Coal Camp Blog

Friday, March 29, 2013

Coal Camp Blog

Cranberry Coal Camp!

Cranberry is one of the few mine shafts in its area of Raleigh County WV. It’s in the New River Coalfield and was originally Cranberry Fuel Company owned Cranberry but then the New River Company owned it. 

The original company store burned down in 1927 and was soon replaced. This store closed September 1, 1958 soon after the mine closed and now houses an antique store. The mine reopened in the late 60’s but closed “for good in 1973.” (http://www.coalcampusa.com/sowv/river/cranberry/cranberry.htm) Cranberry’s slate dump was sold by New River Company to Bill West.

Surface Mining

Surface Mining

There are three different types of surface mining. Those include Strip mining, Contour mining, and Mountaintop Removal mining. Strip mining is used when coal is near the surface or when the overburden is unstable. As mining progresses, the overburden is placed in the previous mine cavity. An advantage of strip mining is that it's much cheaper and faster than other surface mining methods.

 A disadvantage is that it destroys the landscape and environment around it. Contour mining is a type of strip or surface mining that follows the contour of a hill or mountain leaving terraces in the mountain side. An advantage of contour mining is the safety. One disadvantage is soil erosion.Mountaintop Removal mining is when tops of hills are removed to access horizontal coal seams. Following reclamation, the original contour is not restored. This is the most controversial mining method. An advantage of mountaintop removal mining is that the result of the flat land caused by the mining is good for future development. A disadvantage is numerous houses can be damaged due to mining sites being so close.

The five types of underground coal mining are drift mining, shaft mining, pillar mining, continuous mining, and longwall mining. 

1. DRIFT

Drift mining is where the coal seam intersects with the surface. The mine enters the seam in a horizontal direction, following the coal. Drift mining was one of the earliest mining techniques. 

2. SHAFT

            Shaft mining is a common method of accessing coal seam, where elevators take you down to the     

            mines. Shaft coal mines in West Virginia are deeper than 1000 feet below the surface. It's a very   

            simple system because the coal can be transported right to the surface and shipped off.

3. ROOM AND PILLAR 

            Room and pillar mining isn't the greatest type of mining, because nearly half of the coal has to be left            

         behind to support the mine roof. Pillars can "squeeze" which puts pressure on the adjacent pillars,     

             leading to roof collapse. Pillar mining is the mining method that has the most roof collapses, therefore it is a constant danger.

4. CONTINUOUS

         Continuous mining machines can be used with drift or room and pillar mines. One miner can operate a  

         continuous mine machine to a rotating steel drum with tungsten carbide teeth to mine 5 tons of coal per 

         minute. Different kinds of continuous mining machines, have been used since 1940. Continuous mining   

        uses more machines than people. The machines have conveyor systems that transport the coal out of the mine as soon as it's mined.  

5. LONGWALL

Longwall mining is a highly efficient method of mining. Huge mining machines hold the roof up with   

    hydraulics, as it removes coal. Once the machine gathers enough coal, it retreats, allowing the roof to collapse behind it. Longwall mines collect a lot more coal than room and pillar mines do.   

Coal Formation

Coal Formation

Most coal began forming 300 million years ago when plants in swamps were buried under water and silt and began to decay. In the absence of oxygen the plant matter did not rot, but instead formed peat. Sediment covered and compressed peat nearly 80%. Peat has a very low carbon concentration and heat value.

Lignite is the second stage in the formation of coal and is referred to as "brown coal." Lignite is the first stage of actual coal and has a low carbon concentration and heat value.

Bituminous coal is the second and most common form of coal in West Virginia. Carbon content in bituminous coal is highly varied. Bituminous coal is coked for use in the steel industry.

Anthracite coal results from the metamorphosis of bituminous coal. Anthracite has the highest carbon concentration and heat value of all types of coal. Anthracite coal also emits little smoke making it popular for heating homes.

Coke is formed when bituminous coal is heated 2000 degrees C in the absence of oxygen. Coke is primarily used in the steel industry as a heat source.