Steep seam coal mining in Western Canada by open pit mining

Conference · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Prepr., Soc. Min. Eng. AIME; (United States)

OSTI ID:6331645

Singhal, R K; Osborne, D G

Canada produces close to 42 million tonnes of coal per annum of which some 38 million tonnes is produced by surface mining methods. The two Western Canadian provinces, Alberta and British Columbia, produce 31 million tonnes of coal by surface mining. These two provinces provide the bulk of the metallurgical coal for export. The geological conditions in the Western provinces particularly in the mountain region are complex. The coals are friable and the seams are steeply inclined, sheared, intensely folded and faulted. There may be as many as 15 to 20 coal seams present with true thickness ranging from 2.5 m to over 8 m. This paper reviews the surface mining methods used to extract such seams. The difficulties associated with steep seam and multiple seam mining of friable coal resulting in lower coal recovery, high dilution and the problem of cleaning fine coal in the wash plant have been highlighted.

• Research Organization: Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology, Sydney, Nova Scotia
• OSTI ID: 6331645
• Report Number(s): CONF-840218-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Prepr., Soc. Min. Eng. AIME; (United States) Journal Volume: 84-96
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
ALBERTA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
CANADA
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL MINES
COAL PREPARATION
COAL SEAMS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DIMENSIONS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
INCLINED STRATA
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINES
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
SURFACE MINING
THICKNESS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES