Método De Explotación Longwall

DOE/EIA-TR-0588
Distribution Category UC-950

Longwall Mining

March 1995

Energy Information Administration
Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585

This report was prepared by the Energy Information Administration, the independent statistical and
analytical agency within the Department of Energy. The information containedherein should not be
construed as advocating or reflecting any policy position of the Department of Energy or of any other
organization.

Contacts
This report was prepared in the Supply Analysis Branch,
Analysis and Systems Division, Office of Coal, Nuclear,
Electric and Alternate Fuels. General information
regarding this publication may be obtained from John
Geidl (202/254-5570),Director, Office of Coal, Nuclear,
Electric and Alternate Fuels; Robert M. Schnapp
(202/254-5392), Director, Analysis and Systems Division;
or Betsy O'Brien (202/254-5490), Chief, Supply Analysis
Branch.

Specific questions regarding the preparation and content
of the report should be directed to:
B.D. Hong (202/254-5365) for overview; Eugene R. Slatick
(202/ 254-5384) for Chapter 2; Ernest R.Pantos
(202/254-5372) for Chapters 3, 4, and 5; and Thelda
McMillian (202/ 254-5414) for the section on legislative
developments affecting longwall mining.

Cover:
Longwall mining is an old mining method that was little used in the United States until recently.
Because the development of modern equipment such as this longwall unit raised productivity
substantially over the past decade,longwall mines now account for about 40 percent of U.S.
underground coal production.

Photo Credits
Joy Technologies Inc., cover; U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Mines, Denver Research Center, p. 14; Joy Technologies
Inc., p. 30; American Longwall Face Conveyors Inc., p. 46; Jim
Walter Resources, Inc., p. 60.

ii

Energy Information Administration/ Longwall Mining

PrefaceSection 205(a)(2) of the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-91) requires the
Administrator of the Energy Information Administration
(EIA) to carry out a central, comprehensive, and unified
energy data and information program that will collect,
evaluate, assemble, analyze, and disseminate data and
information relevant to energy resources, reserves, and
relatedeconomic and statistical information.
The legislation that created EIA vested the organization
with an element of statutory independence. EIA does not
take positions on policy questions. EIA's responsibility is
to provide timely, high-quality information and to
perform objective, credible analyses.

As part of EIA's program to provide information on coal,
this report, L o ngw all Mining ,describes longwall mining
and compares it with other underground mining
methods. Using data from EIA and private sector
surveys, the report describes major changes in the geologic, technological, and operating characteristics of
longwall mining over the past decade. Most important,
the report shows how these changes led to dramatic
improvements in longwall mining productivity. For
readersinterested in the history of longwall mining and
greater detail on recent developments affecting longwall
mining, the report includes a bibliography.

Energy Information Administration/ Longwall Mining

iii

Contents

Page

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

vii

1.Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1

2. A Description and History of Longwall Mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Longwall Mining Compared with Other Underground Coal Mining Techniques . . . . . . ....