Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Continuous
- Room-and-pillar
|
Processing |
- Column flotation
- Wet Screening
- Gravity separation
- Spiral concentrator / separator
- Flotation
- Dense media separation
- Magnetic separation
- Dewatering
|
Production Start | 2009 |
Mine Life | 2056 |
The River View Complex (RVC) is composed of the River View (Mine #1) and Henderson County (Mine #2) mines along with shared preparation, loadout, and other ancillary facilities.
The River View mine is located in Union County, Kentucky, and is currently the largest room-and-pillar coal mine in the United States.
The Henderson County mine is located in Henderson County, Kentucky, and is currently under development, with full production expected to begin in 2024. |
Source:
p. 11,21,389
River View Coal, LLC. owns and operates the River View Mine. River View Coal, (WV), LLC. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Alliance Resource Partners L.P.
Contractors
Contractor | Contract | Description | Ref. Date | Expiry | Source |
Louisville Gas & Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities
|
Power supply
|
Electricity is provided by Kentucky Utilities. Electricity is sourced from a 69 KV line to multiple substations ranging in size from 10-14 MVA located at the prep plant and the Mine #1
portal facilities.
|
Dec 31, 2023
|
|
|
Source:
Summary:
The River View Complex (RVC) extracts coal from both the West Kentucky #9 (WKY9) and the West Kentucky #11 (WKY11) seams. The WKY11 is about 200 to 400 feet deep and the WKY9 is about 200 to 500 feet deep. The resource area is bounded by the Ohio River, the Rough Creek-Shawneetown Fault System, previous mining, and influences associated with mineability discussed above. Strata dip gently to the north and east across the property.
The WKY9 and WKY11 are consistent in thickness over their respective resource boundaries with the seams averaging 4.62 feet WKY9 and 4.64 feet WKY11 in thickness. On a 1.50 float, dry basis, the WKY9 averages about 8.9% ash, 3.2% sulfur, and 13,050 btu/lb. On a 1.50 float, dry basis, the WKY11 averages about 6.9% ash, 3.2% sulfur, and 13,360 btu/lb.
The mineral deposit type mined by the RVC is a high volatile bituminous coal. The primary coal-bearing strata is of Carboniferous age, in the Pennsylvanian system.
The geologic model developed to explore the resource and reserve is a bedded sedimentary deposit model. This is generally described as a continuous, non-complex, typical cyclothem sequence that follows a bedded sedimentary sequence. The geology continues to be verified by an extensive drilling program.
The WKY11 and WKY9 are within the Carbondale Formation. The Carbondale Formation makes up about a quarter of the rocks in the Pennsylvanian System; but it contains two-thirds of the coal resources in Kentucky.
The Henderson Union Resources (HUR) includes the WKY11, WKY7, and WKY6 seams. The seams range between 100 and 800 feet in depth.
The HUR is bound to the north and west by the Ohio River and sets of northeast-southwest trending faults of the Rough CreekShawneetown system. The south is bound by previous mining and faulting. It is bound to the east by conditions related to the Anvil Rock sandstone (WKY11 only), as well as previous mining. In addition to these resource defining parameters, the WKY11, WKY7, and WKY6 resources are defined by areas where the coal is thin or absent. The coal-bearing strata dips gently to the north and east across the resource area.
The mineral deposit types in the HUR area are high volatile bituminous coal. The primary coal-bearing strata is of Carboniferous age, in the Pennsylvanian system.
The geologic model developed to explore the HUR is a bedded sedimentary deposit model. This is generally described as a continuous, non-complex, typical cyclothem sequence that follows a bedded sedimentary sequence. The geology continues to be verified as new data is received.
The lower Carbondale Formation boundary is placed at the bottom of the Davis (WKY6) seam. When this coal is absent, the lower Carbondale is placed at the top of the Yeargins Limestone. The upper boundary is placed at the base of the Providence Limestone. Where this limestone is absent, it is placed at the top of the Herrin (WKY11) seam. The Carbondale Formation makes up about a quarter of the rocks in the Pennsylvanian System and contains two-thirds of the coal resources in Kentucky.
Mining Methods
- Continuous
- Room-and-pillar
Source:
p.15,40,43,44
Summary:
The River View complex (RVC) is composed of the River View (Mine #1) and Henderson County (Mine #2) mines.
The River View mine is located in Union County, Kentucky and is currently the largest room-and-pillar coal mine in the United States. The River View mine began production in 2009 and utilizes continuous mining units to produce medium/high-sulfur coal from multiple seams. The Henderson County mine is located in Henderson County, Kentucky and is currently under development, with full production expected to begin in 2024 from the No.9 seam.
The River View mining Access is via Slope and Shaft. The primary Mine #1 shaft access (Portal 1) to the RVC is located at 835 KY- 1179, Waverly, KY 42462. It is accessible from Henderson, KY, via US-60 to KY-1180/KY-359 to KY-1179, or from Uniontown, KY, via KY-130 to KY-141 to KY-1179. The secondary Mine #1 shaft access (Portal 2) to Mine #1 is located at the intersection of KY-359 and KY-1179, Waverly, KY 42462. Coal is transported by belt from the underground mine to the surface at the Mine #1 slope access located just northwest of the primary Mine #1 shaft access. The coal is transported by belt from the Mine #1 slope access to the complex’s processing and coal loading facilities located about 3.0 miles northwest of the Mine #1 slope access.
The RVC has the capability to mine from both the WKY9 and WKY11. This is accomplished using the room and pillar mining method. There are currently ten operating split air super sections. These units will be transitioned between the two mines as needed. The super section arrangement allows for the operation of two continuous miners simultaneously. Infrastructure within the mines includes conveyors, electrical equipment, ventilation, and equipment necessary for water distribution, and can support up to twelve super sections. Empirical data gathered from previous mining in the same coal seams while using similar equipment and mining practices is compiled and considered when forecasting production rates. Predictable adverse geologic conditions are also taken into account during production forecasting.
Planned production varies according to contracted sales volume and expectations of market conditions.
Underground equipment required at the RVC includes, but is not limited to:
- Continuous miner;
- Shuttle car;
- Double boom roof bolter;
- Truss bolter;
- Battery scoop;
- Fork trucks;
- Personnel carrier (mantrip);
- Feeder breaker;
- Road grader;
- Belt conveyor;
- Transformer/substation;
- Refuge Alternative chamber;
- Rock dusters;
- Miscellaneous dewatering pumps.
Surface equipment required at the RVC includes, but is not limited to:
- Dozers (various sizes);
- Miscellaneous preparation plant equipment;
- End loader;
- Man and material hoisting equipment;
-Ventilation fan;
- Substation;
- Mobile crane;
- Belt conveyor;
- Tractor and dirt scraping pans;
- Side by side personnel carriers;
- Fresh water wells.
The current life of reserve plan anticipates exhausting the reserve in 2056.
Processing
- Column flotation
- Wet Screening
- Gravity separation
- Spiral concentrator / separator
- Flotation
- Dense media separation
- Magnetic separation
- Dewatering
Source:
Summary:
Both mines will utilize the existing preparation plant, refuse disposal, and loadout facilities. River View's preparation plant has throughput capacity of 2,700 tons of raw coal per hour.
The coal is transported by belt from River View Mine (Mine #1) slope access to the complex’s processing and coal loading facilities located about 3.0 miles northwest of the Mine #1 slope access. From the processing facilities, the processed coal is transported by belt about 0.6 miles to the mine’s barge loading facility on the Ohio River. Coal will move from the Mine #2 slope on an overland conveyor that will tie into the raw coal storage at the Mine #1 slope for transport to the shared processing facilities.
The plant consists of three (3) units. Each unit consists of three circuits, a heavy media cyclone circuit (3" X 1mm), a water only cyclone/spiral circuit (1mm X 100 mesh), and a flotation circuit (100mesh X 325mesh).
The heavy media (HM) cyclone circuit includes a heavy media sump, which is fed sized coal (3” X 1mm). The heavy media pump moves media and sized raw coal to the 48” heavy media cyclone. Heavy media cyclones make a gravity separation at a specific gravity of approximately 1.5 -1.6 (specific gravity is adjusted to meet the coal quality specification as needed). The heavy media cyclone overflow (clean coal) discharges from the cyclone to the clean coal flume boxes, to the clean coal drain, and rinse screens. The clean coal screens separate the coal into two sizes (plus ½" and minus ½") and remove media from the clean coal before discharging. The plus ½" clean coal is drained, rinsed, and discharged as final product onto the clean coal collect conveyor. The minus ½" clean coal is discharged into clean coal centrifuges for additional dewatering. The dewatered coal is discharged onto the clean coal collect conveyor, and the effluent from the clean coal centrifuges is discharged to the dilute media sump. The heavy media cyclone underflow (refuse) discharges from the cyclone to the HM refuse flume boxes and to the refuse drain-and-rinse screens. The refuse drain-and-rinse screens remove the magnetite from the refuse prior to discharging directly to the refuse collecting conveyor. The media that is drained from the heavy media screens is piped back to the HM sump. Media that is rinsed at the drain and rinse screens is piped to a dilute sump and pumped to magnetic separators. The magnetic separators remove the magnetite and return it back to the heavy media sump. The effluent from the separators is reused in the plant as process water in the water only cyclone/spiral circuit. The specific gravity in the heavy media sump is regulated by a magnetite screw and magnetite bin or make-up water.
The water only/spiral circuit includes a raw coal sump, which is fed sized coal (1mm X 0). The raw coal pump moves water and raw coal to the water-only cyclones. The overflow from the water-only cyclones is clean coal and is piped to a clean coal classifying sump. The underflow is reprocessed using spiral concentrators. The spiral concentrators make three products, refuse, middlings, and clean coal. The clean coal is piped to the clean coal classifying sump. The middlings are piped back to the raw coal sump for reprocessing, and the refuse is piped to a high-frequency refuse screen for dewatering and discharged to the refuse collect conveyor. The clean coal collected in the clean coal classifying sump is pumped to 15" clean coal classifying cyclones. The clean coal classifying cyclones make a size separation of approximately 100 mesh. The underflow of the clean coal classifying cyclone is plus 100 mesh and is piped to clean coal sieves for dewatering. The dewatered coal is discharged to screenbowl centrifuges for further dewatering. The screenbowl centrate is recycled back to the clean coal sump and the main effluent is piped to the thickener. The overflow of the clean coal classifying cyclones and the water from the clean coal sieves is piped to an ultrafine sump.
The flotation circuit includes the ultrafine sump, which is fed sized coal (100 mesh X 0). The ultrafine sump will pump water and the 100 mesh X 0 material to the 6” deslime cyclones and will make a nominal separation at approximately 325 mesh. The plus 325 mesh (underflow) will discharge and feed flotation columns. The minus 325 mesh (reject) will discharge and be piped to the thickener. Chemical and air is added to the columns, and clean coal will exit the top of the columns and be piped to the screenbowl centrifuges. The refuse from the columns exits the columns and is piped to the thickener.
The thickener feed is mixed with anionic and/or cationic chemicals that aid in the settling of the solids. The settled solids are concentrated and fed to the thickener underflow pumps. The thickener underflow pumps, pump the concentrated refuse away to a slurry disposal site. The clarified water that overflows from the thickener is collected and transferred to a clarified water sump for reuse as process water throughout the plant.
Source:
- subscription is required.
Production:
All production numbers are expressed as clean coal.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
Hourly processing capacity
| 2,700 tons | 2,700 tons | 2,700 tons | 2,700 tons | 2,700 tons | 2,700 tons |
Coal tonnes mined
| | | 15,964 k tons | 15,106 k tons | 19,052 k tons | |
Reserves at December 31, 2023:
Mineral reserves using a cut off thickness of 4.00 feet.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity |
Proven
|
169.1 M tons
|
Coal (thermal)
|
Probable
|
141.3 M tons
|
Coal (thermal)
|
Proven & Probable
|
310.4 M tons
|
Coal (thermal)
|
Measured
|
127.3 M tons
|
Coal (thermal)
|
Indicated
|
227.9 M tons
|
Coal (thermal)
|
Measured & Indicated
|
355.2 M tons
|
Coal (thermal)
|
Inferred
|
57.8 M tons
|
Coal (thermal)
|
Total Resource
|
413 M tons
|
Coal (thermal)
|
Financials:
| Units | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
Book Value
|
M USD
| 312.7 | 229 | 199.3 |
HME Type | Model | Quantity | Ref. Date | Source |
Continuous Miner
|
|
18
|
Dec 31, 2023
|
p.40
|
Dozer
|
Caterpillar D6T
|
1
|
Aug 30, 2018
|
p.1
|
Dozer
|
Caterpillar D8R
|
1
|
Aug 30, 2018
|
p.1
|
Mine Management:
Job Title | Name | Profile | Ref. Date |
Buyer
|
Jeff Burton
|
|
Apr 3, 2024
|
Health And Safety Officer
|
Gerome Thomas
|
|
Apr 3, 2024
|
Maintenance Manager
|
Tim Thomas
|
|
Apr 3, 2024
|
VP, Engineering
|
Matthew Robb
|
|
Apr 3, 2024
|
Staff:
Employees | Year |
785
|
2023
|
800
|
2022
|
715
|
2021
|
733
|
2020
|
845
|
2019
|
664
|
2018
|
602
|
2017
|
593
|
2016
|
609
|
2015
|
580
|
2014
|
587
|
2013
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations: