RVM extracts coal from both West Kentucky No.9 (WKY9) and West Kentucky No.11 (WKY11). The WKY11 is about 200 to 400 feet deep and the WKY9 is about 300 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 each seam averaging 4.65 feet thick. On a 1.50 float, dry basis, the WKY9 averages about 8.5% ash, 3.0% sulfur, and 13,150 btu/lb. On a 1.50 float, dry basis, the WKY11 averages about 6.8% ash, 3.2% sulfur, and 13,400 btu/lb.

The mineral deposit type mined by RVM 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.

River View is located in Union County, Kentucky and is currently the largest room-and-pillar underground coal mine in the U.S.

The River View mine is accessed via Slope and Shaft, continuous mining units are utilized to produce high-sulfur coal.

RVM 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. This arrangement allows for the operation of two continuous miners simultaneously. Infrastructure within the mine includes conveyors, electrical equipment, ventilation, and equipment necessary for water distribution, and can support up to twelve super sections.

Planned production varies according to contracted sales volume and expectations of market conditions; and, on an annual basis ranged between 8.9 million and 11.4 million tons over the 2017 to 2021 period.

Typical reserve recovery rates for the RVM range from 48%-56%. The recovery rate varies slightly based on the size of pillars left. Pillar size will vary throughout the reserve and typically range between 62’ x 62’ (80’ centers) and 47’ x 35’ (65’x 53’ centers). Coal thickness throughout RVM reserve averages 4.65’. Entries and crosscuts driven by the continuous mining machines average eighteen feet in width.

There are approximately 214.6M clean tons remaining in the RVM reserve to be mined within the controlled properties. The current life of reserve plan anticipates exhausting the reserve in 2044. The lifespan of the mine is dependent on many factors and may vary materially from current projections.

Underground equipment required at the RVM 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 RVM 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.

Personnel required to operate and maintain the RVM is generally obtained through the hiring of both skilled and unskilled workers from the immediate area. Salaried positions at RVM are made up of production managers, business managers, engineers, information technology, preparation plant operators, maintenance foreman, purchasing agents, and safety specialists. Hourly positions include equipment operators on the surface and underground, general laborers, dust sampling technicians, mechanics, examiners, warehouse clerks, etc. Total headcount numbers can vary depending on the market and demand for coal. Typical headcount ranges from between 750 to 950 workers, depending on the number of super sections operating.

The plant consists of three (3) 1,000 raw tons per hour (tph) units with a total plant capacity of 3000 tph raw. Each unit consist of three circuits, a heavy media cyclone circuit (3”X1mm), 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. 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.

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