Foresight Energy has resumed longwall mining operations at its Deer Run mine, under a plan approved by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and will continue those mining activates over the next several days, until it reaches a location where the longwall can be safely recovered and relocated to a new longwall district. Elevated carbon monoxide levels at the mine in excess of action levels had forced an evacuation of the mine on March 26.
Upon completion of this longwall move, Foresight will seal the current longwall district and then use continuous miners to resume development of the next longwall district, in a new area of the mine. Foresight continues to work with regulatory agencies for the purpose of completing this longwall move and fully resuming normal longwall mining operations at the Deer Run mine.
Hillboro Energy’s mining complex, located in Montgomery County, Illinois, USA, is designed to support up to three separate longwall mines producing up to 28.5 Mt/y. It began development of its first mine, Deer Run, in October 2010 and began coal production in 2011. Its first longwall began operating in August of 2012. Deer Run Mine No 1:
- One longwall mine
- Two continuous miner units
- 2,000 t/h preparation plant
- Productive capacity: potentially 9.5 Mt/y
