Page 1 From the Department of Mining Engineering College of Engineering and Mineral Resources West Virginia University For the latest, visit our website at June 2005 Get a MinE sticker; put it on your hardhat. Volume 5, Issue 1 http://www.mine.cemr.wvu.edu James Roberts, Poundstone Lecture, Spring 2005 Coal Goes Public n April 21st, James F. Rob- of CoalARBED Inter- ter for Energy and Economic O erts, President and CEO of national Trading Development, and a member of Foundation Coal Holdings, Inc., from 1981 to 1999, the executive committee of the headquartered in Linthicum chief financial officer National Coal Council. Heights, Maryland, presented of Leckie Smokeless During Jim Roberts’ tenure the Spring Poundstone Lecture Coal Company from at Foundation Coal and its entitled, “Coal Goes Public”. 1977 to 1981 and predecessor RAG American, the Mr. Roberts is a native of Penn- vice president of company’s management team sylvania and graduated from Finance at Solar has been very proactive and Penn State with a degree in Fuel Company from forward-looking. In particular, Business Administration. In his 1974 to 1977. the Mining Engineering Depart- career, he has held various Also, Mr. Rob- ment (MinE) at West Virginia positions with increasingly more erts has been an University (WVU) has received responsibility at several coal active leader in the continuous and consistent re- companies. national mining in- search support through his From 1999-2004, Mr. Rob- dustry. He is the company’s sponsorship of nu- erts was President and CEO of vice chairman of the merous cooperative research RAG American Coal Holdings, National Mining projects which have led to many Inc. (the predecessor to Foun- James Roberts, President and CEO of Association (NMA), a mining innovations and have dation Coal). Prior to joining Foundation Coal, Inc. director of the Cen- (See Roberts, Page 2) RAG, Mr. Roberts was president Department Strategic Plan for the Next MAJOR STORIES 10 Years Finalized he Department strategetic in the Spring 2005 Visiting eral major coal companies and • J. Roberts Presented Poundstone plan was one of the major Committee Meeting on April 22. projected the demand for mining Lecture T topics reviewed and finalized The Committee surveyed sev- (See Visiting Committee, Page 6) • Visiting Committee Finalized Department Strategic Plan • W. Poundstone elected to WV Coal Hall of Fame • Watts Museum Dedication • Alumni Feature Articles & News • Several Notable Awards • SMESC Activities and Field Trips Attending the Meeting were (left to right): John Murphy (Chair), University of Pittsburgh, Jeff Wilson, • SME Activities and Longwall USA James River Coal, Marshall Miller, Marshall Miller and Associates, Barry Dangerfield, PinnOak Re- sources, Syd Peng, WVU, Ben Statler, PinnOak Resources, Stan Suboleski, Federal Health & Safety • MinE Recruiting Program Review Commission, Jim Laurita, MepCo Inc., Jeff Kelley, Alcon, and Scott Pack, Foundation Coal. Volume 5, Issue 1, Spring 2005 Black Diamond Page 2 William N. Poundstone Inducted to the 8th WV Coal Hall of Fame illiam N. Poundstone coal companies have become the W (BSEM ‘49) was inducted darlings of Wall Street investors. to the 8th West Virginia Coal Hall In regard to his personal of Fame at the Joint meeting of experience with the Initial Public WV Coal Mining Institute, SME Offering (IPO) of Foundation Coal, Central Appalachian Section, and Jim expounded upon the rigorous WV Coal Association on May 6, SEC requirements and the whirl- 2005 in Charleston, WV. wind roadshow to market the Mr. Poundstone received his company through 4 countries, 18 BS degree in Engineering of cities and 50 meetings in 10 Mines from West Virginia Univer- days. Also, he explained that the sity in 1949. He completed the management and paperwork Management Program for Execu- William Poundstone received WV Coal Hall of Fame plaque from demands continue after the IPO tives at the University of John “Jack” Katlic. (From left to right): John “Jack” Katlic, William with public reporting, disclosure (See Poundstone, Page 4) Poundstone, Muff Bobo and Kathy Poundstone. and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. At some point in the process, Mr. ing public in recent (Roberts from Page 1) Roberts finally noticed that: “he is years. In his presenta- helped create a successful no longer in the business of sell- tion, Jim showed how graduate program in the De- ing coal, but rather he is in the the stage was set for partment. In 1987, with support business of selling stock”. The public ownership with from Foundation Coal, MinE presentation was extremely infor- investment of coal own- worked with Cumberland Mine mative for the numerous stu- ership by oil, gas and on longwall shield design and dents, faculty and friends at the steel companies in the selection. MinE was the first to lecture including, WVU president, late 80s and then con- identify the superiority of 2-leg David Hardesty, Jr., CEMR Dean solidation of the large shields. Today, 2-leg shields are Gene Cilento, WV Coal Associa- “pure-play” coal compa- the standard in the interna- tion president, Bill Raney, former nies in the 90s. Most tional longwall mining industry. president of WVCMI, Gregory Pat- recently, with strength- For this effort WVU was recog- terson, and it was very well re- ening energy prices, ceived. The auditorium was filled nized by the Institute of Mining James Roberts Accepting Poundstone and strong growth and with record number of audience. and Metallurgy for the Overseas Lecture Series Crystal Plaque from MinE demand expectations, Award in 1992. Also, beginning Department Chair, Dr. Syd Peng. in 1985, the WVU MinE worked with Cumberland and Emerald Mines to analyze and predict surface subsidence due to long- wall mining. Since that time, the subsidence group at WVU has been the premier research and engineering location in the field of subsidence, and presently has the only active subsidence research group in the nation. The subsidence prediction model and mitigation tech- niques developed as a result of this cooperation have become industry standards and are routinely used by both regula- tors and coal companies. Mr. Roberts’s lecture sub- Management team of Foundation Coal, Inc. attending the Lecture (from Left to right, front): Scott Pack, ject, about taking a coal com- James Roberts, Heather Daugherty, Jinsheng Chen, Klaus Dieter Beck, Doug Conklin, Ed Zeglen, Mike pany public, is very timely with Mishra, Denny Hinkle, Bill Schloemer. (Back): Michael Peelish, Jim Bryja, John Dzurino, Rod Lawrence, many U.S. coal companies go- Robbie Robinson, Mark Schuerger, Kurt Kost, George Allekotte, Dale Birchfield, Mike Ross, Jeff Kukura. Volume 5, Issue 1, Spring 2005 Black Diamond Page 3 by Melissa Soave, As- Royce and Caroline Watts Museum Dedication sistant Director, Devel- opment, CEMR, WVU. est Virginia University’s W (WVU) COMER Museum, mining and petroleum industries. housed in the College of Engi- The current collection continues neering and Mineral Resources to grow. (CEMR) has been renamed for Recently endowed by gifts two individuals who have tire- from the West Virginia Coal Mining lessly supported its mission. Institute (WVCMI), the Watts fam- The Royce J. Watts and Caroline ily, and alumni and friends of WVU Watts Museum was dedicated Mineral Resources, the new name on April 21, 2005. Mr. Watts is came at the request of the WVCMI the Associate Dean of Admini- to recognize the Watts’ unwaver- stration for CEMR, and he, ing support. At the dedication along with his wife Caroline, has ceremony, 100 former colleagues, given both financial support friends, and family members at- and other resources on behalf (From left to right): Royce Watts, David Hardesty, Jr., J. R. Watts, tended a dedication ceremony of the museum for more than Bill Raney, Dean Gene Cilento, Caroline Watts (front) Gregory held at Mineral Resources Build- two decades. Patterson, and Bill Wolf at Royce and Caroline Watts Museum ing, Evansdale Campus. WVU Since 1930, the museum Dedication. President David C. Hardesty Jr.; has served to preserve and Dean Eugene Cilento; Immediate of tangible objects relevant to Mines in 1930. Through the promote the social, cultural and Past President of the WVCMI Greg- the industries. Although the years a few items have been technological history of the ory E. Patterson; and William B. construction of the museum purchased, but the vast ma- coal, oil and gas industries of Raney, president of the West Vir- was approved in 1986, artifacts jorities were donated by the State of West Virginia ginia Coal Association all gave were being collected prior to the alumni, mining and petroleum through the collection, preser- remarks. vation, research, and exhibition establishments of the School of companies and friends of the and faculty in min- at each of those schools from ing engineering Syd Peng Received The Old Timers Club which the coal industry draws its schools across the engineers. To date, the Old Tim- country. It was Faculty Award ers Club has presented an award founded in 1938 to 590 outstanding mining engi- r. Syd S. Peng received the 2004- when a few industry neering students in 20 universi- 2005 Old Timers Club Faculty Award leaders met to im- D ties, including 50 at WVU. In at the King Coal Club/the Old Timer Club prove the tech- 1995, the club also began pre- niques of mining Joint Annual Meeting, the Greenbrier, WV senting an annual faculty award, coal. In 1948, it on June 17, 2005. This award has been to recognize an outstanding fac- began its tradition established to annually recognize an out- ulty member who has been an of awarding an old standing faculty member who has been inspiration to students and has timer watch to the an inspiration to students and has de- devoted his career to the develop- outstanding senior voted his career to the development of ment of mining engineers.