Business
The Company’s design capacity equal to 3.0 million tons per year is expected to be reached in two stages. Stage 1 includes final extraction of reserves in the third panel and development and extraction of reserves in the upper blocks of the fifth panel located beneath the mountains (-500 metres) with estimated production capacity equal to 1.25-1.4 million tons per year (2019-2021).
The increase in the capacity at this stage will be achieved due to the launch of the new 7LS-20 shearer from JOY (USA) in longwall face No 25, as well as the replacement of the KGS-245N shearer(Poland) complete with the 09-DT roof support with the KGS-245N shearer complete with the 2KD-90T roof support in mining blocks No 3017, 3019, 3021, and 3023.
At stage 2 (2022-2031) the design capacity of 3.0 million tons per year will be reached by putting into operation the second KGS-245N shearer in longwall face No 401 located beneath the mountains (-500 metres) in the eastern slope panel No 4.
Currently, the k2 seam is being mined using the longwall mining system with two faces equipped with powered 09-DT roof supports and KGS245N shearers. Mine workings are developed in 6 development faces by means of drilling and blasting. The adequate air is supplied to the mine by two exhaust fans installed at the mouths of vertical shafts No 3 and No 5.
Fresh air is supplied to the mine through four vertical shafts: the main shaft, the auxiliary shaft and ventilation shafts No 4 and 6. Outgoing air flow is exhausted via the main exhaust fans: VtsD-31.5 (one operational and one standby) located at ventilation shaft No 3 and VOKD-2.4 (one operational and one standby) located at ventilation shaft No 5. The mine is equipped with an integrated exhaust system of ventilation. The ventilation is central and boundary. The mining blocks above the mountains (-500 metres) are ventilated using a direct flow ventilation scheme.
The project documentation has been approved by FAU GLAVGOSEXPERTIZA. It includes the following technical solutions:
- For the k2 seam mining the design capacity equal to 3 million tons per year will be achieved by simultaneous mining in two mining blocks (using the longwall mining system) and 7 development faces;
- the development of the coal seam is carried out in single-sided and double-sided mining panels;
- the longwall mining is carried out in a descending order;
- to increase the capacity of the working face and reach the mark of three million tons per year, the UKD 200/250 shear will be replaced by the KGS-245N shear whilst mining the k2 coal seam beneath the mountains (-500 metres) whereupon mining will be carried out in the eastern slope panel No 4 using the KGS-245N shear.
- workings are developed by drilling and blasting with the advance rate equal to 70-80 metres per month for permanent workings and 100-120 metres per month for development workings, as well as by using entry drivers with the advance rate equal to 120 metres per month for permanent workings and up to 165 metres per month for development workings;
- reactivation, restoration, and reinforcement of mothballed faces and shafts;
- ventilation has been implemented for three mining periods:
- period 1 (2019) – mining is moved beneath the mountains (-500 metres) (faces No 3019 and 501);
- period II (2024-2025) – ventilation is done with the new AVM-32 exhaust ventilation unit located in ventilation shaft No 4 (faces No 401 и 504);
- period III (2030) – mining operations will reach full production (faces No 408 и 515).
- ventilation of blind ends using the VME-6, VME-8 and VME-2-10 auxiliary ventilation fans;
- mined rock is delivered to the production site through the main shaft using skips, it is transported via conveyors from mine workings located at the depth of -500 metres, whilst transportation from the depth of – 191 metres is carried out via surface haulage.
During mine development at the depth of -500 m the mined rock will be transported to the main shaft only via the conveyor system;
- Personnel, materials and equipment are currently carried to and from the mine via surface transport. A diesel locomotive house is being built so that when development activities and longwall mining will move to the depth -500 metres beneath the mountains the transport of materials, equipment and people will be carried out using the DLZ-110F suspended diesel locomotives;
- mine drainage scheme where the main and local pump stations are equipped with the CNS 300-600, CNS 300-180 pumps, etc.;
- mine water is brought to the surface via auxiliary shaft No 2 into the treatment plants.