American longwall producers and suppliers will gather this month to discuss the industry’s outlook and future needs. By Steve Fiscor*
Roughly 40% of US coal production or about 410 million tonnes came from underground mining last year. Of the 200 underground mines in the United States that produce 400,000 tonnes per year or more, 53 operate a total of 62 longwall production units.
Production from these longwall faces — more than 200mtpa — represents almost half of the US underground output, but it comes from only 30% of the total underground mine population. In fact, longwall mining has become so productive that the 62 faces operating today out-produce the 96 that were operating in 1991. Of the top 20 US underground mines, all but one are longwall producers.
The Twentymile mine in Colorado last year produced 8.5mt from a single face. Combined output from the Consol Pennsylvania Coal Co’s Bailey and Enlow Fork mines was 17.1mt, which rivals some large western US surface mines.
It is these types of production numbers and productivity figures that bring many of the underground producers together at Longwall USA. Although it is a show geared primarily toward longwall mining, it’s highly regarded as the best underground mining conference around. The international attendance alone speaks for the credibility. Last year, Longwall USA drew an attendance of more than 2600 people and the exhibition featured more than 120 vendors. Both of these figures were records for the conference.
Breaking with its June tradition, Longwall USA will be held from September 21-23, 1999, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The conference format will remain the same as years past, but the content of this year’s program is much stronger.
Longwall USA is a biennial conference, but at Longwall USA ’98 (18 months ago), a decision was made to hold the conference again during September, 1999 to move it away from the MINExpo cycle, the world’s largest mining show, which the National Mining Association holds every four years (2000, 2004, etc.). Longwall USA will return to its June format again in 2001, and it will be held every two years after that.
*Steve Fiscor is executive editor of Coal Age.
