QUALITY PARAMETERS.

Quality parameters of the salable product can be substantially

impacted by the mining method selected. More importantly, the very marketability of a given
reserve block may be a function of the mining method. In general, a high degree of variability in
quality characteristics favors the smaller unit production systems (continuous miner, drill and
blast) that provide flexible mining to produce a consistent product. One alternative to this is
blending with other coals to produce a consistent product. The only other is to mine the reserve
as efficiently as possible, and trust the sales group to find an acceptable market at an acceptable
price.
The basic quality parameters that must be addressed in the review of any coal reserve are sulfur,
moisture, fixed carbon, volatile matter, calorific value, and ash. Increasingly, markets are
becoming more and more specialized, and additional quality parameters that are associated with
the targeted market must be closely analyzed to assure reserve viability. Some other quality
indicators are sodium ash fusion and rare earths.
In addition to the inherent qualities of the coal, some of these parameters will be changed by
processing. Notable among these are sulfur, ash, moisture, calorific value, and size consist.
A very realistic view should be taken of the in-seam and out-of-seam extraneous material that
will be taken or, more accurately, given with a particular mining method. In general, longwalls
will produce higher reject levels than room and pillar with drill and blast or continuous miner
methods, due to their lesser ability to deal with seam variations.
This may not be true in seams with competent immediate roof and floor consistent seam sections
and limited and gentle grade changes, but such conditions are not always found.
In any event, considerations of reject material generated by the mining method chosen cannot be
reviewed too carefully.
Higher-than-anticipated reject levels increase mining costs, increase coal preparation and
attendant refuse disposal costs, and may imperil the actual sales contract itself. It has meant the
demise of many a mine. In current conditions, non-longwall reserves that have associated reject
levels higher than 30 to 40% are generally considered to be marginal to impossible, depending
upon mine productivity, preparation costs, haulage costs, and contractual sales obligations.
STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS. The structural characteristics of a coal seam can have a
substantial impact on the mining method selected and the success of that method. It should be
noted that a thorough exploration program of a property is the best initial investment that can be

made, and one that will prevent many unwelcome surprises and/or expensive mistakes in the
course of mining.
The structural characteristics to be discussed are those of regional and local dip, strike, cleats,
and faults.
Regional dip and strike will control drainage, and may limit the options in mining methods,
equipment, and haulage equipment. Severity of the grade can also affect weight transfer from
gob areas. Localized changes in dip and strike (rolls) must be 1considered because of their
adverse impact on track and belt installations, drainage, and the requirement to take additional
rock from floor and/or roof in these areas. Additionally, these rolls will impede productivity.
Finally, localized rolls will require higher equipment clearances than normal.
Current longwall equipment is limited to grades of 20% without special modification. Rubbertired equipment can handle grades up to 15% in dry conditions, but equipment power must be
adequate, and wet muddy conditions reduce that maximum rapidly. Rail equipment is limited to
grades of 5% without special traction devices and/or hoist assist. Crawler-mounted equipment is
limited to approximately 25%.
In general, grades below 10% can be mined without specialized equipment. Grades of 10 to 15%
necessitate equipment review and a careful review of potential productivity. Grades of 15% or
greater require specialized equipment and mine designs. Cleats in the seam must be reviewed for
stability and cutting/ blasting directional preferences. The more prominent cleat, the face cleat,
and the less prominent, the butt cleat, typically are positioned at 90 to one another. In general, a
mining orientation of 45 to each is preferred, and is increasingly critical in thicker seams to
avoid heavy rib sloughage.
Faulting is a critical problem in any block of reserves, and particularly those with displacements
that exceed seam thickness. Again, if the presence of faulting is likely, the exploration program
cannot be too thorough. In conjunction with drilling, new techniques such as radio imaging and
cross-hole seismic surveys are useful in detecting faults (Chapter 10.3). In general, the presence
of substantial faulting favors the use of room and pillar mining over longwall mining due to its
increased flexibility and economic advantage in mining smaller blocks. In any event, the
presence of faulting adversely impacts the economics of any property.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Physical properties that affect the selection of mining methods are
hardness, strength, cleat spacing, and chemical characteristics.

Hardness is usually measured by the standard ASTM Hargrove Grindability Index; it is one
measure that predicts the difficulty and cost of cutting the coal, in conjunction with cleat
orientation and spacing. It is a particularly important factor if longwall plows are considered, as
they function best in soft cutting conditions. Coal strength is the determining factor in the design
of effective pillars and barriers. In addition, some coal seams have separate layers of coal with
unequal strength characteristics, which must be considered for design calculations. Cleat
spacings have a major impact on cuttability and actual strength determinations used for pillar
design. In general, closer cleat spacing favors cuttability and decreases strength. Finally, a review
of chemical characteristics of the coal should be made to assess the likelihood of spontaneous
combustion. Specialized mine planning, ventilation, and material handling schemes are required
to deal effectively with this problem.
GEOLOGIC ANOMALIES. Included in this category are linear deposition, seam washouts,
partings, and intrusions. Linear deposition occurs when the coal is laid down in a channel, and
this can be very misleading without a thorough exploration program. Similarly, washouts of the
seam by roof or floor can be very localized, sporadic, and difficult to predict without a good
knowledge of the general geologic trends of the seam and its depositional environment. The
presence of substantial seam thinning or washout is critical in longwalls and can force
abandonment of panels. Radio-imaging and in-seam seismic techniques have proven most
beneficial in detecting geologic as well as structural anomalies. Seam partings increase run-ofmine reject and can pose cutting or blasting difficulties when composed of