Grande Cache Coal Corporation Provides Operational
Grande Cache Coal Corporation today provided the following operational update.
Global steel production continues to be weak and has resulted in lower demand and pricing for metallurgical coal. The World Steel Association is currently forecasting an estimated 15% reduction in worldwide apparent steel usage in 2009. Grande Cache Coal has adjusted it’s business plan to reflect this reality and is aggressively pursuing new markets and spot sales, while continuing to
position the Corporation for opportunities in the future.
- Grande Cache Coal sold 1.06 million tonnes of metallurgical coal in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, including 0.11 million tonnes in the fourth quarter. Read more
Coal Indus Strike Over Wage Talks
South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers Wednesday warned a strike in the coal mining industry was on the horizon after it failed to received a wage offer from companies.
“If this is going to be the attitude, then we have no option but to approach our members for a mandate. If that mandate means strike action, so be it,” said NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni. Read more
Australia sign coal mining contract
The Mozambican government and the Australian company Riversdale Mining on Friday signed a mining contract under which Riversdale will develop an open cast coal mine at Benga in Moatize district in the western province of Tete.
At the ceremony held at the Riversdale training center in Tete city, Minster of Mineral Resources Esperanca Bias also delivered the Benga Mining Concession Title to Riversdale Managing Director Steve Mallyon.
The government approved the concession and the contract at the beginning of this month. Read more
Corsa Adds New Directors to Board and Arranges Private Placement
Corsa Capital Ltd. announced today several changes to its board of directors. Effective May 8, 2009, Colin K. Benner, Donald Charter, Timothy Phillips and Ernie Thrasher will join the Company’s board. Thomas Feldmann was elected to Corsa’s board on April 27, 2009.
New Board Members
Colin K. Benner, P. Eng. is a mining engineer with over 40 years of experience in engineering and management in the Canadian and international mining industry. In the past four years, he has been directly involved in a number of high profile commercial transactions in the mining industry, including the creation and selling of PBS Coals Inc., the sale of Skye Resources Inc., and the merger of Lundin Mining and EuroZinc Mining Corp. Mr. Benner currently serves on the Board of Directors of Polaris Minerals Corporation, Troon Ventures Ltd., Lundin Mining Corporation, Creston Moly Corp. and Capstone Mining Corp. He is a member of a number of Professional Engineering associations in Canada, the Society of Mining Engineers of the AIME and the Canadian Institute of Mining, and is also a qualified Independent Corporate Director.
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North American Gem Inc. Announces Coal Exploration and Drill Permit Approval for the Old Channel Project, Saskatchewan
North American Gem Inc. would like to announce that Silver Fields Resources Inc. (Silver Fields) and WestCan Uranium Corp. (WestCan) have received notification from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment that the project proposal for exploration on the Old Channel Project, located near Tobin Lake, has been approved. The program has identified 18 potential drill sites on Coal Prospecting Permits held by WestCan and 15 potential drill sites on Coal Prospecting Permits (Township 55-07-02) held by North American Gem and Read more
Coal mining
Coal mining is the extraction or removing of coal from the earth by mining. When coal is used for fuel in power generation it is referred to as steaming or thermal coal. Coal that is used to create coke for steel manufacturing is referred to as coking or metallurgical coal. In the United States, UK, and South Africa, a coal mine and its accompanying structures are collectively known as a colliery. In Australia, ‘colliery’ usually only refers to an underground coal mine.
Methods of extraction
The most economical method of coal extraction from coal seams depends on the depth and quality of the seams, and also the geology and environmental factors of the area being mined. Coal mining processes are generally differentiated by whether they operate on the surface or underground. Many coals extracted from both surface and underground mines require washing in a coal preparation plant.
When coal seams are near the surface, it may be economical to extract the coal using open cut (also referred to as open cast or open pit) mining methods. Typically, for coal, strip mining is used. Strip mining exposes the coal by the advancement of an open pit or strip. The earth above the coal seam(s) is known as overburden. A strip of overburden next to the previously mined strip is usually drilled. The drill holes are filled with explosives and blasted. The overburden is then removed using large earthmoving equipment such as draglines, shovel and trucks, excavator and trucks, or bucket-wheels and conveyors. This overburden is put into the previously mined (and now empty) strip. When all the overburden is removed, the underlying coal seam will be exposed as a strip known as a ‘block’. This ‘block’ of coal may be drilled and blasted (if hard) or otherwise loaded on to trucks or conveyors for transport to the coal preparation (or wash) plant. Once this strip is empty of coal, the process is repeated with a new strip being created next to it.
