The San Juan Mine is located on the western flank of the San Juan Basin. The underground mining operation targets the Fruitland Formation Number 8 coal seam, the shallowest coal-bearing formation; the seam averages 11 feet in thickness in the permit area.

San Juan is located in northwest New Mexico, and is one of the largest underground coal mines in the world. San Juan has implemented unique management standards and tools in our commitment to achieving “Zero Harm” to people, our host communities, and the environment.

Mined coal is transported by either chain conveyor or mobile equipment to conveyor belts that remove it from the mine. At the surface, coal is conveyed to a stacking tube. The coal is then loaded into large-capacity haul trucks using frontend loaders and taken to coal stockpiles or taken to the preparation plant where it is crushed, sampled, and transported by covered conveyor to the Generating Station.

Longwall Mining
Longwall mining is the primary mining method used for the San Juan Mine underground operation. The mine layout consists of main and sub-main entries to access the coal reserve. Room and pillar methods are used to support the mains and sub-mains. The underground mine is operated as a bleederless mine, meaning the mined-out areas of longwall panels are sealed and not ventilated.

Subsidence occurs progressively behind the longwall mining area, resulting in a surface expression that generally ranges from four to eight feet. The amount of subsidence depends on the thickness of coal extracted and depth to coal: shallower depth to coal and thicker coal units generally creates more subsidence. Surface disturbance associated with the underground mining operation is ........

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