“The team has pumped a sufficient amount of water into the mine to complete the water seals, achieving the expected results,” spokeswoman Lynn Seay said.

“Analysis of the continuous mine atmosphere readings that the team has been taking indicates that gas levels remain steady and oxygen levels continue to decrease.”

The producer also has put together a plan for re-entering the northern Appalachian mine.

Seay said that plan was being reviewed by US Mine Safety and Health Administration and United Mine Workers of America officials.

“As a precaution, once the mine has been fully sealed, the team will work with state and federal agencies to monitor the mine atmosphere over the weekend to determine when it is safe to re-enter the mine,” she said.

At the same time, crews still are working on the isolation walls at Blacksville, a longwall operation in the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border town of Wayne. Six of eight planned boreholes for this process have been completed and a seventh was in process and nearing completion Thursday afternoon.

Also, pumping through two of those boreholes was completed overnight. Crews were expected to be put into place sometime Thursday for the third.

“Drilling sites near the Kuhntown portal have been prepped and drilling rigs are on standby if it is determined that we need to drill additional boreholes in that location,” Seay said.

Consol has not yet made any comment on the impact of the near two-week stoppage on its tonnage goals, nor has it confirmed damage to any equipment or underground resources.

Shortly after the March 12 incident, however, the company confirmed that no injuries were reported and all of its 121 day shift workers underground at the time smoke was discovered coming from the shaft were evacuated safely.

“As the mine remains idle, Blacksville No. 2 employees are in the process of being notified that they are eligible to apply for unemployment benefits and their current benefit plan remains in effect,” Seay said.

“Consol Energy has been working closely with federal and state mine officials and local union official to put these employees back to work as soon as possible.”