Mining Intelligence and News
United States

Rich Gap Project

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusInactive / Suspended
Commodities
  • Coal (thermal)
Mining Method
  • Continuous
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Rich Gap Project is located on an unnamed fork of Spruce Lick Branch of Tackett Creek, north of the Double Mountain Mine. The Lower Mason seam is accessed via drift entry.

Kopper Glo Mining (owner) is an associated company of Inmet Mining. Inmet Mining filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Code on April 5, 2023.
Related AssetCentral Appalachia Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Industrial Minerals Group, LLC 100 % Indirect
Industrial Minerals Group LLC owns 100% of Inmet’s equity and is itself fully owned by Charles Hobson. Kopper Glo Mining is an associated company of Inmet Mining. Inmet Mining filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Code on April 5, 2023.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The Property is situated in the southern portion of the Appalachian Basin, which contains two-fifths of the nations’ bituminous coal deposits and extends over 900 miles from northern Alabama to Pennsylvania.

The primary coal-bearing formations on the property are Carboniferous in age, being in the Pennsylvanian system, which includes the Breathitt Formation. The average mineable seam thickness for coal horizons in these formations ranges from 1 foot to over 6 feet. The coal seams are generally continuous and non-complex but may vary in thickness and may also be locally absent. Seams retain normal stratigraphic sequence throughout the Property and no evidence has been observed that seams have been modified from pre-deformational thicknesses.

Mineable coal seams within the Property are typically low-ash with the exception of the Joyner seam, and highthermal content bituminous coals. The maximum seam thic ness may reach over 6.0 feet in the Upper Jellico underground mines; however, the average mineable thickness of the seams in this evaluation generally ranges from 1 foot to 4 feet. Seams are generally continuous, but may be locally absent. Secondary discontinuity due to erosional features is present in most areas, resulting in seam outcropping, or visible exposure of the seam at the surface. Other than oxidation of the coal exposed at the surface, erosion of the seams has no significant impact on the mineralized deposits. All seams outcrop on the property, with the exception of the Cumberland Gap seam, which is below drainage. Coal seams are characterized by both single bench and multiple-bench coal horizons with parting (non-coal) material varying by seam and area. Seam parting is common within the coal seams on the Property with intra-seam parting material increasing drastically in some areas. Roof strata are typically shale or sandy shale with zones of sandstone roof being common. Floor strata are typically sandstone, shale, sandy shale, or fireclay.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Coal (thermal) k tons 202749
All production numbers are expressed as clean coal.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual production capacity 202,000 tons of clean coal *
* According to 2016 study.

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 31, 2016
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 5, 2024

Aerial view:

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