The previous owner of the CST Canada Coal Limited property suspended surface operations in the No. 8 Mine February 1, 2015 and suspended underground mining operations in the No. 12 South B2 mine December 24, 2015.
After approximately 2 months of haul road rehabilitation and waste dump foundation preparation, completed while waiting for the lifting of the surface mine suspension by the Alberta provincial government regulatory authority, mining resumed in the West Extension pit phase of No. 8 Mine. From this resumption July 18, 2018 surface mining operations have been continuous until now.
The surface mines employ the truck and shovel operation generally employed in mountainous areas. The overlaying waste rock is drilled and blasted and then removed in benches. Bench height is 10 or 15 metres, depending on the size of loading units used. The waste is trucked to designated waste storage areas, located within prior disturbed areas wherever practical.
The last layer of waste is then cleaned off coal seams using tracked dozers and smaller backhoe units, and the coal loaded onto coal haulage units for transport to the washing plant. Usually coal from more than one source is produced at the same time to enable a proper coal blend designed to meet customer specifications.
The most recent underground mine at No. 12 South B2 was complete for the 7 Seam as of January 24, 2015, and the portal was sealed as per regulatory requirements, with fina ........
