Met coal producer Bens Creek spotlighted a significant growth decision on its most recent operational update as it continues an upward trend of production in West Virginia: a second highwall miner for its complex.
The company confirmed it is expecting the imminent receipt of a permit from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection for the machine, which will be supplied and operated by its contract miner Mega Highwall Mining.
“Once mobilized and operational, both highwall miners will be able to operate simultaneously. This will allow production to increase steadily, reaching up to 80,000 clean tons per month, which is expected to occur between September and December 2022,” the company noted in the update report.
The target falls right in line with its growth plan; Bens Creek is currently anticipating monthly production from August 2022 onwards to be approximately 40,000 tons utilizing a single highwaller with crews working a double shift along with underground mining.
Bens Creek recently kicked off underground mining at the complex, thus it is also hoping the changes will enhance its production after the considerable capital cost of the newest extraction method.
It appears, though, that the company is not stopping there.
“The company is currently analyzing the feasibility of deploying its own highwall miner onto the newly to-be-permitted site to allow all three highwall miners to operate simultaneously, once the necessary repairs have been completed,” the miner also confirmed.
Source: Bens Creek