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The Complete Inert Mine Seal Solution - Strata Mine Services and
On Site Gas Systems
Strata Mine Services LLC and On Site Gas Systems Inc. have
announced a strategic partnership to expand their mine seal
construction and behind-seal inerting capabilities to provide a
comprehensive solution for US coal mines.
"Every mine eventually needs ventilation seals built, as well as
assistance with nitrogen inerting. Bringing these companies
together, and offering nitrogen generators as part of seal
installation, provides mine operators with a convenient and
cost-effective solution," says Jeff Hamrick, vice president and
general manager of Strata Mine Services.
Strata Mine Services currently offers two mine seal products
that are MSHA approved under Final Rule 30 CFR Part 75, and
additional designs are currently pending approval. Available now
and approved for both the 120psi and 50psi segments of the
regulations: the Stratacrete Plug Seal and the PMR Reinforced
Seal.
The Stratacrete Plug Seal is designed with two formwalls
constructed across the entry and remotely filled with a concrete
mix called Stratacrete. As the width, or coverage of the seal,
increases, so does its strength. The PMR Reinforced Seal is
constructed by anchoring rebar into the mine's roof and floor,
then wiring it with 3D welded wire mesh. This forms a strong rib
system which can then be fully coated with high-strength gunite
or shotcrete. The gunite is sprayed to overlap all edges and
create an airtight seal.
Through the new partnership with On Site Gas, Strata Mine
Services now also offers the additional service of inerting seal
atmospheres during construction and until the seal reaches full
strength.
On Site Gas nitrogen generators provide a safe and economical
solution to inerting the atmosphere within sealed mine areas;
either from a nearby underground location or from above ground.
Generating nitrogen on location offers significant savings over
the cost of liquid delivered through a borehole, both in terms
of convenience and the mine's financial bottom line. The
nitrogen can be made on-site for the duration of a project,
eliminating the need for local gas supplier deliveries.
On Site Gas CEO Guy Hatch says that mines will certainly benefit
from this joint effort. "Each company has a great reputation
within the industry for the products and services they provide,"
he said. "By working together, we can offer a complete and easy
solution to the mines."
Strata Mine Services is a division of Strata Products Worldwide
LLC. For more information, please visit
www.stratamineservices.com
or
call 740/695-6880.
For additional information or to review the complete product
line,
please visit
www.onsitegas.com or call 860/667-8888.
MSTC TO GIVE AWARDS TO INDIVIDUALS IN THE COAL INDUSTRY
The Mine Safety Technology Consortium (MSTC) in Montgomery, WV,
is now accepting nominations from the public for awards to be
presented at the second annual Miners' Celebration.
The theme for this year's Miners' Celebration conference is
"Because of You…"
"It is our goal to recognize individuals employed in the coal
mining industry for all the ways they impact their communities
and the industry they serve. There are a great number of miners
out there who have made a difference in their communities and
the industry, and we want to publicly recognize them for their
efforts." Remarked Dennis Jarvis, II, MSTC director.
MSTC invites you to nominate a miner to be recognized at the
2010 Miners' Celebration. The award winner could be your
father, a former boss, or the man who saved your life in the
mines -- but it won't happen unless someone nominates them.
Nominations can be submitted via fax (304/981-6065) mail (Mine
Safety Technology Consortium, 326 Third Av, Ste 304, Montgomery,
WV 25136), e-mail
(dennis@wvmstc.org), or submitted online at:
www.NominateAMiner.com Jarvis emphasized, "We are
making it easy to nominate someone."
For a nomination to be considered, it must be submitted no later
than May 3, 2010. Nominations must consist of a short essay,
detailing why the nominee is worthy of a nomination.
Nominations will be considered by an award panel on any of the
following criteria: Heroism, Innovation, Community Involvement.
MSTC was established by Congressman Nick J. Rahall II. The
primary mission of MSTC is to aid in the expansion of research,
development and manufacturing opportunities and to ensure that
West Virginia leads the nation in mine safety, health technology
and equipment. To achieve these goals, MSTC is committed to
supporting new and existing businesses whose focus is to develop
technology as well as knowledge-based products and systems
dedicated to improving mine safety throughout the industry. The
second annual Miners' Celebration advances the mission of MSTC
by acknowledging the contributions of miners and by providing a
platform to review new technology and resources for the mining
industry.
The 2010 Miners' Celebration will provide three tracks of
presentations and speakers with a theme of continued development
and progress in the WV mining industry. The three tracks this
year are: Coal Technology Development, Coal Heritage Development
and Coalfields Community Development.
Speakers for the 2010 Miners' Celebration include: Congressman
Nick J. Rahall, II (invited); State Senator Mike Green; Mike
Castle, former Director of the WVDEP, Christi Bailey, Director
of the National Coal Heritage Area, Jeff Woods, Director of the
Coalfield Community Development Office; the West Virginia
Division of Energy, VISE, Dr. Tony Szwilski, from Marshall
University; Tammy Horn, Eastern Kentucky University; CEDAR; and
companies and historians serving various aspects of the mining
industry.
Sponsors for the 2010 Miners' Celebration include: Liberty
Hydrologic Systems, Brickstreet Insurance, and
www.MiningConnection.com Additional sponsorships and
exhibitor space available. (For more information contact MSTC at
304/734-6620.
Special room rates are available at The Resort at Glade Springs
for everyone attending the conference. The Inn: $150 +tax per
night and a 10 percent resort service fee. Executive Suites:
$105 +tax per night and a 10 percent resort service fee.
Reservations may be made by calling 877/783-3308 by May 2nd. For
additional details please contact MSTC or visit
www.NominateAMiner.com for resort info, and for room
descriptions visit
www.GladeSprings.com
The "Because of You…" theme was created by Presidio Studios, an
ad agency based in Lewisburg, WV. "The project has our team
pretty excited. It's nice to have a project with such merit on
our plates," commented Timothy Luce, president of Presidio
Studios. Presidio shot the flagship image of the miners helmet
using their EDRi™ photography process, which results in a
greater visual depth to the image -- with an emotional
connection. Luce further remarked "Normal photography just
wouldn't cut it for the visceral connection we needed."
2010 Miners' Celebration Advisory Committee includes: Dennis
Jarvis, Bridgemont Community & Technical College; Teresa
Buckland; Dr. Tony Szwilski, Marshall University Center for
Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences (CEGAS);
Christy Bailey, National Coal Heritage Area; Tara Elder, Women's
Business & Training Center; and Lisa Lilly, WorkForce West
Virginia,
Carroll Technologies Group Expands Again
Now Servicing the Industry with 11 Operations Centers
Carroll Technologies Group, America's largest independent
electronic services organization to the coal industry, today
announces the opening of its new operations center for sales and
service in Knoxville, Kentucky. According to Mike Hastings,
President of Carroll Technologies, "This new office reflects our
ongoing commitment to staying close to our customers. Over the
past three years our business has grown substantially -- both in
terms of sales as well as geographic coverage. To properly
support our over 800 customers, we need to be close to them to
respond promptly to their product needs, their calls for
service, and to have spare parts in close proximity.
The new Knoxville branch will be managed by Jimmy Coldiron, a 13-year
veteran of the coal mining industry. Carroll Technologies' new
operations center is located at:
6822 Barger Pond Way, Knoxville, TN 37912
Telephone: 865/859-9839, Fax: 865/859-9841
E-mail:
jc@carrollengineeringco.com
Like the company's other operations centers, the new Knoxville
center will include sales, service, repair operations as well as
an extensive spare parts depot. Also, it will provide around the
clock responsiveness to customer calls for help through
Carroll's networked MinerCare 24/7™ service
organization.
Mike Hastings also indicated that the company is in the process
of preparing plans to open several additional operations centers
this year. The company now has 11 offices and maintains an
inventory of over $6 million in parts, components, and
replacement spares. Hastings stated that, "Our customers operate
24 hours a day. Mine stoppages cost money. When they need
service or a spare, they need it right away -- not in days or
weeks. We continue to open operations centers to properly
support our customers. We've got to be where the business is
happening."
Carroll Technologies Group, consisting of Delta Electric, Inc.
and Carroll Engineering Co., has been servicing the mining
industry in North America for over 30 years. From its early
history in the coalfields of West Virginia and Kentucky, Carroll
Technologies Group has expanded to become the largest privately
held and best electronic services group in the USA, providing
over 800 mines with advanced technology communications, employee
and equipment tracking systems, safety monitoring systems, and a
broad range of other safety equipment. Today Carroll
Technologies Group and its two operating subsidiaries -- Carroll
Engineering Co. and Delta Electric Inc.—service the needs of
mining companies with a network of 11 distribution centers and
Miner Care 24/7™ support offices strategically located in 6
states.
For more information visit:
Carroll Technologies Group Corporatesite:
www.carrolltechnologiesgroup.com
Carroll Engineering Co. site:
www.carrollengineeringco.com
Delta Electric Inc.
www.deltaelectricwv.com
BREATHING DEVICES RECALLED
Upward of 4,000 emergency breathing devices are being recalled
from US coal mines after the manufacturer, CSE Corp., discovered
a problem that could have prevented the units from starting
properly. The recall involves CSE's SR-100, the most widely
used self-contained self-rescuer, or SCSR, in the nation's coal
industry. An estimated 70,000 units are in the field.
Officials from the US Mine Safety and Health Administration and
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are
making a joint investigation. Scott Shearer, president of CSE,
said the recall is isolated to one lot of SCSRs that was
manufactured in May 2009. The company believes less than 1
percent of that lot of 5,000 units may be affected, but is
recalling all 4,071 from the lot that had already been sold.
NMA LAUNCHES SAFETYSHARE.ORG WEBSITE
The National Mining Association has launched the SafetyShare.Org
Website, an informational online site that harnesses tools,
resources and practices aimed at mine safety advancements that
all of the nation's 380,000 mineworkers could implement.
The online format allows any interested individual to
immediately access the practices, procedures and presentations
outlined in the resources. The association pointed out that the
US has recorded its two safest years in history, and that 2009
performance numbers surpassed those in 2008. "While these
results are gratifying, mining continues to look to new
initiatives and opportunities to foster continued improvement
and excellence in health and safety performance at US mining
operations," NMA said.
According to NMA statistics, coal production has increased 89
percent since 1970 while fatal injuries have decreased by 81
percent. Over the last 16 years injury rates have fallen by
two-thirds. More than half the nation's mines have operated
each year without a single lost-time work injury. In 2009, that
percentage was 86 percent. Other NMA safety initiatives include
Drive Safe, Arrive Safe, Safety First: Stay Alert; and Stay
Away, Stay Alive.
Massey Energy has signed a definitive agreement to buy
Cumberland Resources of Abingdon, VA,
and its affiliated companies for $960 million. Cumberland is one
of the largest privately held coal producers in the US with 2009
coal revenues of $550 million generated from the production and
sale of 7.8 million tons of high-quality central Appalachian
coal. Massey will acquire Cumberland free of debt.
Cumberland's assets include an estimated 416 million tons of
contiguous coal reserves, a preparation plant in Kentucky served
by the CSX railroad, and a preparation plant in Virginia served
by the Norfolk Southern railroad.
Outlook for thermal and metallurgical coal is good in 2010
with price increases expected to remain above historical
averages for the next five years, ABARE forecasts. Thermal coal
contract prices are expected to increase in 2010 with import
demands from India, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. Chinese imports
are expected to remain steady, while India imports are expected
to double from 2009 to 2015. Between 2011-12 and 2014-15,
Australia's thermal coal exports are forecast to grow at an
average annual rate of 9 percent. Metallurgical coal is
expected to remain strong with world trade forecast to increase
9 percent in 2010 and 6 percent each following year through
2015.
The Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce, Bluefield, WV, has
joined the FACES of Coal
alliance and is urging companies to do the same. The Federation
for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal) is an
alliance of people from all walks of life who are joining forces
to educate lawmakers and the general public about the importance
of coal and coal mining to local and national economies and to
the nation's energy security. Visit the website at
www.facesofcoal.org and acknowledge your
support. Applications to join are available. Fax 304/342-6905.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington
have found a practical way to make synthetic crude from
inexpensive coal that's common in Texas. Although coal-to-oil
has been around for over 100 years, researchers at UTA say
they've invented a better way to do it. Texas lignite coal is
cheap, less than $18 a ton. A ton of this coal could produce up
to 1.5 barrels of oil. UTA researchers expect micro-refineries
to be built within a year, turning coal into cheap oil and
producing new jobs.
The American Le Mans Series has joined forces with American
Forests
to support its "dollar-a-tree" Global ReLeaf program. In
support of American Forests' goal to plant 100 million trees by
2020, the Series pledges to plant more than 5,000 trees in 2010
to restore ecosystems that have been damaged by fire, disease,
other natural disasters and overdevelopment. For every three
trees planted, roughly one ton of carbon will be sequestered,
allowing for over 1,666 tons of CO2 to be taken out of the
atmosphere overall, and every acre of trees planted
(approximately 340-490 trees) by the Series will offset about
the amount of CO2 produced by driving a car 26,000 miles.
Bathurst Resources has acquired BD Acquisition, which owns the
Black Diamond coal mine
and other exploration assets in the Appalachian Basin in
Kentucky. The Australian company has established eight
underground and three open cut mines on the Kentucky tenements,
producing 2.5 million tons per year. A $19 million,
9,000-ton-per-hour coal preparation and a rail load-out facility
at Spurlock was added along with an upgrade to the Ivel plant to
500tph capacity. Holding 56,000 acres of coal reserves for some
115 million tons of recoverable coal reserves, Bathurst expects
to kick off coal mining within three months of the completed
acquisition. The Australian company is aiming to produce 3Mtpa
from the Black Diamond assets, leading to a mine life of more
than 30 years.
An air pollution permit has been approved for a proposed
coal-to-gasoline plant in Mingo County, WV.
The WV Dept. of Environmental Protection issued the permit to
TransGas Development LLC of New York. The Wharncliffe facility
is expected to turn 3 million tons of coal a year into methanol
that would then be converted into as many as 756,000 gallons of
gasoline a day.
Erora Group, Louisville, KY, is asking for a state law that
would require utilities to buy electricity
from facilities like its proposed coal-to-natural gas
manufacturing plant in Western Kentucky. Erora said that it
would be able to complete financing for its Cash Creek Project
if utilities were compelled to buy electricity from producers of
renewable and alternative forms of energy. The Cash Creek
Project is designed to gasify 2.8 million tons per year of
Kentucky coal to produce natural gas. The project promises
1,500 construction jobs, 150 to 300 permanent jobs, and $100
million annually in economic activity from the plant, to be
built in Henderson County.
American Electric Power, Columbus, OH, has been named one of the
top 50 companies
for executive women by the National Association for Female
Executives. The list recognizes organizations whose programs
and policies support women's advancement and who have
significant female representation in senior management and on
boards of directors.
The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA), Columbus,
OH, has approved an award of $108,698
Ohio Coal Development Office Grant to Touchstone Research
Laboratory of Wheeling, WV, for a pilot project to study the
capture of flue gas carbon dioxide by pass the gas through an
algae pond at Cedar Lane Farms in Wooster. Touchstone will
demonstrate, at pilot scale, that waste heat and carbon dioxide
from the flue gas of a coal-based boiler at Cedar Lane Farms can
be used in a year-round algae production process to produce a
transportation fuel and electricity.
The Carpenter Creek and the Snider Ranch mines, approximately 50
miles from Billings, MT,
have estimated reserves of 623.2 million short tons of coal.
Carpenter Creek is planning to be operational by 2012-13 and
produce as much as 6 million tons a year. Snider Ranch is
slated to go on line by late 2013 and produce around 4 million
tons a year. Production will be dependent on excess capacity at
the nearby Signal Peak Mine, it is reported by the Montana Coal
Council (MCC). MCC has an agreement with Sumitomo, a Japanese
utility conglomerate, to market its coal in Japan and other
Asian markets. MCC's plans underscore an industry push to mine
Montana's relatively underdeveloped coal reserves. Montana has
the most coal reserves of any state at 119.1 billion tons,
according to EIA, although only 44.78 million tons were produced
for the year.
The Energy Department has filed to withdraw an application for a
nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain,
and hopes to develop a new plan for a long-term disposal of
nuclear waste. The Energy Department has established a panel to
make recommendations. The application had been pending with the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission since June 2008.
Power plant developer Tenaska of Omaha, NB, reports a planned
602-megawatt Taylorville, IL,
coal-to-gas power plant would cost about $3.5 billion and would
enter service in 2014. The plant will use Siemens AG's
integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology to
convert Illinois coal into pipeline quality substitute natural
gas and then burn the gas to produce electricity. Taylorville
will use two combustion turbines and one steam generator to
power up to 600,000 Illinois homes. The facility will be
located on a 713-acre site near Taylorville in Christian County,
about 35 miles southeast of Springfield, the state capital. The
project expects to create about 2,400 jobs during construction
and about 155 full-time positions after entering commercial
operation. It will add about $126 million a year to the local
economy.
Quest Minerals and Mining of Kentucky is nearing its production
goal of 10,000 tons per month
as it adds a Joy 14-9 miner to its main equipment line. The
unit will work with a second 14-9 miner. Both pieces of
equipment are capable of generating from 1300 to 1500 raw tons
of coal each in an eight-hour shift.
Mincom and Marston have partnered to jointly market Mincom's
mining solutions to North American operations.
The Mincom Intelligent Mining Solution suite encompasses all
facets of the mining process, from exploration to outbound
logistics as well as sales and asset management functions.
Komatsu America Corp., Rolling Meadows, IL, commemorated the
production of the 930th unit
of its Ultra Class 930E Electric Drive Truck at its Peoria
manufacturing operation. Komatsu designs and builds the 930E
electric drive truck in Peoria where craftsmen assemble and test
the final product before shipping it around the world.
Currently there are fleets of 930s located in North America,
South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. The 930E is used as
a part of Komatsu's Autonomous Haulage System that allows the
trucks to operate without drivers, and is often used for remote
and difficult applications. The 930E has a payload capacity of
320 tons and is available with 2,700 or 3,500 horsepower diesel
engine connected to an AC electric drive system. The total
weight carried by the six 12' high tires is 1,106,670 lbs.
Essar Group has signed a definitive agreement to buy Trinity
Coal Partners
from private equity firm Denham Capital for $600 million for
producing mines in Kentucky and West Virginia and a resource
base of 200 million tons. Trinity is currently producing 7Mtpa
of coal with plans to increase annual production to 10Mt.
Output is split equally between metallurgical coal and steam
coal. The company operates six mining complexes with a total of
10 surface mines, three underground mines and six highwall miner
units in the Central Appalachian coal basin. Trinity is based in
Scott Depot, WV, and employs about 650 people.
CONSOL Energy Inc. is implementing a new water treatment system
at the Buchanan No. 1 coal mine in Oakwood, VA.
Buchanan will receive GE's advanced filtration membranes and
thermal water treatment technology to treat the mine water,
enabling about 99 percent of the water to be reused in part at
the company's preparation plant facility. When in operation, the
new system will significantly reduce the volume of mine water
that must be managed. It will reduce freshwater demand as the
processed water coming out of the system can be used at the
mine's preparation plant facility, reducing the need to obtain
water from other sources. GE's system incorporates GE's ZeeWeed
ultra filtration technology, which employs hollow-fiber
membranes to separate particles from water, and GE's reverse
osmosis separation technology, which removes dissolved
impurities from water through the use of a semi-permeable
membrane.
The US Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health
Administration, has recognized Fisher Sand & Gravel Co.,
Dickinson, ND,
Rocky Mountain District, with three awards for outstanding
safety achievements in 2008. The awards are for "Man Hours
Worked without any Lost Time Accident," as well as for being
"Citation Free" during two mandatory inspections. Three Fisher
sites were recognized: the Billings, MT site managed by Jim Rahr;
the Glendive, MT site, managed by Loren Boese and one of the
portable North Dakota operations managed by Joel Meyer. In
addition, Fisher Sand & Gravel was honored with 13 Safe Mine
Achievement Awards for 2008. Five were certificates of honor
awards, recognizing work hours performed without a fatal
accident or permanent disability and work hours performed
without incurring a lost workday injury. The remaining eight
awards were Safe Mine Achievement Awards for efforts to reduce
violations, accidents and injuries.
Engineering Consulting Services, Inc. (ECSI), Lexington, KY, is
a finalist in the American Council of Engineering Companies' 44th
annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition for the Portal
32 Exhibition Mine in Lynch, KY. ECSI worked with museum and
exhibit designers to transform a deactivated mine portal into a
high-tech museum that showcases Kentucky's coal mining heritage,
from the days of picks and shovels to modern equipment. Portal
31 is the last leg of a series of area attractions. The project
is among 163 engineering projects from throughout the nation
that are being recognized by ACEC as preeminent engineering
achievements for 2009.
Dana Resources, Las Vegas, NV, has entered into a letter of
intent to acquire a 100 percent interest in the Chota Silver
Mine in Peru,
for aggregate consideration of $425,000 plus a
yet-to-be-determined number of shares. The Chota Mine is
located within the Alto Chicama mining district of Peru.
Consol Energy Inc., Richmond, VA, has agreed to buy Dominion
Resources Inc.'s Appalachian exploration
and production business for $3.475 billion, substantially
increasing its natural gas reserves and production capacity.
Consol will acquire a total of 1.46 million oil and gas acres
from Dominion along with over 9,000 producing wells, it is
reported. Once complete, the coal and natural gas company said
it will take a leading position in the strategic Marcellus
Shale, a rock bed that lies about 6,000 feet beneath New York,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. It is potentially the
country's most productive natural gas source.
Xinergy of Tennessee has a purchase agreement with JMP Coal
Holdings to acquire Raven Crest Mining
of West Virginia for $40 million. Raven's portfolio includes 17
million tons of recoverable high-quality reserves. The company
operates surface complexes in Boone County, WV. Xinergy's
current active coal properties are located in eastern Kentucky
and Alabama.
Arch Coal Inc. has acquired a 35 percent interest in the
Trailblazer Energy Center,
a clean fossil-fuel power plant being developed by Tenaska Inc.
in Texas. Arch will supply the plant's fuel needs for its first
20 years of operation from the company's Powder River Basin
operations in Wyoming. Trailblazer will emit 70 percent less
carbon dioxide than the cleanest natural gas-based power plants.
Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus (OH) will develop an
improved computer model
to refine current estimates of carbon dioxide storage capacity
in western Ohio, following an award of $500,000 Ohio Coal
Development Office (OCDC) grant. The award was approved from the
$150 million Ohio Advanced Energy Job Stimulus Plan. The project
will use available data from existing waste injection wells, oil
and gas exploration wells and geologic core analyses, focusing
on the "Arches Province" geologic formation that underlies parts
of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan.
Rosebud Mining of Pennsylvania has acquired the Windber Coal
Heritage Center
for $250,000 and plans to reopen later this year. The center
holds industry artifacts including those from the Quecreek mine
disaster. Rosebud will set up a non-profit group to oversee the
museum in Windber, about 90 minutes from Pittsburgh, and control
its exhibits.
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