feet below the surface, the Mines No. 4 and No. 7 are two of the deepest underground coal mines in North America. The met coal is mined using longwall extraction technology with development support from continuous miners.

Mine No. 7 is a longwall operation that uses a longwall shearing machine for the extraction of coal at the production face. A chain conveyor is used to remove coal from the longwall face for discharge onto the conveyor belt which then ultimately delivers the coal to a skip system. Development for the longwall is conducted by the extraction of coal from the production faces using continuous miners and haulage using shuttle cars to a feeder-breaker located at the tail of the section conveyor belt. The
feeder-breaker crushes large pieces of coal and rock ........

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.