Fully automated longwall operations have been dreamt about since the 1950s. Are they finally within grasp? by Jonathan Rowland Longwall mining has always been associated with significant safety risks for personnel. Reducing this risk through mechanization, automation, and remote-controlled operation has – alongside improving productivity and operational efficiency – been a “central driver of longwall innovation for more than five…
Read MoreCore Natural Resources continues ongoing efforts to resume longwall operations at its Leer South mine in Barbour County, W.Va., following a combustion-related event at the mine in mid-January. Personnel and regulatory officials re-entered the sealed area of the mine on June 10, and thereafter re-established ventilation to the full mine, restored hydraulic pressure along the longwall face, and conducted an…
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OEM Caterpillar confirmed to North American Mining in late February that it has made a preliminary deal to exit longwall mining and divest its longwall equipment arm to Hauhinco. The deal is subject to the negotiation of a final agreement, and no financial details are available. The transaction, a spokesperson told NAM, is expected to be completed during the third…
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