CA Oct Linked-1.Pdf

OCTOBER 2020 VOL. 125 NO. 8

NEWS/4 PREP PLANT CENSUS/15 feature articles 15 2020 US Prep Plant Census Total plant population shrinks with consolidation and reclamation

26 Mobilizing the Massive Two new trailers can routinely haul huge shovels and drills, at a clip, using fewer people leading developments EQUIPMENT TRANSPORT/26 SUPPLIERS NEWS/36 4 Court Upholds Decision Blocking Peabody, Arch Joint Venture 4 Black Hills Receives Approval for Power Purchase Agreement 5 Robert Murray Retires From ACNR 5 Olive Downs Coking Coal Project Receives Mining Leases 5 Mechel Conducts Sweeping Repairs of Wash Plants u.s. news 6 American Resources Expands Workforce at Perry County to Restart Complex 6 Cleveland-Cliffs Acquires ArcelorMittal USA thisThis month, Coal Age reports issue on coal preparation activities in its U.S. Prep Plant Census. 6 MG Capital Presses for Change With Contura Energy 10 Brouillette Tours Lambert’s Point Coal Terminal 11 CONSOL Executes Several Value-enhancing Transactions departments 2 Editorial worldwide news 4 Leading Developments 8 Thiess Secures $79M Caval Ridge Extension 6 U.S. News 8 Worldwide News 8 China Orders Stoppage to Imports of 10 Dateline Washington Australian Coal 11 People 8 Coal India Firms Up Investments to Achieve 12 Developments to Watch 1B Ton Production Target 13 Calendar 13 Mitsui & Co Will Sell Stakes in Coal-fired 35 Operating Ideas Plants by 2030 36 Suppliers News 13 KEPCO Will Take Part in Coal-fired Power 38 Product News Plant Project in Vietnam 39 Classifieds 40 Legally Speaking

October 2020 www.coalage.com 1 editor’s note Forecasts Call for Increased

Coal Production in 2021 www.coalage.com t this point, everyone would like to put 2020 be- Mining Media International, Inc. hind them, especially those who work in the ener- A 11655 Central Parkway, Suite 306 gy industry. The precipitous drop in electrical demand Jacksonville, Florida 32224 U.S.A. during the first half of 2020 wreaked havoc for energy Phone: +1.904.721.2925 Fax: +1.904.721.2930 markets, especially the coal business. In 2019, coal production in the U.S. totaled 706 million tons, which was Editorial a 7% decrease from 2018. That was the lowest amount Publisher & Editor-in-Chief—Steve Fiscor, [email protected] of coal produced in the United States since the late Associate Editor—Jennifer Jensen, [email protected] Technical Writer—Jesse Morton, [email protected] 1970s. Weekly coal production figures from the U.S. En- Contributing Editor—Russ Carter, [email protected] BY STEVE FISCOR ergy Information Administration (EIA, see p. 7) indicate European Editor—Carly Leonida, [email protected] PUBLISHER & the U.S. will post an even greater decline (25%) by year Latin American Editor—Oscar Martinez, [email protected] EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Graphic Designer—Tad Seabrook, [email protected] end, a level not seen since the 1960s. Still, there is good news for U.S. coal operators on the horizon. For 2021, Sales EIA’s forecast for the natural gas share of electricity generation declines to Midwest/Eastern U.S. & Canada, Sales—Craig Scharf, [email protected] 34% in response to higher natural gas prices. The agency is predicting that Western U.S., Canada & Australia—Frank Strazzulla, [email protected] coal’s share of electricity generation will grow from 20% in 2020 to 24% Scandinavia, UK and European Sales—Colm Barry, [email protected] Germany, Austria & Switzerland Sales—Gerd Strasmann, [email protected] in 2021, which is where it stood in 2019. If everything remains the same, Japan Sales—Masao Ishiguro, [email protected] meaning the U.S. continues to subsidize it, energy from renewable sources General Manager-Operations—Dan Fitts, [email protected] will rise from 20% in 2020 to 22% in 2021. The EIA expects coal production Marketing Manager—Misty Valverde, [email protected] to climb to 625 million tons in 2021, a 19% increase over 2020. Other positive factors could also impact the market, like improving met markets and the thermal export market. European coal demand grew this summer and so did prices for coal exports to northwestern Europe. It hasn’t been widely reported, but prices have rebounded from less than $40/ton to nearly $60/ton. Euro- pean power plants began to burn more coal this summer when natural gas prices started to increase. Another factor affecting this market is the Coal Age, Volume 125, Issue 8, (ISSN 1040-7820) is published monthly ex- cept January and July, by Mining Media International, Inc., 11655 Central large coal export facilities in Colombia. A strike has limited coal exports Parkway, Suite 306, Jacksonville, Florida 32224 (mining-media.com). Pe- from the El Cerrejon mine, and two Prodeco operations have been idled riodicals postage paid at Jacksonville, FL, and additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 41450540. Canada return since March. If the price were to climb above $65/ton, U.S. coal operators address: PO Box 2600, Mississauga ON L4T 0A8, Email: subscriptions@ could start exporting more coal to Europe. coalage.com. Current and back issues and additional resources, including subscription request forms and an editorial calendar, are available online Surprisingly, the price into Europe is currently higher than the price of at www.coalage.com. thermal coal exports from Australia into China. Several news outlets re- SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. ported that Chinese customs authorities have told several Chinese state- Visit www.coalage.com to subscribe. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at owned steelmakers and power plants to stop importing Australian coal the following rates: US domestic addresses a 10 issue subscription, $75.00 USD, All addresses outside the USA a 10 issue subscription $125.00 USD. For (See p. 8). Tensions have been on the rise between the two countries. In subscriber services or to order single copies, contact Coal Age, c/o Stamats Data Management, 615 Fifth Street SE, Cedar Rapids IA 52401, 1-800-553- addition to thermal and metallurgical-grade coals, Australian exports sig- 8878 ext. 5028 or email [email protected]. nificant amounts of iron ore and other commodities to China. They will ARCHIVES AND MICROFORM: This magazine is available for research and work out their differences and the market will tighten. retrieval of selected archived articles from Proquest. For microform avail- As the world shakes off the COVID-19 funk, power demand will steadily ability, contact ProQuest at 800-521-0600 or +1.734.761.4700, or search the Serials in Microform listings at www.proquest.com. increase as manufacturing returns, and business should improve for coal companies in 2021. Enjoy this edition of Coal Age. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Coal Age, 11655 Central Parkway, Suite 306, Jacksonville, FL 32224-2659.

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leading developments Court Upholds Decision Blocking Peabody, Arch Joint Venture

with the West Elk and Twentymile mines in Colorado. Ownership of the joint venture would have been structured with Peabody owning 66.5% and Arch owning 33.5%. The joint venture was expected to realize annual synergies of $120 million over an initial 10-year period.

Black Hills Receives Approval for Power Purchase Agreement Black Hills Corp. announced that utility subsidiary Cheyenne Light, Fuel and The joint venture would have included each company’s Powder River Basin and Colorado assets, Power Co., doing business as Black Hills such as Peabody’s North Antelope Rochelle mine (above). (Photo: Peabody Energy) Energy, and power generation subsidiary Black Hills Wyoming received The U.S. District Court has concluded Arch and Peabody have agreed to approval of their joint application for its review of the joint venture com- discontinue legal efforts, given the a proposed 60-megawatt power pur- bining Peabody Energy’s and Arch Re- significant investment of time, re- chase agreement from the Federal En- sources’ Power River Basin (PRB) and sources and expense that would be ergy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Colorado assets and is supporting the required to conduct an appeal. Under the agreement, Black Hills Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) “In the wake of today’s decision, Wyoming will continue to deliver 60 decision to block the formation of the we will be intensifying our pursuit of megawatts of base-load capacity and joint venture. strategic alternatives for our thermal energy to Cheyenne Light from its “We are deeply disappointed with assets, including, among other things, Wygen I power plant. The new agree- the court’s decision as the intense potential divestiture, while evaluating ment will commence on January 1, all-fuels competition is clearly appar- opportunities to shrink the operation- 2022, replacing the existing power ent to us,” Peabody President and CEO al footprint at those mines, reduce purchase agreement, and will contin- Glenn Kellow said. “Our focus now is on their asset retirement obligations, and ue for 11 years, ending December 31, continuing to be the low-cost PRB coal establish self-funding mechanisms to 2032. The Wygen I power plant is lo- provider to best compete against natu- address those long-term liabilities,” cated near Gillette in northeast Wyo- ral gas and subsidized renewables.” Arch CEO Paul A. Lang said. “In the ming and is a mine-mouth operation The FTC said the transaction meantime, we will maintain our sharp with the adjacent mining complex. would eliminate competition between focus on aligning our thermal pro- “This new contract will provide Peabody and Arch, the two major duction rates with declining domestic critical capacity for our Wyoming competitors in the market for thermal thermal coal demand; adjusting our electric utility,” Black Hills President coal in the southern PRB, and the two thermal operating plans in order to and CEO Linn Evans said. “The Wygen largest coal-mining companies in the minimize future cash requirements; I power plant is an extremely reliable, United States. and streamlining our entire organi- low-cost source of electric base-load Following the court decision, Arch zational structure to reflect our long- capacity and energy for Cheyenne said while it disagrees with the ver- term strategic direction.” Light and is the best long-term choice dict, it would terminate the proposed The transaction was announced to cost-effectively meet our custom- joint venture. Arch said aggressive- in June 2019 and would combine Pea- ers’ current and future needs.” ly driving forward with its strategic body’s North Antelope Rochelle mine “The FERC approval allows the Wy- pivot toward steel and metallurgical (NARM) and Arch’s Black Thunder gen I power plant to continue serving markets and simultaneously intensi- mine, which share a property line of our Wyoming electric utility custom- fying its pursuit of strategic alterna- more than seven miles. Additional as- ers with stable, low-cost, base-load tives for its thermal assets is the best sets include the Caballo, Rawhide and energy afforded by mine-mouth lo- course of action for the company. Coal Creek mines in Wyoming along gistics and a low-cost, local Wyoming

4 www.coalage.com October 2020 leading developments continued energy resource,” Evans said. “These contractors assembled three new sizing The Sibir prep plant installed operations will also help maintain sta- screens and overhauled nine more. several new machines, including a ble, long-term mining and plant oper- The plant also launched three new vibrating centrifuge and a pumping ations jobs within Wyoming.” centrifuges for dewatering clean coal. system. The plant’s sludge pumps are being The Kuzbasskaya prep plant re- Olive Downs Coking Coal Project renewed. Five new magnetic roughers placed two rotors of a screen bowl Receives Mining Leases are due to be acquired before the end centrifuge and a separator’s basket The Queensland Government has of the year. The plant also plans to re- wheel. A large-scale campaign of re- approved mining leases for the Olive pair two drying machines, one of which placing conveyor belts on the plant’s Downs coking coal project in Central has been finished in September and the major routes is currently under way. Queensland. second is due to launch in October. By the end of the year, the plant in- Pembroke Chairman and CEO The Krasnogorskaya prep plant tends to upgrade its pumping equip- Barry Tudor thanked Minister An- acquired seven new vibrating and ment and repair the jig washer. thony Lynham for the mining lease high-frequency screens, 14 pumps The Tomusinskaya prep plant re- approvals, saying they were the final and one magnetic rougher. Two mag- placed two coal pumps, a centrifugal approval hurdle to commence the netic roughers and five belt convey- dryer, and a turboblower. Also, the first stage of the project. Olive Downs ors underwent major overhauls. By continuous handling system’s equip- will create more than 1,000 new jobs the end of 2020, the plant plans to re- ment has been repaired. By the end of in the region as the project is devel- place two vibrating centrifuges, three this year, another centrifuge and two oped to produce up to a forecast of 15 screens and other equipment. conveyors will be replaced. million metric tons per year (mtpy) of saleable coal over its 79-year mine life. With some 838 million mt of re- Former ACNR Chairman, Coal Icon serves, Olive Downs would be a tier one Bob Murray Dies metallurgical coal project, positioned The founder and former CEO of Murray Energy “No one has been more devoted to the strategically in the Bowen Basin. Corp. Robert E. “Bob” Murray died on Sunday, industry and ACNR’s business than Mr. Mur- Olive Downs has already assem- October 25, less than a week after announcing ray,” Moore said. “When others shied away bled the key elements required to his retirement from American Consolidated from the industry, he dug in and worked hard commence construction following Natural Resources (ACNR), the entity that was for the industry and for our business.” the grant of the mining leases, includ- formed following Murray Energy’s emergence Murray began his more than 60-year-ca- ing securing access to power, water, from bankruptcy in mid-September. He had reer as a coal miner at North American Coal rail and port, even as finance and been chairman of the board Corp., ultimately serving as offtake partners are finalized. for directors for ACNR. president and CEO before Michael Shaheen, founding Murray Energy Mechel Conducts Sweeping an attorney who was rep- Corp., which at the time of Repairs of Wash Plants resenting Murray, told its fi ling for bankruptcy, was Mechel PAO, one of the leading Russian The Intelligencer/Wheel- the largest privately held mining and metals companies, report- ing News-Register the coal company in the U.S. ed that a sweeping campaign of ma- 80-year-old Murray had Besides a coal miner died at his home in Ohio and business owner, Murray jor repairs is being implemented at its on Sunday morning. was also a vocal advocate mining division’s washing plants. The While no official for the coal industry during total cost is more than RUB1 billion cause of death was given, his career, pushing for less ($13 million). Murray’s health had begun to decline in recent regulations, revoking former President Barack “Upgrade of our washing facilities years. He was diagnosed with idiopathic pul- Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, is a key condition for increasing pro- monary fibrosis or coal miner pneumoconiosis and calling for subsidies for coal. duction,” Mechel Mining Management in July 2016. In early October, it was reported Numerous leaders voiced their condolenc- OOO CEO Igor Khafizov said. that Murray had filed for federal benefits to es on twitter, including National Mining Associ- The largest upgrade was completed treat black lung disease. ation President Rich Nolan. “Bob Murray was a at the Neryungrinskaya prep plant in Murray had taken a step back from the force in the mining industry whose dedication to September, which included replacing company in October 2019 when Robert D. coal was unrivaled,” he said. “All who knew him and restoring trunk conveyors, as well Moore became president and CEO of Murray would agree — there was no one more passion- as conveyors at the finished product Energy after the company filed for Chapter 11 ate about the importance and value of coal, and loading area. Yakutugol’s specialists and bankruptcy. the absence of his voice will be felt by many.”

October 2020 www.coalage.com 5 u.s. news American Resources Expands Workforce at Perry County to Restart Complex

operations and its subsidiaries for $1.4 billion. Upon closing, Cleveland-Cliffs will be the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America, with combined shipments of approximately 17 million net tons in 2019. The company will also be the largest iron-ore pellet producer in North America, with 28 million long tons of annual capacity. The assets include six steelmaking facilities, eight finishing facilities, two iron ore mining and pelletizing operations, and three coal and coke making operations. “Steelmaking is a business where production volume, operational diver- sification, dilution of fixed costs, and The workforce at Perry County Resources will increase to 76 underground and 15 prep plant workers. (Photo: American Rescources Corp.) technical expertise matter above all else, and this transaction achieves all American Resources Corp. plans to mitigate the spread of the virus, and of these,” Cleveland-Cliffs Chairman, commence mining operations at its to better navigate the global economic President and CEO Lourenco Gon- Perry County Resources (PCR) mining disruption, according to the company. calves said. “ArcelorMittal is a world- complex in Hazard, Kentucky, and in- During mid-October, the company class organization that we have long ad- crease its workforce to approximately began the final underground develop- mired as our customer and our partner, 76 underground mine and 16 prepara- ment of installing seals to close off the and we know for a fact that they have tion plant employees in the near-term. mine’s old works before restarting pro- taken good care of their U.S. assets.” The company said it plans to grow that duction. The installation of the seals The six steel mills included in the to approximately 175 workers as the will further reduce the E4-2 mine’s op- transaction are Indiana Harbor, Burns complex expands its production base. erating cost and most importantly, will Harbor, Cleveland, Coatesville, Steelton “We are truly excited to restart the make the mine significantly safer for its and Riverdale. The iron ore mining and Perry County complex and unveil it as employees, according to the company. pelletizing operations include the Hib- one of the lowest cost, if not the low- With PCR’s restart, American Re- bing JV (ArcelorMittal USA’s 62.3% in- est, PCI and stoker operations in the sources will initially operate the com- terest) and Minorca. The metallurgical United States,” American Resources plex’s E4-2 underground mine with coal and coke making facilities include COO Tarlis Thompson said. “As we one super section with plans to ramp Monessen, Princeton and Warren. prepare to bring this first-class opera- the mine’s production by utilizing two The transaction has been ap- tion back online this quarter following super sections and one bridge section. proved by the board of directors of our extensive restructuring efforts, we This mining plan will ultimately uti- both companies and is expected to are confident that the efficient, low- lize five of the E4-2 mine’s current six close in the fourth quarter of 2020, cost structure at Perry County will be continuous miners. The company said subject to the receipt of regulatory a long-term, stable provider of jobs to it will run two eight to 10-hour oper- approval and the satisfaction of other the local community.” ating shifts and one maintenance shift customary closing conditions. Production at PCR, which was idled per pay, over 5.5 workdays per week. post-acquisition for the restructuring MG Capital Presses for Change process, has remained idle during the Cleveland-Cliffs Acquires With Contura Energy COVID-19 outbreak to ensure a safe ArcelorMittal USA MG Capital Management Ltd., which working environment, to protect the Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. will purchase owns 5.8% of Contura Energy’s out- health of its employees and others, to substantially all of ArcelorMittal USA’s standing common stock, issued a

6 www.coalage.com October 2020 u.s. news continued letter to the company’s board of di- which can eventually enable the com- of the most challenging years for U.S. rectors calling for an accelerated exit pany to resume its buyback program coal producers due to a variety of fac- from the thermal coal business. MG in a thoughtful manner.” tors, including weak global coal de- Capital said in recent months it be- Contura responded saying, “Al- mand, low coal prices and, of course, came clear that Contura could not though we would have preferred that the COVID-19 pandemic. fully reverse its yearslong tailspin un- MG Capital engage with Contura pri- Explaining that it has been working til it accelerates its intended exit from vately, we have reviewed and consid- toward a thermal exit, the company the thermal coal business. It added ered the MG Capital letter.” The com- that the company needs to “refresh” pany said the last year has been one U.S. News Continued on Page 10 half of its six-member board. “We are very concerned that monthly stats from coal country — usa Contura, which only two years ago had a market capitalization of more top 10 coal-producing states and regions than $1 billion and a stock price of (Thousands of Short Tons) Week Ending (9/26/20) more than $75, continuously trades at a staggering discount to its intrin- YTD ‘20 YTD ‘19 % Change sic value,” MG Capital wrote. “As the Wyoming 159,241 205,372 -22.5 country’s largest producer of coking [coal], Contura is part of the lifeblood West Virginia 49,843 71,360 -30.2 of our economy and has a critical role Pennsylvania 26,794 37,100 -27.8 to play with respect to infrastructure and national security. Illinois 23,747 36,261 -34.5 “Notably, during the last cyclical Montana 20,723 25,698 -19.4 high in 2011, Alpha Natural Resources North Dakota 18,779 19,719 -4.8 Inc. (Contura’s predecessor company) reached more than $12 billion in enter- Kentucky 17,373 28,095 -38.2 prise value and generated annual EBIT- DA in excess of $1 billion. In stark con- Indiana 15,432 24,204 -36.2 trast, Contura’s estimated enterprise Texas 13,380 17,692 -24.4 value is currently below $550 million.” MG Capital called out three board New Mexico 9,157 11,102 -17.5 members, John Lushefski, Daniel Geiger and Albert Ferrara Jr., saying Appalachian Total 95,239 133,108 -28.4 they lacked the expertise and skills Interior Total 60,668 88,993 -31.8 to support a turnaround in today’s new energy economy. It pointed to Western Total 193,875 256,139 -24.3 their stock buy-back and compensa- tion as examples of poor allocators U.S. Total 349,782 478,240 -26.9 of capital, especially considering the impact of COVID-19. MG Capital said they support weekly spot prices Contura CEO David Stetson and the Week Ending other management team members ($/ton) (10/16/20) (9/18/20) that assumed leadership roles in 2019. Central Appalachia (12,500 Btu, 1.2 SO ) $59.50 $59.50 “We fully support new management’s 2 decision to begin exiting the envi- Northern Appalachia (13,000 Btu, < 3.0 SO2) $42.45 $42.45 ronmentally destructive thermal coal Illinois Basin (11,800 Btu, 5.0 SO ) $34.05 $34.05 business and look forward to Contura 2 quickly having little-to-no exposure Powder River Basin (8,800 Btu, 0.8 SO2) $11.75 $11.70 to this segment of the market,” it said. Uinta Basin (11,700 Btu, 0.8 SO ) $29.10 $29.10 “We are also impressed by manage- 2 ment’s continued focus on containing Source: Energy Information Administration costs and targeting debt reduction,

October 2020 www.coalage.com 7 worldwide news Thiess Secures $79M Caval Ridge Extension

state-owned utilities and steel mills had received the verbal notice to cease the imports. China has taken a range of ac- tions against Australian exporters this year, including imposing pro- hibitive tariffs on barley, suspend- ing imports from five red meat processing plants and launching two trade investigations into wine. Government figures show Aus- tralia exported $7.3 billion of coal to China in the first six months of this year, up 8% compared with the same period last year. The value of Australian exports of iron ore and concentrates to China rose Thiess will continue to operate and maintain three 600-mt excavator fleets at the Caval Ridge mine (above) to move additional overburden. (Photo: BMA) 16% to $43 billion. According to S&P Global Platts, Mining contractor Thiess recently The Thiess contract extension the entities told to cease importing signed a 12-month contract exten- for overburden removal will com- Australian coal included Huaneng sion with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance mence in December. Power International, which de- (BMA) to operate its Caval Ridge scribes itself as one of the largest mine in Queensland, Australia. The China Orders Stoppage to Imports listed power producers in China, as contract, valued at A$110 million of Australian Coal well as Datang International Power ($79 million), calls for Thiess to con- China’s customs authorities have Generation Co., Huadian Power In- tinue to operate and maintain three told several Chinese state-owned ternational, and Zhejiang Electric 600-metric-ton (mt) excavator fleets steelmakers and power plants to Power Co. Ltd. to move additional overburden for stop importing Australian coal, ac- the Caval Ridge. cording to two industry newswire Coal India Firms Up Investments to “This contract extension builds services. The move comes amid on- Achieve 1B Ton Production Target on our relationship with BMA and going tensions in the relationship by ajoy k das reinforces our commitment to work between China and Australia and India’s state-owned Coal India Ltd. with our clients to safely position reportedly affects both thermal and (CIL) has firmed up major invest- their operations for optimal effi- coking coal. ments between the current fiscal ciency, productivity and cost per- The trade minister, Simon Bir- year and 2023-2024 across 500 proj- formance,” said CIMIC Group CEO mingham, said the government was ects to achieve a production target of Juan Santamaria. aware of the reports and was dis- 1 billion metric tons per year (mtpy). CIMIC owns Thiess and is cur- cussing the issue with Australia’s re- During 2019-2020, CIL notched rently considering a sale of 50% of sources industry, which had “previ- coal production of 602 million mt. the mining contractor. ously faced occasional disruptions Providing a breakdown of the BMA is Australia’s largest coal to trade flows with China.” mega investments over the next producer and supplier of seaborne The Minerals Council of Austra- four fiscal years, the Ministry of metallurgical coal. BMA is owned lia said it was also aware of the re- Coal said $4.5 billion would be rid- 50:50 by BHP and Mitsubishi Devel- ports but played down any extend- ing on construction of coal handling opment. Caval Ridge achieved a re- ed impacts, insisting the outlook for infrastructure across its mines, $3.4 cord annual production of 4.35 mil- Australian coal remained positive in billion on mine infrastructure and lion metric tons (mt) in fiscal year the medium term. $4 billion on project development, 2020, compared to 3.97 million mt S&P Global Platts cited several assuming current exchange rate of in fiscal year 2019. unnamed sources as saying Chinese INR 73 to a US dollar.

8 www.coalage.com October 2020 worldwide news continued

Additional investments would ment of $178 million and $92 million be reversed as industrial activities include a spend of $4.4 billion on di- in procuring its own freight wagon continue to recover from impact of versification and clean technologies thereby reducing dependency on the pandemic and directed thermal like coal-to-methanol projects, so- state transporter Indian Railways in power producers to reduce depen- lar power, $259 million on explora- allocating wagons at pitheads. dency on import dry fuel. tion of virgin coal blocks, and $205 CIL has identified a total of 15 To facilitate the shift of thermal million on social infrastructure. greenfield coal blocks for develop- power producers from imported According to the minister of ment through mine developer op- coal to domestic fuel, CIL has cre- coal, the miner would invest an esti- erators (MDOs) to reduce imports ated a new category of e-auction mated $1.94 billion in two phases to of dry fuel into the company. Total where the miner would set aside construct 49 “first mile” connectivi- investments in developing these volume of 150 million mtpy of coal ty across its coal mines. This would blocks has been estimated at $4.7 to be exclusively auctioned to ther- be for transportation of coal from billion of which its own contribu- mal power producers who guaran- pitheads to dispatch points and this tion to the investment would be tee lowering coal imports and in- would ensure higher efficiencies in around $2.3 billion. creasing domestic sourcing. coal handling enabling computer Impacted by the pandemic, Indi- Domestic coal buyers, direct aided loading replacing the existing an coal imports during April-August consumers as well as traders who dependency on road transport in- 2020 declined 28% at 45.8 million had concluded coal import con- volving manual loading. mt, according to data sourced from tracts over the past two fiscal years Investments on construction major ports across the country. would be eligible to bid at this spe- of its own railway infrastructure However, the ministry of coal cial category e-auction. and logistical handling equipment reckoned that the decline was a would involve additional invest- short-term blip and the trend would Worldwide News Continued on Page 13

October 2020 www.coalage.com 9 u.s. news continued

U.S. News Continued from Page 7 said it is trying to sell the Cumberland mine, which would constitute a major dateline washington element of the company’s planned exit from the thermal coal sector. It attempted to divest its Powder River Preparing for Electrif ied Future Basin thermal coal properties through by conor bernstein a sale to Blackjewel LLC in December 2017, which ultimately failed, but they The electrification of cerns. Unless the state chooses to embrace were able to transfer the Wyoming as- America is not only hap- a more pragmatic energy policy, adding sets to Eagle Specialty Materials. pening, it’s picking up surging electricity demand on top of its re- Contura said its executive man- speed. Tesla recently newable dream could be catastrophic. agement team believes each of its announced its ambition The rapid shift away from dispatch- to slash the cost of lith- able, fuel-secure power to intermittent directors have provided value to the ium-ion batteries and alternatives, in California and numerous company and its stockholders, and produce a $25,000 mass-market electric other states, is a crying out for a rethink. that executive management has the vehicle (EV). Two days later, California Gov. Flat or falling electricity demand in complete support of the board, with Gavin Newsom announced that California markets across the country has been used respect to the company’s focus on will mandate a shift to EVs and the phase out to dismiss reliability concerns or warnings strategic initiatives, such as its transi- of internal combustion engine sales by 2035. about shrinking reserve margins as much of tion to a pure-play metallurgical coal This move toward an electric future is the nation’s coal fleet has been pushed into provider, its focus on safe and pro- no longer just happening in the margins; retirement. ductive operations, and its pursuit of automakers of all stripes are leaning into But should the pivot to EVs accelerate aggressive cost control. the shift as well. and other states follow California’s lead, the Whether home is San Francisco or days of flat demand will be long gone. Ac- Brouillette Tours Lambert’s the cornfields of Iowa, many of us could be cording to a 2018 study from the U.S. Depart- Point Coal Terminal trading the pump for the plug in the not too ment of Energy’s National Renewable Energy U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouil- distant future. Policy will have something to Laboratory, a rapid pivot to EVs could drive lette toured Norfolk Southern’s Lam- say for how soon, but the question is begin- up U.S. electricity demand by nearly 40% by bert’s Point Coal Terminal in Norfolk, ning to feel like when, not if. 2050. That rapid pivot is now on the horizon. There are a number of significant Even in a reduced national role, coal Virginia, and met with Norfolk South- hurdles left to overcome — charging in- capacity remains essential in many states ern employees. Lambert’s Point is a frastructure, cost and range all remain and it’s capacity that will be desperately major coal export hub, as more than sticking points for many consumers. But a needed to ensure balance, affordability and one-third of America’s coal exports new and increasingly prescient question is reliability when electricity demand begins leave from the site. During the visit, whether the grid can handle the shift? Cal- to soar in an electrified future. Brouillette highlighted the impor- ifornia, never terribly interested in letting As coal retirements continue to mount, tance of coal in America’s energy fu- practical concerns get in the way of ambi- the window for action to better value the bal- ture, both as a reliable source of con- tion, is going to be a fascinating case study. ance and security provided by coal capacity is tinuous power and a key component As the Wall Street Journal observed, closing. Once that capacity is gone, it won’t of American energy trade. “energy consultants and academics say be there to ensure the lights stay on during “Coal exports advance our nation- converting all passenger cars and trucks to the next polar vortex or heat wave, nor will it al security by enhancing our bilater- run on electricity in California could raise be there to hold down costs for consumers al relationships with other nations, power demand by as much as 25%. That during the next natural gas price spike. and I’m grateful for Lamberts Point poses a major challenge for a state already The era of flat electricity demand is for playing a key role in that effort,” facing periodic rolling blackouts as it rap- coming to an abrupt end. Is energy policy Brouillette said. “Coal has an import- idly transitions to renewable energy.” ready to respond to that shift? Regulators On multiple occasions this summer, need to plan for that shift now. Ensuring ant place in America’s energy future, California’s grid operator was forced to in- electricity markets properly value the se- and DOE is committed to the future stitute rolling blackouts during a heatwave curity provided by existing baseload coal of the U.S. coal industry. We are work- to keep the state’s grid from collapsing. capacity is just the place to start. ing to keep it competitive both do- California’s headlong rush to renew- mestically and globally.” able sources of power, and away from dis- Conor Bernstein is a spokesperson for the The visit follows his recent trip to patchable generation, is already causing National Mining Association, the industry’s Colstrip, Montana, where he also voiced significant reliability and affordability con- trade group based in Washington, D.C. support for America’s coal industry.

10 www.coalage.com October 2020 u.s. news continued

CONSOL Executes Several flexibility and liquidity and create totaling $60-$70 million and $9-$10 Value-enhancing Transactions value through multiple transactions million, respectively, related to these CONSOL Energy (CEIX) and CON- that included sales of land and miner- transactions. Both companies contin- SOL Coal Resources LP provided an al assets, gas wells, and coal reserves ue to work on several additional op- update on several transactions that outside of its active operations. In portunities as well to further improve were executed during the last several aggregate, CEIX and CONSOL Coal their balance sheets. months. Resources expect to generate mis- CONSOL believes these transac- Since July 1, CONSOL said it has cellaneous income and gains on sale tions enable it to enhance liquidity taken steps to bolster its financial of assets in the second half of 2020 and bolster financial flexibility.

awards WV Coal Hall of Fame Inducts Newest Honorees The West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame, a joint initiative between the and equipment into his operations, while compensating his work- West Virginia Coal Mining Institute and the West Virginia Coal Associ- force fairly and in unique ways. At Foresight, his four mine complex- ation and housed at the WVU Statler College of Engineering and Min- es were the most productive underground operations in the nation. eral Resources in Morgantown, announced the induction of its newest Through the Cline Family Foundation, he made a profound class of honorees. They include Jim Justice, governor of West Virginia; impact contributing to organizations that make life better for Chris Cline, founder of Foresight Energy (posthumously); Ralph Bal- children, while also supporting a host of academic institutions, lard, founder of the Investment Management Group LLC; and, Chris like WVU and Marshall, among others, and providing grants and Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association. scholarships to those in need. This is the 23rd class of inductees for the West Virginia Coal Hamilton has worked in the mining industry Hall of Fame, which began in 1998. The official induction ceremo- for more than 40 years, starting in 1971 as an un- ny has been postponed due to the coronavirus restrictions. derground miner with the Valley Camp Coal Co. in “These four individuals have tirelessly served the state of northern West Virginia. He has served as a mine West Virginia and their contributions to the modern coal mining section foreman/fire-boss, a certified U.S. Mine industry have been recognized, not only on a national, but also an Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) training Chris Hamilton international level,” President of the WV Coal Mining Institute Vlad instructor, a private mine training consultant, and deputy director Kecojevic said. “Their hard work and dedication for the continuous of the West Virginia Department of Mines. In 1982, Hamilton joined improvement of the coal mining industry have been exemplary and the West Virginia Coal Association (WVCA) as the director of health this induction to the WV Coal Hall of Fame is more than deserving.” and safety and quickly rose to senior vice president, responsible for Gov. Justice is only the third father-son state and federal regulatory, legislative, and public policy. combination to be honored. His father, James C. During his tenure with WVCA, he served, under gubernatorial Justice Sr., was inducted in the inaugural class appointment, on many mine safety boards and commissions and of 1998. Before becoming governor in 2016, has served as co-chairman of the WV Coal Forum. Since 2014, Justice grew his family’s mining company, Blue- Hamilton has also served as chairman of the West Virginia Busi- stone Coal, into one of the most productive coal ness and Industry Council (WV-BIC). operations in the region. Throughout his mining Jim Justice After graduating from West Virginia Universi- career, he has employed hundreds of West Virginia coal miners ty with a degree in engineering, Ballard worked for who have mined millions of tons of West Virginia coal. Peabody Coal. He served as vice president of oper- He turned an inherited budget deficit of half a billion dollars into ations at Burco LLC, and then set off on his own, a significant budget surplus in just his first year. As governor, he has starting multiple companies, including The Asset worked tirelessly to bring opportunity to the state by creating jobs, Management Group, Red Wine Mining Venture and Ralph Ballard fixing roads, addressing substance abuse, and more recently, deftly The Investment Management Group. The firms were involved across and compassionately leading the state through the global pandemic. the full spectrum of mining operations, from developing greenfield Cline learned the coal industry from the mines and operating prep plants to conducting world-class reclama- “underground” up. He started working in the tion across a variety of sites. mines at 15. From the early days of Pioneer Fuels He founded Millennium Group Builders, a company involved to when he founded Foresight Energy, he was an in the acquisition and development of residential properties in innovative businessman and always ahead of his both Kanawha and Greenbrier Counties. The company has built time in anticipating the coal markets. more than 80 homes and continues to operate today. His coal enterprises took him from Appala- Chris Cline He has been a longtime, dedicated member of the West Vir- chia to Illinois to Canada. He incorporated advanced safety protocols ginia Coal Association’s Board of Directors.

October 2020 www.coalage.com 11 leading developments continued

developments to watch Texas Mineral Resources Consortium Receives DOE Grant Exploration company, Texas Mineral Resources Corp. (TMRC), would be accomplished at USA Rare Earth’s processing facility along with its funding and development partner USA Rare Earth using CIX/CIC processing methodology. LLC, were awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s National Energy Technical Laboratory for the production of American Rare Earth Will Recover REEs for rare earths from Pennsylvania coal byproducts. Central Appalachian Sites TMRC, an exploration company that is developing its Round American Resources Corp. unveiled its wholly owned subsidiary, Top heavy rare earth critical minerals project, will partner with Penn American Rare Earth LLC. Through its acquisition of multiple mining State, Jeddo Coal Co., and H22OS to install a self-contained, modu- complexes over the past five years, the company said it established lar and portable pilot plant at a Jeddo Coal Co. site in Pennsylvania American Rare Earth to organize, consolidate, evaluate and develop capable of producing 1-3 metric tons (mt) of rare earth oxides de- its own portfolio of high-quality, low-cost rare earth mineral sites. rived from coal byproducts from Pennsylvania anthracite coal. “The need for rare earth elements is a growing economic theme The project commenced on October 1, with a three-month given the growing global demand from industries such as technology, conceptual design phase and an ultimate objective of completing automotive, aerospace and renewable energy,” American Resources a design package (feasibility study) to prove the technical and Chairman and CEO Mark Jensen said. “With China accounting for economic feasibility for a facility capable of 1-3 metric tons per approximately 80% of the global supply, restoring the United States’ day (mtpd) production of mixed rare earth oxides. resource independence has become an increasingly important topic.” “We believe that the technological strength and experience Jensen added that the company is excited about the discov- of our team goes a long way toward a positive result from this eries that have been made at a number of the already-developed, project,” TMRC Chairman Anthony Marchese said. “This grant is a beneficiation ponds to capture rare earth elements. significant step forward toward creating the first of these opera- “The historical Rare Earth developments conducted by the Uni- tions in the Pennsylvania region.” versity of Kentucky, with funding provided by a U.S. Department of He added that the potential “to profitably produce scandium Energy Cooperative Agreement, has been at the forefront of studying and other rare earth minerals from Pennsylvania anthracite coal and producing nearly pure rare earth concentrates from coal sourc- byproducts hold great promise.” es using an environmentally conscious and cost-effective process, Marchese said the consortium is committed to working with which is considered a groundbreaking accomplishment in the ener- local companies, capital sources and public officials in order to gy industry,” Jensen said. “We have been closely following the uni- create a meaningful economic opportunity. versity’s groundbreaking work in rare earth elements and applaud “We see great opportunity ahead for the university, common- them for their efforts and the public dissemination of information to wealth and nation to establish a domestic supply of rare earth and benefit not only the environment but also the local community. other critical elements while creating jobs and remediating asso- American Rare Earth has identified and ranked its first 10 ciated environmental problems while producing strategically im- rare earth mineral beneficiation sites within the company’s owned portant materials for high-tech and defense applications,” said Lee asset base with the goal of building out its collection protocols. Kump, John Leone dean in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. The 10 sites located in eastern Kentucky, within Pike, Letcher and This is the third U.S. Government award relating to the pro- Knott counties, have already been evaluated and are being engi- duction of rare earth minerals in which TMRC has participated. In neered to recover and concentrate REE’s. 2016, TMRC completed a demonstration-of-concept project fund- Upon analysis, it has been estimated that American Rare ed by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materi- Earth’s initial site has the ability to produce rare earth oxides hav- als Division to separate and refine specific high-purity rare earth ing a mix of approximately 20% neodymium, praseodymium and elements using a continuous ion exchange (CIX) and continuous dysprosium, in addition to healthy levels of cobalt and lithium, all ion chromatography (CIC) processing method. In 2019, a consor- important elements used in the production of permanent mag- tium including Texas Mineral Resources consortium completed a nets, widely used in electric vehicles (EVs) and other technologies. DOE Office of Fossil Energy grant to produce multiple separated Unlike most sites in the domestic market, they possess a low level rare earth minerals from Pennsylvania coal mining waste mate- of thorium and other radioactive elements. rial. The CIX/CIC method used in both U.S. Government grants is The company has been identifying various sites to build the the method being used to process rare earths and additional U.S. first commercial scale rare earth processing facility in the Cen- Government-listed critical minerals from the Round Top (Sierra tral Appalachia market. Site selection has been narrowed down to Blanca, TX) project, being developed by TMRC’s funding and de- three locations. velopment partner, USA Rare Earth LLC. The workforce expansion could result in 15 near-term, per- Successful completion of the DOE grant is consistent with manent jobs created in the local community with the goal of a commercial supply chain in which final separation of the mixed ramping to approximately 120 jobs in the next few years, accord- REE concentrate into individual high purity rare earth oxides ing to the company.

12 www.coalage.com October 2020 worldwide news continued

Worldwide News Continued from Page 9 Mitsui & Co Will Sell Stakes in Coal-fired Plants by 2030 Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co Ltd. plans to sell its remaining stakes in coal-fired power stations by the end of the decade as it shifts to gas from coal to help achieve its 2050 net zero emission target, as reported by Reuters. “We still own stakes in coal-fired plants in Indone- sia, China, Malaysia and Morocco, but our goal is to make it zero by 2030,” Mitsui CEO Tatsuo Yasunaga said. Mitsui generates about two-thirds of profit from energy and metals.

KEPCO Will Take Part in Coal-fired Power Plant Project in Vietnam Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) has decided to participate in the Vung Ang 2 power plant construction project in Vietnam. The 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant will be built in the Ha Tinh province in a national project of Vietnam. The total project cost is 2.5 trillion won and KEPCO participated with a stake of 220 billion won. Once its participation is officially approved by the Vietnamese government, Samsung C&T and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction will join as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies and the Export-Import Bank of Korea will provide loans and guarantees. South Korean coal-fired power generation exporters employ ultra-supercritical pressure technology, which is characterized by carbon emissions significantly reduced to a level comparable to LNG. The OECD is currently not restricting projects based on that technology while implementing strict regulations on overseas coal- fired power generation. “It is practically difficult for developing countries to cut back on coal-fired power generation right away,” the government explained.

calendar of events February 28-March 3, 2021: SME Annual Conference & Exposition, (Virtual). Contact: Web: www.smenet.org. March 14-21, 2021: Haulage & Loading 2021, Tucson, Arizona. Contact: Web: www.haulageandloading.com. May 4-6, 2021: Longwall USA, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Contact: Web: www.longwallusa.com. September 13-15, 2021: MINExpo INTERNATIONAL, Las Vegas, Nevada. Contact: Web: www.minexpo.com.

October 2020 www.coalage.com 13

u.s. prep plant census 2020 2020 US Prep Plant Census Total plant population shrinks with consolidation and reclamation by steve fiscor, editor-in-chief

This year, the Coal Age 2020 Prep former ACNR Chairman Plant Census reports a total of 138 Robert E. Murray con- preparation plants processing bi- trolled 18 prep plants tuminous coal, which is 13 fewer (15 operating and three than 2019. One new plant was add- idle). The Concord prep ed to the census, Rosebud Mining’s plant in Alabama, which Crooked Creek prep plant in Penn- was operated by Murray sylvania, and 14 idled plants were Metallurgical Holdings, is torn down and removed. The total now operated by Crimson population is 230, which includes Oak Grove. Murray Metal- A total of 138 prep plants process bituminous coal in 72 bituminous plants sitting idle lurgical Holdings sold the the U.S. and 20 anthracite breakers in Penn- Katie prep plant in West sylvania. Knowing that some may Virginia to Blackhawk Mining. The it operates two prep plants in West reopen and that permits in some former Armstrong properties, which Virginia, South Fork (met coal) and states remain active, Coal Age lists were renamed Murray Kentucky Raven Crest (thermal). Cleveland prep plants in the census until they Energy last year, have been com- Cliffs purchased the Black Wolf and are scrapped. bined with KenAmerican Resources Eckman plants in West Virginia from West Virginia remains the indus- under Muhlenberg County Resourc- ArcelorMittal. Peabody Energy con- try leader with 63 plants, followed es. In Ohio, the Century prep plant solidated production in Indiana to by Kentucky (58), Pennsylvania (37), is now operated by Belmont Coun- two mines, Bear Run and Francisco. Virginia (18) and Indiana (13). ty Coal Resources. The rest of the The Somerville Central, Somerville The biggest change to this year’s active prep plants in West Virginia North and Wild Boar prep plants census was name changes. With and Utah along with idled proper- were removed. Murray Energy emerging from ties in Pennsylvania and Illinois are According to the 2020 Prep Plant bankruptcy as American Consoli- operated by ACNR. Census, Blackhawk Mining operates dated Natural Resources (ACNR), Arch Coal is now Arch Resourc- the most prep plants (17), followed many of the mines have new oper- es. Xinergy emerged from bankrupt- by Arch Resources (15), Alliance ating companies. Collectively, the cy as White Forest Resources and Resource Partners (14), Contura Energy (14), Bluestone Resourc- es (13), American Resources (9), Number of U.S. Prep Plants by State and Operator (2020-2021) ACNR (8) and Rosebud Mining (7). States Plants Idle Operators Plants Idle Contura reported two major prep Alabama 007 01 Blackhawk Mining 17 5 plant upgrades in 2019, one at Colorado 004 00 Arch Resources 15 6 the McClure River prep plant in Illinois 012 03 Alliance Resource Partners 14 7 Virginia and another at the Marfork Indiana 013 08 Contura Energy 14 3 plant in West Virginia. Kentucky 058 28 Bluestone Resources 13 9 Rosebud Mining commissioned Maryland 002 01 American Resources 09 3 the Crooked Creek prep plant in Montana 001 01 American Consolidated Natural Res.0 8 2 Pennsylvania earlier this year. The Ohio 009 03 Rosebud Mining 07 0 heavy-media plant has a raw feed Pennsylvania (A) 017 00 Peabody Energy 05 0 capacity of 400 tons per hour. The Pennsylvania (B) 020 03 plant uses a heavy-media cyclone, Tennessee 003 01 forth flotation and spirals to pro- Utah 003 00 duce a low-sulfur product with Virginia 018 05 7.5%-8.5% ash. The PLC-controlled West Virginia 063 18 plant employs centrifugal dryers Total 230 72 and an ash analyzer.

October 2020 www.coalage.com 15 u.s. prep plant census 2020 continued

Year of Type of Primary Sep. Intermediate Sep. Online Raw Product Last Plant HM LD HM WO Fine Coal Centrifugal Analyzers Controls Company Plant Name Feed Ash % Quality Upgrade HM WO Jig Ves. Cycl. Cycl. Cycl. Tables Froth Spiral Column Dryer(s) E M A Man. PLC DCS Builder Year

Alabama (7) Bluestone Resources Glade 200 — — — • — — — • — — — • • — • — — — — • — Tag 2012 Camellia Met Mining Piney Woods 300 — — — • — — — — • — — — • — • — — — • — — — — Crimson Oak Grove Concord 1,000 8.50% < 1.0 2011 • — — — • • — — • • — • — — — — • • R&C 2011 Peabody Energy Shoal Creek 2,220 12.00% < 1.2 — — • • — — — • — • — — — — — — — • — IR 1992 Warrior Met Coal No. 4 1,300 — — 2010 • — — • • • — — • • — • — — — — • — Mc/Tag 1974 Warrior Met Coal No. 5 (Idle) 1,000 — — 2008 • — — — • — — — • • — • — — — — • — Mc/Tag 1976 Warrior Met Coal No. 7 1,400 — — 2012 • — — — • — — — • • — • — • • — • — Mc/Tag 1978 Colorado (4) Arch Resources West Elk 700 — — — • — — • — — — — — — — • — — — — • — Tag 2010 Blue Mountain Energy Deserado 800 8.00% < 1.2 2017 • — — • — — • — — • — • — • • — • — Mc 1983 Peabody Energy Twentymile 2,000 — — — • — — — • — • — — • — • — • • — • — Tag 2008 Wolverine Fuels Bowie (Idle) 650 5.50% < 1.2 — • — — — • — • — — • — • — — • — • — Dan 2004 Illinois (12) Alliance Resource Partners Pattiki (Idle) 1,200 7.00% > 2.5 2003 • — — — • • — — — • — • • • • • • — FMC 1982 Alliance Resource Partners Hamilton County 2,000 — — — • — — — • — • — • • — • — — — — • — GMC 2013 American Consolidated Natural Res. Galatia (Idle) 3,000 7.50% 2.5 2014 • — • — • • — • • — • — — — — • — R&S 1982 Arch Resources Viper 700 9.00% > 2.5 2015 • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — — • — R&S 1982 Foresight Energy Deer Run 2,000 9.00% > 2.5 — • — — • — • • — — • • • — — — — • — CDG 2011 Foresight Energy Pond Creek-Mach 2,000 7.80% 2.5 — • — — • — • • — — • • • — • — — • — CDG 2006 Foresight Energy Shay (Idle) 850 8.00% 3.5 2009 • — — • — • • — — • — • — — — — • — Mc 1970 Foresight Energy Sugar Camp 4,200 9.00% 2.5 2014 • — — • — • • — — • • • — — — — • — CDG 2011 Knight Hawk Coal Creek Paum 550 — — — • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — — • — Tag 2000 Knight Hawk Coal Prairie Eagle 850 — — 2012 • — — — • — • — — • • — — • — — — — Tag 2005 Knight Hawk Coal Red Hawk 250 — — — — • • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Peabody Energy Gateway 1,000 — — 1998 • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — — • — R&S/Tag 1976 Indiana (13) Alliance Resource Partners Gibson County North (Idle) 950 — 1.2-2.5 2014 • — — — • — — — — • — • • — — • • — Dan 2000 Alliance Resource Partners Gibson County South 2,000 — 1.2-2.5 — • — — — • — • — • • — • — — — — • — GMC 2014 Blackhawk Mining Augusta (Idle) 250 — > 2.5 2010 — • • — — — — — — • — • — — — • — — Co 2002 Blackhawk Mining Freelandville No. 2 (Idle) 400 8.00% > 2.5 2010 • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — • — — Co 2005 Blackhawk Mining Log Creek (Idle) 600 8.50% > 2.5 — • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — — • — Dan 2011 Blackhawk Mining Patoka River (Idle) 400 — > 2.5 — • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — — • — Dan 1990 Lexington Coal Holdings Kindill No. 2 (Idle) 1,200 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — R&S 1951 Lexington Coal Holdings Sycamore (Idle) 400 10.50% > 2.5 1997 • • — • — — • — — — — • — — — • • — CPE 1982 Peabody Energy Bear Run 1,600 — — — • — — — • — • — — • — • • • — — • — Tag 2010 Peabody Energy Francisco 650 — — 2008 • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — — • — Dan 1997 Solar Sources Carbondale 400 — — 1985 — • — • — • — — — — — — • — — — — — Dan 1985 Sunrise Coal Carlisle (Idle) 900 — > 2.5 — • — — — • — • — — • — • — — — — • — Dan/ACS 2007 Sunrise Coal Oaktown 1,600 — > 2.5 2016 • — — — • — • — • • — • • • • — • — Pow/GMC 2008 Kentucky (58) Alliance Resource Partners Dodge Hill (Idle) 300 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Alliance Resource Partners Dotiki (Idle) 2,000 8.00% > 2.5 • — — — • — • — • • — • — — — — • — GMC/Mc 2011 Alliance Resource Partners Elk Creek (Idle) 1,200 8.00% > 2.5 — • — — — • — • — — • — • — — — — • — GMC 2006 Alliance Resource Partners MC Mining 1,000 8.00% < 1.2 1991 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — • — — Liv 1974 Alliance Resource Partners Onton No. 9 (Idle) 700 — — 2011 • — — — • • — — — • — • — — — — • — GMC 2004 Alliance Resource Partners Pontiki (Idle) 800 8.00% < 1.2 1991 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Liv 1977 Alliance Resource Partners River View 3,000 — > 2.5 2015 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — GMC 2009 Alliance Resource Partners Warrior 1,200 — — — • — — — — • — — — • — • — — — — • — GMC 2008 American Resources Perry County 1,350 7.50% 1.2-2.5 — • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — • • — Kil 1979 American Resources Supreme (Idle) 450 10.00% < 1.2 • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — — • — — — American Resources (Deane) Mill Creek 800 8.00% < 2.5 — • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — — • — R&S 1992 American Resources (McCoy Elkhorn) Bevins Branch 1,350 8.50% 1.2-2.5 2010 • • — • — • • — — • — • — — — • — — — 1980

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Apex Energy (James H. Booth) Big Creek 450 — — — • — — — — • • — • • — • — — — — — — R&S — Arch Resources Raven (Idle) 800 10.00% < 1.2 2008 • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — — • — Pow 2008 Blackhawk Mining Blue Diamond No. 64 900 7.00% 1.2-2.5 2010 • — • — — • • — — • — • — — — • — — Dan 1989 Blackhawk Mining Leatherwood 1,400 7.00% 1.2-2.5 2006 • — — • • • — — — • — • — — — — • — R&S 1990 Blackhawk Mining Spurlock 900 — — — • — — • — • — — — • • • — — — — • — Tag 2007 Blue Gem Mining Blue Gem (Idle) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Bluestone Resources Evanston (Idle) 400 — — 2007 • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Bluestone Resources Jones Fork (Idle) 700 — — 2011 • — — — — • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Bluestone Resources Licking River (Idle) 300 — — — • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 2007 Bluestone Resources Pine Mountain (Idle) 400 2010 • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Cambrian Coal Bear Branch (Idle) 400 — — — • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — • • — — — Cambrian Coal Beech Fork No. 1 (Idle) 500 — — — • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — • • — — — Cambrian Coal F.M. Burke (Idle) 550 8.50% 1.2-2.5 1994 • — — • — • • — • — — • — — — • — — Liv 1980 Four Rivers Coal Co. Four Rivers — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Harlan Cumberland Coal Highsplint (Idle) 1,200 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Harlan Cumberland Coal Totz 600 2.00% < 1.2 — • — — • — — — • — — — • — — — • — — Dan 1976 INMET Mining Cave Branch 1,800 — — — • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — — — JRL Energy Coalgood — — — 2019 • — — • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Kentucky Proc. & Equp. Pleasant View (Idle) 900 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Kingdom Coal Enterprise - Roxana 875 9.00% 1.2-2.5 2009 • — — • — • • — • • • • — — — • • — A&T 1980 Lexington Coal Co. Long Fork (Idle) 1,500 — — 2002 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — Pow 1979 Lexington Coal Co. Martin County (Idle) 1,400 — — — • — — • — • • — — • — • — — — — • — Dan 1972 Lexington Coal Co. Sidney - Big Creek (Idle) 1,500 — — 1991 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — R&S 1989 Lipari Energy Pioneer 350 — — 2010 — — • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Metinvest Sapphire 1,100 8.00% — 2006 • — — • — • — — — • • • — — — — • — Mc 1982 Muhlenberg County Resources Genesis 1,200 8.50% > 2.5 — • — — — • • — — — • — • • — — — • — GMC 2009 Muhlenberg County Resources Midway 1,200 8.50% > 2.5 — • — — — • • — — — • — • • — — — • — GMC 2008 Muhlenberg County Resources Paradise No. 9 (Idle) 800 8.00% > 2.5 2011 • — — — • • — — • • — • — — — — • — Bays 2004 Muhlenberg County Resources Pride 400 8.50% > 2.5 — • — — — • • — — — • • • — — • — • — GMC 2009 Nally & Hamilton Enterprises Brookside (Idle) 1,200 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1968 NewLead Holdings Coal Essence — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Oxford Mining Co. Schoate — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Paringa Resources Poplar Grove 400 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Pinnacle Processing Pevler (Idle) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Prairie Mining Co. Highland (Idle) 2,000 9.50% > 2.5 • • • — — • • — — — — • • • — • — — R&S 1981 Pristine Clean Energy Premier Elkhorn 1,100 — — — • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — • • — — — Revelation Energy Bell County-Hignite (Idle) 650 8.50% 1.2-2.5 2009 • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — — • — Dan 1980 Revelation Energy Bledsoe No. 1 (Idle) 650 8.00% 1.2-2.5 2009 • — — • — • • — — • — • — — — — — — Peters 1985 Revelation Energy Red Bird (Idle) 500 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Revelation Energy Shamrock Beechfork (Idle) 1,400 8.50% 1.2-2.5 2010 • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — — • — Pow 1990 Rhino Resources Rob Fork 600 — — — • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Richmond Hill Clintwood Elkhorn No. 2 650 — — — • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — • • — — — Sequoia Energy Sequoia 750 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Stella Natural Resources Ivel 500 — — 2007 • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — — • — Tag — Vision Mining Vision No. 9 (Idle) 250 — — 2004 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • — Erwin — Western Kentucky Minerals Joe’s Run Processing — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Maryland (2) Alliance Resource Partners Mettiki 1,350 — — — — — — — — • • — — — — — — — — — — — Mc 1978 Arch Resources Dobbin Ridge (Idle) 150 10.00%-18.00% 1.2- 2.5 2010 • — — — — • — — • • — • — — — • — — Co 1997 Montana (1) Signal Peak Energy Black Otter 2,000 — — 2017 • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — — • — Tag 2009

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October 2020 www.coalage.com 19 u.s. prep plant census 2020 continued

Ohio (9) Belmont County Coal Resources Century 3,000 8.50% > 2.5 2012 • — — — • • — — — • • • — — — — • — A&T/LCE 2002 CCU Coal & Construction Buckingham 700 — — — • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — — • — Tag 2009 American Consolidated Natural Res. Star Ridge (Idle) 425 8.00% > 2.5 — • — — — • • — — — • — • — — — — • — LCE 2007 Oxford Mining Co. Conesville (Idle) 800 — — 2015 • • • — — • • — • — — — — — — — — — NH/ACS 1984 Kimble Clay & Limestone Stonecreek — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Rhino Resource Partners Nelms — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Rhino Resource Partners Sands Hill 300 — — — — — — — — • • — — — — — — — — — — — — — Rosebud Mining Tusky 300 8.50% 2.75 — • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — — • — Tag 2008 State Line Resources Negley (Idle) 200 — — — • — — • — — — • — — — • — — — — — — — — Pennsylvania-Anthracite (17) Atlantic Coal Stockton — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Black Creek Breaker Co. Black Creek — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Blaschak Coal Corp Blaschak — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Blaschak Coal Corp Latimer — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Calvin V. Lenig Coal Prep — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Carbon & Metal Tech Pine Creek — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — D Dale Lenig Dale Lenig — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Gale Mining Co. Ginther — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Lehigh Anthracite Greenwood 300 — — — • — — • — • — — — • — — — — — — — — Wil 1962 Lenig & Kosmer Glenn Lenig — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Meadowbrook Coal Co. Meadowbrook — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Molesevich & Sons Construction Co. Atlas — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — PAC 23 Mining Co Split Vein — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Reading Anthracite New St. Nicholas 1,000 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1963 Schuylkill Coal Schuykill — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Sherman Coal Co. Sherman — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Superior Coal Prep Superior — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Pennsylvania-Bituminous (20) CONSOL Energy Bailey Central 8,200 8.00% < 2.5 2013 • — — • — • — — • • — • • • • — • • R&S 1983 Contura Energy Cumberland 1,600 8.25% > 2.5 1996 • — — • — • — — • • — • • • • — • — Dvo 1978 Contura Energy Emerald (Idle) 1,850 8.00% > 2.5 2003 • — — • — • • — • • — • • • • — • — R&S 1977 Corsa Coal Cambria 425 < 9.00% < 1.2 — • — — — • — • — — • — • — — — — • — Tag 2009 Corsa Coal Shade Creek 650 < 12.00% < 1.8 2008 • — — • • • — — — • — • — — — — • — Tag 1966 Homer City Processing Homer City 1,200 12.00% < 2.5 1996 • — — — • • — — • • — • — • • • • — H&P 1978 ICS Energy Group LLC Wilson Creek 400 6.00%-9.00% < 1.2 — • — — — • — — — — • • • — — — — • — Tag 2011 Jericho Fuels Tipple 4J — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Jill Mining Cannard Tipple — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — American Consolidated Natural Res. Eighty Four (Idle) 1,000 7.00% < 2.5 — • — — • — • • — • • — • • • • — • — F&P 1996 Original Fuels Original Fuels 650 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Piney Creek Piney Creek (Idle) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — River Hill Coal Tosco 350 8.00% < 1.2 2008 • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1976 Robindale Energy Services RES Plant 300 8.00% < 1.2 — • — — — • — — — • • — • — — — — • — Tag 2012 Rosebud Mining Clymer 275 6.50%-8.75% < 1.2 2017 • — — • — — — • — • • • — — — • — — — 1976 Rosebud Mining Crooked Creek 400 7.50%-8.50% < 1.2 — • — — — • — — — • • — • — — • — • — — 2020 Rosebud Mining Portage 300 6.50%-8.75% < 1.2 2017 • — — • — — • — • • — • — — — — • — Mc 1972 Rosebud Mining Dutch Run 400 6.50%-8.75% < 1.2 2011 • — — • — — • — • • — • — — — — — — Co 1990 Rosebud Mining Lady Jane 300 6.50%-8.75% < 1.2 2005 — • • — — — — — • • — • — — — • — — — 1976 Rosebud Mining Mine 78 500 6.50%-8.75% < 1.2 2017 • — — — • — • — • • — • — — — — • — — 2008 Tennessee (3) Bluestone Resources Baldwin (Idle) 400 2012 • — — — — — — — • — — — — — — — — — — — Kopper Glo Mining Kopper Glo — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Mountainside Coal Co. Mountainside — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

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October 2020 www.coalage.com 21 u.s. prep plant census 2020 continued

Utah (3) American Consolidated Natural Res. West Ridge 600 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Wolverine Fuels Castle Valley 500 11.00% — 2005 Centry 2005 Wolverine Fuels Hunter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Virginia (18) Arch Resources Pardee 750 8.20% < 1.2 2005 • — — • • — • — • • • • • — — — • — Pow 1995 Bluestone Resources Ramsey (Idle) 650 — — 2011 • — — — — — — • — — — — — — — — — — — Bluestone Resources Sigmon (Idle) 400 — — 2010 • — — — — — — — • — — — — — — — — — — — Contura Energy McClure River 1,100 6.75%-12.00% < 1.2 2019 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — • • • R&S/Dan 1979 Contura Energy Tomís Creek 1,100 7.00%-12.00% 1.2-2.5 2004 • — — • — • • — • • • • — — — — • — Dan/Tag 1980 Coronado Coal Amonate (Idle) 600 5.00% < 1.2 — • — — • — • — — • — — • — — — • — • Co 1978 Coronado Coal Buchanan 1,300 5.00% < 1.2 2007 • — — • — • — — • — — • • — — • • • IE 1984 G&B Processing No. 1 Tipple — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — INMET Mining Lone Mountain (Idle) 1,150 6.00% < 1.2 2004 • — — • • • — — — • • • • • • — • — Pow 1981 INMET Mining Pigeon Creek (Idle) 1,400 — — — • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — — — Maven Energy Maven No. 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Metinvest Nora 400 8.00% — — • — — • — • — — • — — • — — — • — — Pow 1981 Metinvest Wellmore No. 8 1,000 7.00% — 2011 • — — — — • — • • • — • — — — — • — Pow 1978 Ramaco Resources Knox Creek 650 — — 2010 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — • • — Pow 1978 Red River Coal Red River No. 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Red River Coal Stoker — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Richmond Hill Clintwood Elkhorn No. 3 650 — — — • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — • • — — — SunCoke Energy Coronet Jewell 900 6.80% < 1.2 — • — — • — • — — • — — — — — • • • — Liv — West Virginia (63) Alliance Resource Partners Tunnel Ridge 1,800 8.00% • — — • • • — — — • • • — — — — • — Tag 2010 Arch Resources Baybeck (Idle) 300 — — 1996 • — — — — • — — • • — • — — — • — — Co 1992 Arch Resources Beckley 600 6.00%-10.00% < 1.2 2018 • — — • — • — — • • — • • • • — • — Pow 2007 Arch Resources Cardinal 1,400 7.00% < 1.2 2015 • — — • — • — — • • • • • — — — • — IR 2006 Arch Resources Dobbin Ridge (Idle) 300 7.00%-18.00% .08-2.5 2012 • — — — • • — — • • — • — — — — • — Pow 1997 Arch Resources Eastern (Idle) 800 10.00% 1.2-2.5 2001 • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — — • — Dan 1992 Arch Resources Holden 22 550 11.00% < 1.2 2005 • — — • — • — — — • — • • — — — • — Liv — Arch Resources Leer 1,400 7.00% < 1.2 2012 • — — — • • — — • • — • • — — — • — Pow 2012 Arch Resources Sawmill Run (Idle) 700 9.00%-15.00% 1.2-2.5 2007 • — — • — • — — • — — • — — — • — — R&S 1979 Arch Resources Sentinel 575 9.00%-12.00% 1.2-2.5 2016 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — • — — R&S/Pow 1972 Argus Energy (Cliffs) Kiah Creek (Idle) 400 — — — • — — • — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Award Development Slaughter Creek (Idle) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Bay Star Coal Co. Big Creek — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Blackhawk Mining Blue Creek 900 • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — — • — Tag 2009 Blackhawk Mining Fanco (Idle) 650 10.00% < 1.2 2004 • — — • — • — — — • — • • • • — • — Brooks 1994 Blackhawk Mining Hampden 600 < 4.00% < 1.2 — • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — • — — Peters — Blackhawk Mining Harris 600 12.00% 1.2-2.5 1983 • — — • — • — — — — — • — • • — • — R&S 1968 Blackhawk Mining Kanawha Eagle 800 6.00% < 1.2 2001 • — — — • • — — — • — • — — — — • — Tag 2000 Blackhawk Mining Katie 450 < 4.0% & < 8.0% < 1.2 2008 • — — • — — • — • • — • — — — — • — Tag 1980 Blackhawk Mining Panther 1,200 10.00% < 1.2 2005 • — — • • — • — • — — — — — — — • — — 1996 Blackhawk Mining Rocklick 2,800 9.00% 1.2-2.5 2000 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — • — • — R&S 1986 Blackhawk Mining Toms Fork 700 13.00% 1.2-2.5 2004 • — — — • • — — — • — • • • • — • — Dan/Pow 1995 Blackhawk Mining Wells 2,000 8.00% 1.2-2.5 2000 • — — • — • — — • — — • — — • • • — R&S 1978 Bluestone Resources Bishop 650 8.00% — — • — — — • — — — • • — • — — — — • — Tag 2013 Bluestone Resources Keystone No. 1 (Idle) 400 — — 2004 • — — — • — • — • • — • — — — — • — Tag 2007 Bluestone Resources Keystone No. 2 (Idle) 450 — — — • — — — • • — — • • • • — — — — • — — — Bluestone Resources Pinnacle 1,250 — — 2019 • — • • — — • — • — — — • • • — — — A&G — Bluestone Resources Red Fox (Idle) 300 — — — • — — — • — • — — • — • — — • — • — Tag 2006 Contura Energy Delbarton 600 8.50% < 1.0 1984 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — Goff Bro 1974

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October 2020 www.coalage.com 23 u.s. prep plant census 2020 continued

Contura Energy Goals (Idle) 600 6.00% — 2001 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — — — Contura Energy Homer III/Black Castle 800 13.00% < 1.2 2008 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — Pow 2008 Contura Energy Kepler 750 6.50% < 0.75 2013 • — — • — • — — • • — • — • • • • — H&P 1968 Contura Energy Kingston 700 6.50% 0.8 2001 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — • — • — — 1974 Contura Energy Litwar (Idle) 450 5.50%-6.00% — 2010 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — • — — Liv 1980 Contura Energy Mammoth 1,100 13.50% 0.8 2008 • — — • — • — — — • • • — — — — • — — 1950 Contura Energy Marfork 2,400 6.75% < 1.2 2019 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — Segman 1994 Contura Energy Power Mountain 1,200 7.50% < 1.0 2010 • — — • — • — — • • • • — — — — • — R&S/Pow 1985 Contura Energy Rum Creek/Bandmill 1,200 7.75% < 1.1 2010 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — Pow 2010 Coronado Coal Mountaineer Pocahontas 600 — — 2012 • — — — • — — — • • — • — — — — • — Tag 2007 Coronado Coal Saunders 900 — — — • — — • — • — — — • • • — — — — • — Tag 2009 ERP Environmental Fund Big Mountain (Idle) 900 12.00% < 2.5 1998 • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — — 1975 Frasure Creek Mining (Essar) Deep Water — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — JSW Steel Caretta 500 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Dan 2017 Lexington Coal Co. Black Bear 1,800 6.20%-9.10% < 1.2 2004 • — — • — • — — • • — • • • • — • — R&S 1992 Lexington Coal Co. Sprouse Creek (Idle) 1,400 — — — • — — • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — Dan 1978 Metinvest Affinity 550 8.00% — • — — — • — — — • • — • — — — — • — Tag 2011 Metinvest East Gulf 600 6.75% — 2007 • — — — • • — — • • — • — — — • • — R&S/Pow 1952 Metinvest Star Bridge 500 9.00% — — • — — — — • — — • • — • — — — — • — Ind 2006 American Consolidated Natural Res. Harrison County 1,500 10.00% > 2.5 — • — — • — • • — • • — • • — — — • — F&P 2006 American Consolidated Natural Res. Marion County 1,400 8.50% > 2.5 — • — • • — • — — • • — • — — — — • — Far 1970 American Consolidated Natural Res. Marshall County 2,800 9.50% > 2.5 — • — — • — • • — • • — • • — — — • — F&P 2002 American Consolidated Natural Res. Monongalia County 1,500 8.00% > 2.5 2000 • — • • — • — — • • — • — — — • • — Liv 1970 American Consolidated Natural Res. Ohio County 1,800 9.50% > 2.5 2015 • — — • — • • — • • — • • — — • • — Co 1967 Phoenix Federal No. 2 Federal No. 2 (Idle) 1,300 6.70% 1.2-2.5 1998 • • — • — • • — • — — • • • — — • — R&S 1968 Prime Processing (Cliffs) Eckman 500 — — 2011 • — — • — • • — • • • • • • • — • — Tag 2007 Ramaco Resources Elk Creek 700 — — — • — — — • • — — • • — • — — — — • — Raw 2017 Rhino Resource Partners Tug Fork 1,800 < 10.50% > 1.0 2000 • — — • — • — — — • — • — — — • • — R&S 1981 Southeastern Land Miller Creek 800 12.00% < 2.0 2006 • — — • — • • — — • — • — — — — • — — — Southeastern Land Peach Orchard (Idle) 550 12.00% < 1.2 — • — — • — • — — — • — • — — • — • — L-A 1994 Superior Processing Superior — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — White Forest Resources, Inc. Raven Crest - Bull Creek (idle) 300 8.00%-10.00% < 1.2 — • — — — • • — — — — — • — — — — • — ACS/Raw 2013 White Forest Resources, Inc. South Fork - Clearco 300 6.50% 0.8-1.1 — • — — — • — — — — • — • — — — — • — Dan 2013 XMV (Cliffs) Black Wolf (Idle) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Key to plant designers: A&G=Allen & Garcia, A&T=A&T Manufacturing, AIR=AIRC, Bri=Bristol Steel, CDG=Coalfield Development Group, CEE=CEE Engineering, Chil=Childress Services, CLI=CLI, Corn=Cornette Engineering, CPE=Coal Processing Engineers, Co.=designed by the mining company, Cyc=Cyclone Machine, Dan=Daniels, Dvo=Dravo, EIW=Eagle Iron Works, EIM=Eimco, Env=Envirotech, Erw=Erwin Industries, F&P=Farnham & Pfile, FMC=FMC, Far=Fairmont Machine, GMC=General Mine Contracting, H&P=Heyl & Patterson, H-S=Holmes- Shaney, Ind=Indiana Steel, IN=Industrial, IR=Industrial Resources, Int=Interstate, Jef=Jeffrey, KHD=KHD Humboldt Wedag, Jam=F.F. Jameson, Kai=Kaiser, Kil=Kilborn Engineering, L-B=Link-Belt, Lin=Lincoln Contracting, Liv=J.O. Lively, L-A=Long-Airdox, Mc=McNally Systems, MP=Minerals Processing, NH=Norton Hambleton, Nor=Norwest, Pet=Peters Equipment, Pow=Powell Construction, PM=Process

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Machinery, Ram=Ramsey, Raw=Raw Resources, R&S=Roberts & Schaefer, Rol=Roller, See=Seeco, Sim=Simon Carves, Tag=Taggart (DRA Global acquired Taggart), Wil=Wilmont, Wem=Wemco Key to header: Raw feed = capacity (tons per hour), Quality = lb-SO2/mmBtu (<1.2, low sulfur; 1.2-2.5, medium sulfur; and >2.5, high sulfur), HM=Heavy Media; WO=Water Only, LD=Large Diameter (greater than 30 inches), Cycl=Cyclones, Ves. = Vessel, Analyzers: ash, A; elemental, E; and moisture, M. Controls: Man = Manual, PLC = Programmable logic controller, and DCS = Distributed control system Key to coal companies: Alliance = Alliance Coal Co., AMCI = American Metals & Coal Int’l, CONSOL = CONSOL Enegry

October 2020 www.coalage.com 25 equipment transport Mobilizing the Massive Two new trailers can routinely haul huge shovels and drills, at a clip, using fewer people by jesse morton, technical writer

Improving fleet mobility offers a boy Trailer, gargantuan trailers de- shovels,” he said. “Radically different laundry list of benefits. Better avail- signed to haul some of the biggest thinking was required to accommo- ability, streamlined maintenance and mining shovels on the planet. date such a haul and we were the ones increased productivity top it. PHIL described the unit, which that focused on that need.” A couple of new trailers now out can be designed to move a shovel And the need was apparent. For can haul massive shovels, drills and weighing up to 2,000 tons, as a bridge example, a gigantic trailer could be dozers from one working area to an- on wheels. “The capacity will be de- used to move the shovel to a central- other. They are designed for easy cided by the client’s hauling needs,” ized location to speed up repair work. loading and unloading. Few person- said Josh Swank, vice president of “Shovels can now be transported clos- nel are required. And in some cases, sales and marketing, PHIL. “PHIL er to maintenance facilities for optimal the machine being hauled can be engineers will then create a trailer maintenance efficiency,” Swank said. moved at the rate of mine traffic. with the support necessary to trans- “When shovels go down in the In short, what both trailers pri- port the weight of the largest piece of field, it can take crews significant marily offer is speed. Speed that can equipment being hauled.” amounts of time to travel back and be built into processes and routines. The trailer was conceptualized as forth between the shop and the shov- Below, the suppliers explain how fast- a niche solution. “There are a num- el in order to diagnose the problem er is better. ber of lowboy trailer manufacturers and get the proper tools and replace- around the world that have done a ment parts,” he said. “Along with this Lowboy Trailer for World’s great job building trailers, up to 400 time-consuming process, workers Biggest Shovels tons in capacity,” Swank said. that are out of sight are often out of Philippi-Hagenbuch (PHIL) an- “However, an ultra-class solu- mind, which can result in inefficien- nounced the PHIL Ultra-Class Low- tion was needed to transport larger cies and unnecessary downtime.”

The newest equipment hauling solutions allow the hauling of big, tracked machines to be routine, increasing fleet mobility. (Photo: Sleipner)

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An artist’s rendering of Philippi-Hagenbuch’s lowboy that has been designed to allow a miner to cart a shovel from one operating area to another with limited disruption and minimal wear on the shovel. (Image: PHIL)

An ultra-class trailer could also be range from hauling 400 to 2,000 tons to the trailer deck from the rear,” he used to regularly move a shovel from of equipment, we did not start with a said. “Hydraulic ramps raise, the ax- pit to pit without creating wear and preconceived idea of what has been les swing back into place, the trailer tear on the shovel itself. done previously to haul 100 tons of deck rises and then the truck is able “When mines have multiple pits equipment,” Swank said. “That sim- to drive off to its destination.” and fewer shovels than pits, walk- ply won’t work.” The axles use running gear made ing the shovels from one location to Innovative, unique thinking was by Caterpillar and use Cat’s long-prov- another causes degradation to their required, he said. For starters, the en oil-cooled braking system. running gear, resulting in replace- stresses are completely different. “Simplicity is the key to this de- ment costs of up to $1.5 million per “How you attach the trailer to the sign,” Swank said. Which means it shovel,” Swank said. chassis and how you load the trailer can be built to the specifications of Walking a shovel can contribute to is different,” Swank said. “Our focus is the application. the need to replace the undercarriage not to push a square peg into a round “We’ll work with each client to every two to three years, he said. Us- hole, but to engineer the peg to fit the discuss their needs and what’s re- ing an ultra-class trailer could double hole correctly, the first time.” quired based on specifics of the piece the undercarriage life and result in The resulting design provides “an of equipment they specify with us,” savings across a fleet. incredibly stable and tight integration he said. “Items discussed may include “With this solution, the shovel can of the trailer with the chassis,” he said. haul road width, turns and switch- simply drive up on to the back of the During loading and unloading, backs, but will be handled on a cli- trailer and be transported to anoth- the trailer is not disconnected from ent-by-client basis.” er location within the mine,” he said. the chassis. “It eliminates the need Such is par for the course for “Additionally, loading an electric shov- to reconnect the truck and trailer in PHIL, which has a deep history of el on the trailer eliminates the need the field, which is often difficult, time working with customers on custom for a motivator to power the unit as it consuming, and can be unsafe for op- jobs. “Each design is built upon the walks from one location to another.” erators,” Swank said. standards we have developed over the For several reasons, the PHIL Ul- “With our rear-loading solution, past six decades,” Swank said. tra-Class Lowboy Trailer started out the truck and trailer simply pull up “We provide the benefit of working as a blank-sheet design. “Because next to the piece of equipment to be with a small, family-owned firm that is our solution is focused on sizes that transported, which then drives up on deeply committed to our clients’ suc-

October 2020 www.coalage.com 27 equipment transport continued

With a max payload of 120 mt, the DB120PLUS can haul drills, dozers, excavators, mining trucks, wheel dozers, wheel loaders and graders. (Photo: Sleipner)

cess, while providing the engineering “With the Sleipner DB system, “A secondary wheel brake system is of a world-class equipment manu- drills, dozers, diggers and auxiliary connected to the brake circuit.” facturer,” he said. “We like to say that equipment can be relocated quickly Elijärvi said big safety gains can we have a small footprint with a wide and safely from the bottom of the pit also arise from the fact that it can reach, as we have equipment in every to the next work area, or to the work- easily join mine traffic while requir- major mining environment globally.” shop for service and maintenance ing minimal personnel. “Thanks to during shift change or blast breaks,” the compact design and agility, the Trailer for Drills, Dozers Ups she said. Sleipner DB-Series fits in with the Fleet Mobility The DB120PLUS can carry drills, flow of the haul road traffic, and there Sleipner released the DB120PLUS bulldozers, excavators, wheel loaders, is no need for escort teams in the equipment transport trailer, which trucks, buckets, pumps, light towers, front and back of the lowboy, releas- has a maximum payload of 120 mt graders and more. With a hydrauli- ing resources and people.” and is ideal for drills, bulldozers and cally lowered and raised bed, it offers The wheel span of the unit is 11.8 other tracked equipment. Like the quick rear loading. “One person can m. The trailer bed is 8.2 m long and 5.8 two other units in the series, the trail- handle the whole loading procedure,” m wide. It has a turning radius of 14 m. er is compact, offering speed and Sleipner reported. The DB120PLUS can be towed by agility that translates to substantial It offers a max towing speed of 15 a 40-mt truck equipped with ADT. time savings and costs savings, the km/h fully loaded. Unloaded it can The model is the natural evolution- company said. travel at 30 km/h. ary successor to the original DB120. “It is the size of a David but with A top-tier benefit offered is the Since its release in 2013, the the strength of a Goliath,” said Maaret opportunity to improve site safety. DB120 has been widely deployed and Elijärvi, sales and marketing coordi- The bed is wider than the loaded has garnered positive feedback. One nator, Sleipner Finland Oy. equipment tracks. It poses no risk customer with multiple pits on a site The trailer can be used in rou- of overturning. And it has a revers- spanning roughly 10 km used it to cut tine relocation of equipment. It also ing camera system and an advanced maintenance costs enough to justify allows the miner to be more reactive braking system. running four additional dozers, Eli- to emergent realities on the site. Both “Drag brake surfaces at the tail of järvi said. capabilities can help increase pro- the trailer can be lowered to touch “In this case, in order to fit the ductivity, Sleipner reported. the road during downhill transpor- maintenance budget, the mine was Becoming more reactive can tation and the operator chooses planning to cut the dozer fleet from mean being able to quickly overcome the needed brake assist according 13 to nine units,” she said. Before it setbacks, Elijärvi said. to conditions,” Sleipner reported. did, it adopted a DB120.

28 www.coalage.com October 2020 equipment transport continued

The trailer basically made the fleet maining tracks off the ground and the Other benefits include reduc- mobile enough to dramatically reduce truck tows it away for maintenance or tions in the environmental impacts of maintenance costs. With the dozers to be relocated. transporting an excavator. being wheeled around when needed, The topmost benefit offered is in- E-Series solutions can help an all maintenance could be done at the creased productivity, Elijärvi said. “It operation do all excavator mainten- workshop. With minimal availability offers 50% savings on undercarriage ance at a workshop. “All small or big disruption, they could be dropped off maintenance, and a colossal 85% re- maintenance or breakdown-related for unplanned maintenance. duction of travel time equating to an issues can be done in a clean, safe, “After using Sleipner DB120 for increase in productivity,” she added. contamination-free and environ- only six months, the maintenance That productivity increase can mentally controlled workshop area,” cost of the 13-dozer fleet was at below range between 12% and 20%, she said. Elijärvi said. the projected maintenance cost of nine dozers,” Elijärvi said. There were other savings that proved incalculable. “After all the tracked machines were relocated on wheels, the road repair costs were reduced drastically,” Elijärvi said. “Pre- viously, the heavy-tracked equipment was tramming on dust beside the roads, causing damage to the haul roads.” And using the DB120 proved to be the safest option, she said. “Safety is not always a calculable or quantifiable factor, but in a compari- son between the operational proce- dures of a conventional lowbed-type trailer and Sleipner DB120, no doubt Sleipner will clearly win,” Elijärvi said. “Low center of gravity allows excep- tional stability. Fall risks are minimal. And with ADT, there is no unhitching or rehitching of the DB120.” The DB-Series builds on the suc- cess of the E-Series, wheeled excavator-transportation solution systems that originated with the release of the E90 in 1996. The biggest of the E-Series is the E550, which is pulled by either a Cat 797 or a Komatsu 960E and can move a 550-ton excavator. The E550 was released in 2013. The system is comprised of two units, each with four wheels. Each unit is 3.6 m long, 5.5 m wide and offers clear- ance of 0.4 m. It works like a giant dolly. The units are placed behind the tracks. The excavator pulls on to the units. The bucket goes into the body of the truck. The excavator then lifts the re-

October 2020 www.coalage.com 29 equipment transport continued

The solutions have become the Other benefits are offered. Areas that don’t need full-time dozer benchmark in excavator transporta- By reducing wear on the tracks, service availability can be operated tion, she said. “It is a unique series undercarriage lifespan is often dou- with shared resources.” like no other in the current market.” bled or tripled. Further, work done in The adoption process typical- Different mines have deployed E-Se- a workshop is typically 20% faster than ly begins with an assessment of the ries solutions to solve challenges par- repairs done in the pit, Elijärvi said. site and operation. “We meet with ticular to their site. “Thanks to improved service times, the customers to thoroughly dis- For example, an Australian miner the machines’ downtime is further re- cuss the requirements, such as adopted the E400 to reduce reloca- duced,” she said. “After maintenance, equipment compatibility, ramp gra- tion time. Previously, the mine simply the equipment can be easily dropped dients and training options,” Elijär- drove the excavators from work area off at the next working location ac- vi said. “Sleipner will find the best to work area. “This mine used tradi- cording to production needs.” possible solution to transport all tional traveling methods within its The time saved, the increased the customer’s equipment and will large geographical operations area,” production, the improved compo- also arrange the training before any Elijärvi said. “As a result, the excava- nent lifespan, and the improved equipment is deployed.” tors’ relocation times were long and maintenance outcomes all combine Providing the best possible equip- easily took the whole working day.” to create new possibilities for mine ment transportation solution is With the E400, relocations now planning with tracked equipment. Sleipner’s modus operandi, she said. take less than an hour. “The time saved “With Sleipner mobility solu- “Sleipner, as a company, is solu- is close to an entire shift,” Elijärvi said. tions, the work can be done with tion driven to assist the mining indus- Increased availability and utiliza- one excavator less than normally re- try with cost savings and production tion helped the miner increase both quired,” Elijärvi said. “Because drill growth, while keeping the environ- efficiency and production. “The in- fleet mobility doesn’t set any restric- mental impact in consideration,” Eli- creased production and cost savings tions on the planning, the blasting järvi said. “Through the constant de- resulted in a break-even period of a sequences can be planned without velopment of the product capacity, couple of months since the Sleipner compromises. Dozers can be relocat- Sleipner aims to provide solutions investment,” Elijärvi said. ed according to production needs. that evolve with the industry.”

Drills and dozers can drive on to the DB120PLUS’s hydraulically lowered bed in minutes. The bed is then raised, and the rig can join the flow of mine traffic. (Photo: Sleipner)

30 www.coalage.com October 2020

operating ideas Thiess Deploys Second Autonomous Drilling System at Lake Vermont

With the introduction of a second autonomous, rotary blasthole drill, the Lake Vermont mine in Queens- land became the first coal mining operation to have two multipass fully autonomous rigs drilling side-by- side. Thiess has drilled more than 3,000 holes (more than 90,000 me- ters) since the autonomous drills have been introduced. The autonomous drills are capable of working for 11.5 hours of a 12-hour shift. Thiess General Manager of Auton- omous Services Matt Petty confirmed Thiess Lake Vermont Operations Thiess will continue to provide the drills continue to deliver benefits Manager/SSE Colin Mulligan said his full-service mining operations at such as improved safety outcomes team is continuing to provide prof- Lake Vermont coal mine, including and increased productivity, machine itable returns for the client with the autonomous drilling and semiauton- and autonomous utilization. technology enabling a single operator omous dozer push, under a new five- “The expansion of our autono- to control both rigs simultaneously. year contract extension commencing mous drilling fleet delivers significant “We’re currently operating in auto from January 1, 2022. productivity gains and enables us to drill plan execution (fully autono- As part of this offering, Thiess will drill more safely, accurately and con- mous), which allows us to efficiently welcome a third Epiroc PV-275 to the sistently,” Petty said. and predictably operate the rig in- project later this year. “We’ve leveraged our real-world dependently of manual operations experience and insight in autono- through the entire drill cycle to com- mous drilling to optimize solutions plete the drill plan.” for our client, backed by our proven “This enables improvements in systems and processes, and multidis- utilization with the PV-275’s capable ciplinary engineering excellence.” of working for 11.5 hours of a 12- “The deployment of additional hour shift, compared with around rigs, operated from our remote oper- eight and a half hours with manned ating station on-site, offers significant operators.” advantages as part of our integrated Workforce skills developmentC system, which optimizes our autono- continues to play a significant roleM in mous drills and dozers and provides the expansion of autonomous drillingY increased operability and flexibility.” at the project, and the implementaCM - The two Epiroc Pit Viper 275 (PV- tion of a staged, sustainable upskill- MY 275) drills use state-of-the-art guid- ing process has begun. ance technologies to assist opera- “Our approach to autonomy is CYto tors’ drill holes to the exact location work closely with our team membersCMY and depth specified by the drill plan, and offer opportunities for upskillK - resulting in proven performance ing,” Colin said. “Already on-site we and reliability. have had a number of drill and doz- The current multipass capability er operators, communication tech- enables operators to drill holes up to nicians and maintenance personnel 59.4-m deep and 171 mm to 270 mm retrained to work with autonomous in diameter. Future development will technologies. enable greater depth capacity, with “This is ensuring Thiess remains the Epiroc PV-275 capable of drilling transformational and leads to high- holes up to 72 m deep. er-skilled workers and jobs.”

October 2020 www.coalage.com 35 suppliers news ARQ Selects Eriez Cavitation Tubes

erNet networking system to the U.S. market. The first coaxial-based gigabit network, Plexus PowerNet provides both data and power over a single cable. The system delivers a high-speed, low-latency digital communication network that provides PoE+ power to Access Points (APs), cameras and any other IP-based devices. The PowerNet coaxial cable car- ries both power and network connectivity, eliminating the need to run both fiber and power to new network devices. The system can also extend to a fiber-optic-based system from The Arq process creates a fuel from coal waste that behaves like oil. the fiber patch panel at any level as needed. It eliminates the need for Arq Ltd., an innovator in the re- column flotation cells offer superior costly outside fiber-optic contractors covery and transformation of coal metallurgical performance due to the and can be installed and maintained waste into an entirely new source of use of both wash water and a deep by any mine personnel. high-value energy, recently installed froth phase,” Eriez Flotation USA Di- “For a mining application, Mae- eight 18-ft Eriez CavTube flotation rector of Operations Andrew Hobert stro gives mines the ability to have columns in its first commercial facil- said. “In the Arq application, these high-speed data and power without ity located in Corbin, Kentucky. The advantages minimize entrainment the technical and time constraints of Arq process converts fine coal waste of ultra-fine mineral matter into the running a fiber network to the face into Arq Fuel, a high-value, micro- froth product.” of the mine,” said Chris Adkins, sales fine hydrocarbon with an average Arq Head of Brand and Commu- and business development, Matrix particle size of less than 5 microns nications Tom Tudor said, “Arq is Design Group. “Of course, the main- and less than 1% mineral matter that able to transform an environmental tenance requirements of fiber are can be blended into oil products. liability into a cleaner, more efficient complex, but Maestro has reinvent- Arq Fuel behaves like oil without the source of low cost energy through the ed the high-speed data network, al- costs of the oil industry. innovative application of world-class lowing delivery of real-time data and Eriez’s CavTube columns, which technologies from multiple indus- power combined into one durable co- are especially effective for the re- tries.” axial cable that’s easy to install, main- covery of ultra-fine particles, are Arq recycles and transforms coal tain and repair.” an integral component of Arq’s mi- and coal waste into an entirely new The Plexus PowerNet is a back- cro-separation process. The cavita- source of high-value energy. Through bone network system that can be tion tube sparging system — known a combination of advanced chemistry used in mines with or without a fiber as CavTubes — features a design and a tried-and-tested mechanical optic network. Supporting existing based on hydrodynamic cavitation. process, Arq separates pure hydro- underground infrastructure, Plexus This novel approach results in nu- carbon from mineral matter to create provides network connectivity to new cleation of ultra-fine bubbles on the a microfine powder, Arq Fuel. It can and existing IIoT devices and auto- particle surface, which act to facilitate be blended with oil, and behaves in a mation technologies. It enables the flotation kinetics by improving sub- similar way, without the costs of the digital mine and connected worker sequent attachment of larger bub- oil industry. for: autonomous and teleremote ve- bles for separation. As a result, the hicles; telemetry to drills, loaders and flotation rate of ultra-fine particles is Matrix to Distribute Maestro’s support equipment; support for Short greatly improved. Plexus System in US Interval Control and connectivity to “In addition to the benefit of our Matrix Design Group is introducing tablet and smart devices; IoT sensors, cavitation tube sparging technology, Maestro Digital Mine’s Plexus Pow- such as environmental and seismic-

36 www.coalage.com October 2020 suppliers news continued

expanding our reach into the U.S. the growing demand for Double market with a team that understands Coin’s comprehensive range of tire, the value of our digital network solu- including Off-The-Road (OTR) tires. tion and how it aligns with the mines “We are thrilled to open the Hous- in the area,” Maestro Cofounder and ton warehouse in such a key loca- CEO Michael Gribbons said. “Bring- tion,” said Tim Phillips, vice presi- ing digital solutions, such as the Plex- dent of marketing and operations for us PowerNet, online enables worker CMA. “Double Coin constantly strives safety, increased production and re- to provide our customers excep- duced costs; all of which are vital to tional service, and through this new Maestro and Matrix.” warehouse, we will have enhanced logistics capabilities that will greatly Double Coin Opens Largest benefit our company and our valued Plexus Powernet delivers high-speed Warehouse in Houston customers. The warehouse is also connectivity to the face at MacLean’s test mine in Sudbury, Canada. (Photo: MacLean Double Coin and CMA, a leading tire just minutes away from the Houston Engineering) manufacturer and marketer, recently docks, which will make shipping easi- expanded its warehouse network with er and quicker.” ity; Voice over IP (VoIP); augmented the addition of their new warehouse Double Coin’s new Houston ware- reality; asset tracking; PoE+ based and distribution center in Houston, house is one of seven in North and IP cameras and PoE+ LED lights for Texas. The new state-of-the-art facil- Central America, Canada and Mex- paste fill; and PLC connectivity. Plex- ity, Double Coin’s largest warehouse ico. In addition to the four located us is an enabling technology for the in North America, began operations in the U.S., other warehouse centers digital mine. in mid-September. It includes office are located in Airdrie, Alberta, Cana- “The collaboration with Matrix space, 29 dock doors and two drive- da, Querètaro, Mexico, and San Josè, Design Group is an essential part of up ramps. The warehouse will serve Costa Rica.

October 2020 www.coalage.com 37 product news Oz Mine Gets Five 265-ton Liebherr Trucks

The bucket is equipped with industry-standard teeth. Tooth size can be increased. The cutter bit is made from extreme-duty T-1 material and all critical or high-wear components use AR400 through AR500 steel. By starting with robust, depend- able materials, the bucket is designed for heavy-duty action and able to endure excessive wear and tear, the company reported. Standard sizes are available from 3/8 yd3 to 10 yd3 in various widths with custom designs offered. www.werk-brau.com

Contract miner MacKellar Mining “The innovative advanced Traction commissioned five 265-ton Liebherr Control System improves steering and T264 haul trucks at Anglo American’s truck stability, and extends tire life even Dawson mine in Queensland, Austra- in the most challenging conditions.” lia, earlier this year. It can be paired with R 9400 (six The trucks have a power rating passes), R 996B (four passes) or R of up to 2,700 hp. They feature a new 9800 (three passes) hydraulic excava- front-wheel design and an upgraded tors. braking system for improved down- MacKellar’s partnership with Lieb- hill performance, Liebherr reported. herr dates back to Q2 2016, when the Easy-to-use Electronic Detonators Upgraded wheel motors and the rear- miner adopted a 740-ton R 996B exca- Dyno Nobel released the EZshot EZ- gear ratio boosts torque and accelera- vator. The adoption of four more, a 380- Det series for surface blasting. tion to increase payload by 10% over ton R 9400 excavator, and a 77-ton PR Units consist of a green shock tube predecessor competition. 776 dozer, followed. with a surface detonator attached to The T264 comes equipped with a The trucks are the first adopted by one end and a high-strength in-hole Tier 4 Cummins QSK 60 engine. Op- MacKellar. The miner reportedly or- electronic detonator on the other. tional is a Tier 2 MTU 16V4000. It has dered other Liebherr machines in 2020. The surface detonator is inside a col- the Liebherr Litronic Plus AC drive Located in central Queensland, or-coded plastic EZ Connector block system with IGBT technology, and of- Dawson mine is an open-cut met for easy connections to shock tube fers a maximum speed of 35 mph. coal mine, and a joint venture be- leads, and can hold up to six shock The company described the truck tween Anglo American and Mitsui tube leads. Easy-to-read, color-coded as offering easy access to wear com- Holdings. delay tags display the delay number ponents. It has a ground-level central www.liebherr.com and firing time prominently. service station and ground-accessible hydraulic filters and manifolds. Com- Extreme-duty Buckets Endure ponents can be acquired through the Excessive Wear Liebherr Exchange Program. Werk Brau introduced extreme-duty Top benefits include optimal effi- excavator buckets with an aggressive ciency, reliability and safety. dig angle, rugged construction and The cab offers maximum visibility horizontal wear strips. Tapered side and is rollover and falling-object pro- plates are engineered to reduce wear tection certified, Liebherr reported. and allow for easier dumping.

38 www.coalage.com October 2020 product news continued

Units can be easily connected to The inclinometer was a finalist in one another to satisfy basic blast design the Queensland Mining Awards. requirements, the company said. They Vayeron reported the develop- can be used in combination with NON- ment of the inclinometer was driven EL MS, NONEL EZTL and NONEL TD by customer desire to improve con- detonators for complex blast-design ventional systems and address an in- requirements, and to minimize inven- dustry requirement to lower costs. tory of initiation system components. “The product development was www.dynonobel.com done in collaboration with mining companies and was immediately ad- Wireless Inclinometer opted the moment it was available for for Longwalls purchase,” Vayeron CEO Ryan Norris, Vayeron unveiled a wireless inclinom- CEO said. “This is not surprising as the eter for underground longwall mines. sensors represent a 75% cost reduction It is a next-generation low-CAPEX al- The unit spent 14 months in de- on old technologies. We make these ternative to conventional inclinome- velopment and will be manufactured devices right here in Mackay and are ters needed for guidance and control in house. It offers a 75% cost reduc- proud to add to Mackay’s mining ca- information used by longwall control tion over predecessor competition, pability and status on the global stage.” systems, the company reported. Vayeron reported. vayeron.com

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October 2020 www.coalage.com 39 legally speaking COVID-19 Vaccines and the Workplace by avi meyerstein

Like everyone, the invested $10 billion in research and de- But in 2009 guidance, it said under the mining industry is velopment, effectively preordering at Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) eager for a corona- least 100 million doses of each of sev- and Title VII, some employees — such virus (COVID-19) eral different drugs from different com- as those with religious or medical vaccine. While panies. It is also working to boost man- concerns — may be exempt from mine health pro- ufacturing capacity for the ultimate mandatory vaccination programs, tocols have suc- vaccine, as well as for syringes, glass even in the midst of a pandemic. cessfully prevented the uncontrolled vials, PPE and other critical supplies. However, these exemptions spread of the virus at work, mining is Distribution is the final hurdle, have limits that may be tested by not immune to the pandemic’s dis- and it won’t be quick or easy. First, COVID-19. For example, under the ruptions to work, family, school and it’s complicated. The federal govern- ADA, even employees with medi- the broader economy. With so much ment’s Operation Warp Speed is co- cal conditions may not be exempt if confusion about the vaccination pro- ordinating a plan for centralized dis- coming to work unvaccinated would cess, timeline and workplace impact, tribution. But it involves partnering present a “direct threat” (i.e., signif- it’s worth reviewing the latest. with some 64 state, local, tribal and icant risk of substantial harm even Governments, researchers and territorial jurisdictions, each of which with reasonable accommodation), a pharmaceutical firms have been may have its own “microplan.” standard COVID-19 may meet. working in a hurry and trying many Second, we should expect friction. Similarly, under Title VII, an em- different approaches. As this edition Thought cloth face masks were con- ployer must seek an accommodation was going to press, there were already tentious? Imagine how challenging it for an employee who objects to vac- 43 vaccines undergoing human clini- will be to reach consensus on wide- cination because of a sincerely held cal trials. More than a dozen vaccines spread injections. religious belief. However, there are are already in Phase 3 or have limited Third, even if a vaccine is quick- limits. If the cost to the employer of use approval. ly approved, at first there will likely providing an accommodation is more Experts are cautiously optimistic be just 15 million to 20 million doses than “de minimis” (i.e., imposes more that at least one vaccine could be ap- in early 2021. The Centers for Dis- than a minimal cost), the employer proved as safe and effective by the end ease Control and Prevention (CDC) can enforce the vaccination mandate. of the year or the beginning of next and drug makers estimate it could The costs to the employer can include year. But there can be hiccups. One take until at least Labor Day 2021 to increased safety or legal liability risks. trial was paused recently when a pa- achieve mass vaccination. Of course, the breadth of tient had potential serious side effects. Given limited quantities, distri- COVID-19 vaccination and severity Once trials are complete, the U.S. Food bution probably will occur in phases, of the pandemic will surely put these and Drug Administration (FDA) will giving priority based on people’s rules to the test and raise many more need time to review and approve the jobs (such as healthcare workers) or questions. How will unions and col- vaccines, even on an emergency basis. health conditions (such as those with lective bargaining agreements factor high risk of severe infection). in? Can an older employee claim age How Long Will It Take Mining may have a leg up since discrimination? Can companies be to Distribute the Vaccine? it has been considered critical infra- liable for not requiring vaccination? The short answer: Probably, at least structure. But how early in the process What happens with workers’ comp if several months, if not most of 2021. miners can access a vaccine may vary people have side effects? Having a working vaccine is only half by state and may depend on whether Stakeholders are going to want to the battle. Experts say we’ll need at their jobs involve high-risk exposures. know how the company will handle least 70% of the U.S. population to be these complex issues. As the vaccine immunized in order to interrupt the Once Available, Can Employees approaches, employers should give chain of transmission. That will take Be Required To Get It? them thought and seek counsel. some time. We still don’t know for sure. The Equal The U.S. government intends to Employment Opportunity Commis- Avi Meyerstein is a partner with Husch make vaccines available widely in the sion (EEOC) has not yet answered this Blackwell LLP. He can be reached at United States at little or no cost. It has question specifically for COVID-19. [email protected].

40 www.coalage.com October 2020

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