Module-2

Planning of new coal mines

PRINCIPLES OF MINE PLANNING
 Present day mines have become very capital intensive a deep
coal mine may cost Rs 400-500/- per annum tonne production
capacity which would mean a capital-investment of RS 40-50
crores for a mine producing one million tonnes of coal yearly.
 A mechanised opencast mine may also cost nearly the similar
amount and also the surface drift mines example,the bangwar
underground mine in M.P will cost RS 14 crores for annual
production of 0.65 million tonnes ie Rs 386/- per annum
tonne production and gadavarikhani no10 a incline in A.P will
cost Rs 27.31 crores for an annual production of 0.57 million
tonnes ie Rs 479/- per annum tonne production .The mukunda
opencast mine in jharia coalfield,the deepest opencast coal
mine in india will cost Rs 1500 crores for a production of 16
million tonnes per year ie Rs 933/- per annum tonne
 To redeem such high capital investment and also to earn
profit,adequate planning is essential.it is necessary that
the objectives must be very clearly defined all the factors
should be considered and best alternative chosen this
should make the fundamental principle of mine planning.
 There should be flexibility and simplicity in the scheme
which may be finally adopted
 It is therefore necessary that a complete check should be
maintained regarding the progress made during
construction period and also during operation phase.a
single day delay in the completion of the project may cost
amount of money in terms of interest or during operation
phase any idle minute will cost high sums of interest in
terms of equipment kept idle
 The gestation period from the day the first sod is
cut,to the day when the pit gives full production
may be 7-10 years for a shaft mine 3-5 years for
drift mine and 2-3 years for an opencast mine of
course these figures will vary depending upon the
capacity of the mine conditions prevailing and type
of mechanisation used.
 for an average deep pit of one million tonnes a
year,atleast 8-10 years time should be allowed.any
delay in bringing the project to full production will
cost heavily.
SELECTION OF MINE SITE
 The following aspects need evaluation to
select the mine site
 The effect of visual
intrusions,noise,dust,vibration,traffic,dirt,coal
stocks and so on.
 Socio-economic effect of mine development
taking into account diverse factors.,eg housing
provisions and secondary employment.
 Measures to mininmise the deleterious effect
of the development
SIEVE ANALYSIS
 The selection of site now-a-days is done by
sieve analysis.
 The figure shows selection of mine site through
sieve analysis
 The result of the analysis is to identify the areas
on the surface which are compatible in varying
degrees,with the requirement of each individual
sieve and which,therefore,should be suitable for
detailed search for specific sites at a later date.
GEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MINE PLANNING
 Expert geological guidance is vital to plannig engineer
so as to be very clear about unmapped faults,or
unexpected change in dips.
 Many of the problems that confront the planning
personnel, such as shaft sinking locations, drainage
and pumping, layout of main roadways, subsidence
etc.
 The area and seams should be proved so that correct
investment of capital can be assured
 Geological proving of the area includes the
thickness ,continuity and quality of the seams and also
their disposition and structure.
 The thickness and continuity of the seams will enable the
planners to estimate with reasonable accuracy the reserves of
coal, quality and grade of coal and to plan a balanced production
programme involving all the grades within the take area
 When selecting sites for sinking pits, geological problems such as
proximity of faults,folds,or deposits that will necessitate special
sinking methods, drainage and pumping should be thoroughly
investigated.
 Shafts should be located in undisturbed ground
 If due to some mischance if shaft is put in shear zone of fault
sinking can become troublesome and costly
 Ex clay filling of the fault tends to swell by the absorption of
water and may buckle or dislodge the shaft lining.
 The more detailed and reliable hydrogeologic information
regarding the sinking site the more economical and speedy the
work will become.
 The planning engineer will also be able to arrange his
drainage scheme and estimate the pumping requirements
 When investigating a sinking area in a narrow ÌV shaped
valley,the mine planners require detailed hydrogeologic
data,such as the angle of repose,angle of slide and
excavation slopes.
 A close examination of these factors will indicate at least
possibility of slides or creep and whether it would be
advisable to take such certain safeguards,such as drainages.
 The fixing of the shaft collar(bearing pressure) may present
a major design job because of infrastructure.
 The boring programme may be modified to suit the nature
of the exploration and the information already available
 A number of relatively shallow holes may suffice to
establish the profile thickness and depth of any water
bearing deposit or of any uncomfortable stratum
which will have bearing on the development scheme.
 The deeper boreholes may be required to correlate
the continuity
 Normally it is only necessary to prove sufficient
reserves of coal to warrant the capital cost of sinking
and developments.
 Later additional reserves may be established by
underground workings and perhaps by boring up and
down from key points along the main developing
headings
DIVISION OF A COAL FIELD INTO MINING AREAS
 The coalfield is divided into several mining
areas each comprising several
collieries(mines)
 The factor which affect the division of

coalfield into areas are;

I. Geological

II. Geographical
III. Administrative
DIVISION OF THE AREAS INTO COLLIERY UNITS

 Thickness,structure,water,gas and geomechanical

conditions of the overburden
 Characteristicsof the stratiography of the
deposit,shapes and structure of the deposit the
quality of raw material,the
hydrogeologic,geomechanical and gas
conditions,dustiness and pronness to self
combustion of the coal seam
SURFACE LAYOUT
 The surface layout of a large colliery in the jharia
coalfield is shown in the fig
 The colliery takes an area of 5.6km2 and is projected for
an output of 6000 tonnes per day from the ug workings
 The complex of pithead structures and service buildings
have an areal coverage of 33ha.
 The location of all buildings,stores,and civil
constructions has been determined with due regard to the
proper technology of coal mining and its preparation.
 The disposition around the shaft area of different
service buildings has necessary been some what
congested
 Its proximity of river on the south side of the shaft
has limited the availability of space.
 The surface area may be considered as being
divided into several regions,the resspective objects
having been located according technological
process or with regard to their applaication.
 The region 1 around the shafts contains the
winders,tipplers station,fan house,etc.
 The region 2 to the right of the shafts comprises the
admin bulidings,pit haed bath,lamp room etc
 The region 3 contains the raw coal blending yard
and pre-treatment plant and also the sand yard and
arrangement for hydraulic stowing
 The region 4 comprises the coal preparation plantie
washery the coal loading plantetc
 The region 5 consisting of the main store and
workshop,timber and stock yard is sited close the
siding
 The approach road brings the men to the pit head
bath,fr5om where they would proceed to the shaft1
under covered roof via the lamp room
 Coal from the shaft goes to the raw coal storage
and blending plant and then to the washery
 Figure shows the schematic layout of the surface
arrangement of a Colliery for a projected output of
50,000 tons per month.
 the layout is marked by the extreme simplicity of all
the arrangements for Coal handling and for other
services coal from pit number 1 which is the coal
winding pit goes to a ground bunker of 60000
tonnes capacity and hence tour reclamation belt and
onto the wagon via a feeder belt .
 the Wagons are moved by ropes on the full siding
and they stand on the weighbridge while being
loaded.
 The pit 1 and 2 heap States are on either side of the
siding and are connected by an over bridge.
 the workshop and colliery stores or situated very
near to the shafts and handling of stores materials on
the surface from the store to pit2 is by a tractor
trailer thus reducing manpower requirements for
material handling.
 The administrative buildings are situated on one side
by the pit head bath and lamp room are adjacent to
pit 2 which is the main winding shaft.
 the administrative buildings are situated on one side
by the pit head bath and lamp room are adjacent to
pit 2 which is the main mining shaft
 The area of the take is approximately 4 km
square while the area covered by the surface
structure and residential buildings for supervisory
staff and minors is about 50 hectares.
 Figure shows the layout of a standard pit bottom adopted
in Scotland the standard was evolved from a close study
of mine car circuits in England Germany and France the
essential features of the system are;
 Roadways will require more than two tracks.
 making use of track crossover the entire length of the
main crops that are in other circumstances the main
laterals can be used for standage.
 in intermediate switch over can be made from a full train
to empty train via main line locomotive avoiding
unnecessary waiting time.
 shunting locomotive can be used in the pit bottom for
back shunting full train to the tippler for drawing empty
trains how to the cross cut and for dealing with trains of
stores or materials .
 Running of mine cars can almost entirely be eliminated
repeat bottom being more or less level throughout.
 Mine car handling equipment can be reduced to a
minimum.
 facing points always a source of danger can be almost
eliminated and the danger of pollution avoided without
having recourse too expensive signalling or track
circuiting arrangements.
 mine cars can be kept in air single or in pairs in trains
without coupling or uncoupling saving manpower or
complicated automatic couplings.
 finally it is considered that this type of pit bottom can be
operated with the minimum number of Manpower
 Design of pit bottom for skip winding differs
widely from that for cage winding an essential
feature of the skip winding pit bottom is the
provision of measuring pockets figure shows the
layout of a pit bottom for skip winding All the cars
are clipped off at point 1.
 store material cars, provided with the side

projection would be bypassed on the track 3 by

operating controls.
 on track 3 they would be controlled to the shaft by
retarders or Creepers coals cars would be
automatically fed through tippler 4 to back shunt 5
and returned to be clipped on at 6 for return journey
to the loading station
 with modern equipment, the tippler could be
made fully automatic in much the same way as
the cage winding and body tippler and haulage
motor would be arrested if winding was stopped.
 The skips would be gravimetrically loaded and
would be an automatic control winder.
 stone Material cars would be automatically
loaded onto the cages at 7 and the cars brought
down the pit would be returned by back shunt 8
via Creepers 9 through a stop system at the
crossover for clipping on at 7.
 Pit bottom layout for men and materials winding as in the
case of coal winding sufficient room should be provided
at the pit bottom for the storage of full and empty cars in
order;
 1. to enable materials winding to commence following
the finish of man winding and
 2.to enable shaft winding to continue after the cessation
of in bye haulages of empties till the start of man winding
 figure illustrates the decking arrangement for material
and man winding shaft with a car on the creeper cc and
one car is on each stops the method of operation would
be as follows:
 (Landing cage operates value ,J which admits air to
system, releases stop A and starts Ram AA ;
 1. the car is rammed into the cage and a car discharged
to the back shunt ram AA being automatically reversed
at the end of its stroke
 2.the return of ram AA Operates Valve G which resets
stop A,changes point C,releases stop D starts creeper by
means of cylinder E and releases winder interlock and
 3.the creeper moves forward and discharged car runs to
stop A operating treadle F which resets stop D and stops
creeper.
APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER IN MINE PLANNING

 Development of Computer technology in particular the

advent of computer graphic and of the desktop micro
computer and the greater emphasis placed on the design
of programs
 Which Are interactive and flexible have made computers
more accessible to the mine planners and managers
 The use of graphics in Computer technology has great
potential in its application in mine planning
 some of the computer programs developed in the UK and
USA and their capabilities in mine planning are described
below
 Geoplan is a computer programme which has
been developed to enable the complicated
procedure of translating bore hole and seismic
data into gridded maps of the coalfield
 the use of the program allows for the Rapid
analysis changing Input and for any maps to be
readily produced of the derived information
 it can produce maps of many properties of the
state which are of interest to new capacity
planner
 such as seam thickness,ash percentage,inseam
depth thickness, percentage chlorine and total
Insitu coal
 informations are produced either coloured grid
square maps on the computer screen on in printed
form.
 Such maps can be produced either for all the coal
in the seam or for recoverable Reserves under
certain assumptions
 Geoplan can further be used to calculate reserve
from different potential shaft or drift locations
and hence it aids in selecting the site of the shaft
or drift.
 Geoplan is used for planning new mines and
 RESERVES ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME has
been developed by the former NCB to assess the
reserves of the existing mines
 CLIMATE is another program for predicting
underground temperature and humidity taking
account of Strata temperature leakage heat
generated by machinery and refrigeration
 Another program is a FINANCIAL
ASSESSMENT PACKAGE which provides a
complete DCF discounted cash flow analysis of
major new investment.
COLLIERY LAYOUT PLANNING 

 The colliery planning system is a simple programme

in which planned physical face and drivage
dimensions face sequences, development required for
each face, estimate of man shifts required and coal
quality data,Expected advance rates for faces and
development drivages are input data to the computer.
 The timings of the activities needed to maintain the
plant phase sequences are then calculated and the
computer will then produce the standard bar charts
for development kitting and salvage with the
associated face man shifts necessary and coal quality
forecast(such as dirt Ash and sulphur %).
 any alternative to a plan (such as alternative face
sequences all changes to face drivage advances
rates) can be made in a short time allowing quick
and thorough evaluation of several alternative
strategies of the medium to long term future of
the mine.
 The planner can choose any output to obtain
the desired information.
COLLPLAN
 Collplan incorporates the details required for production
of action program and provides the following :
 A Statement of the current position and the comparison
with the planned position.
 A Statement of the consequences of the present position
on the current programming assuming that other plans
are not changed
 An evaluation of the effects of any change to the
standing action program such as alternative in sequences
shifting performance estimate proposed panel runs or
development required.
SIM BUNK AND SLIM BELT
 These are coal clearance program and are used as

it aids in deciding upon belt capacities,bunker

capacities, Bunker locations and Bunker control
policies.
 A version has been developed for use on the

Apple mini computer this provides the colour

display of the simulation in progress.
COMPUTER COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND THE DETAILED PLANNING OF THE MINE

 Computer Graphics have been developed for use in

layout design, junction design and face design and
their potential for use in the planning field is
enormous.
 It is at present possible to design the details of any
simple Junction with no gradients by answering only
three questions on the type of Arch to be used on
column height and on the angle of the junctions.
provided with this information the computer will
produce a detailed 3 dimensional model of the
junction with dimensions
 This can be viewed and drawn in a plan form or three
dimensions at any scale and as seen from outside the
junction or from any point within the roadway.
 As with the design of junction and Roadways shapes of
face equipment stored in Computer memory can readily be
summarised and combined to produce a detailed three-
dimensional model of a face by answering a set of simple
question at computers keyboard.
 The face can then be viewed or drone from any point and at
any skill and incompability between the proposed
equipments can readily be detected at the design stage
 Computer Graphics program also provides facility for
automated production of support rule drawings to the
standard acceptable for statutory purposes example
powered supports can be plotted in isometric view
 The PREFECS program has been developed to mine
the working of the face and to visualise the interaction
between the sequence of movements to diagonise the
cause of delays
 Another version of prefect has been developed on the
commodore(pet) micro computer which provides
elemantary graphic display showing operations
occurring during the simulation and thus making the
reasons of delay immediately Apparent.
 in the USA several mine planning computer systems
have been formulated which enable assessment of coal
Reserves and design of mines much more quickly than
with the traditional methods is possible figure shows the
flowchart for surface mine planning
 A ORPHEOUS program is one such program the
program uses geologic data and topographic
information to produce a model of the mine showing
surface and geological parameter contours. plans and
sections of the seams can be plotted using automatic
plotting devices.
 Pit generation program is linked to the mine model
allowing the planner to feed in the draft design of the
mind a large number of intermediate designs can be
catalogued with the computer and by manipulating
combination of related parts of several designs an
optimum configuration can be determined in a short
period of time with an optimal pit design the planner
can proceed with the detailed planning.
 for example in open pit planning using the draft plan of a
proposed open-pit the plan can digitise the general pit
limits and internal Bank arrangements the following can
be computed
 1 volume and tonnage stripped during any specified period
of time in the plant mining sequence
 2 amount of overburden and time required to remove it
 3 mean overburden deapth and hence stripping ratio for
any given area
 4 number of Machines required to remove overburden
 5 tonnage of coal and recovery
 6 coal quantities for any given area
 7 loading time and machine required to extract the coal
 8 position of optimum haulage roads for given machines
 Computers can be used to control and predict the
following
 Equipment maintenance and operation
monitoring
 Allocation of Manpower
 Maintenance scheduling and planning
 Accounting
 Material and cost control
 Ventilation design
 Production scheduling
 Coal processing and preparation
 for reclamation Digital Terrain models can be used to
create configuration of reclaimed topography and
carry out volumetric calculations.
 These models can take account of drainage
requirement slope stability and proposed after use to
ensure that the land is restored to necessary countours
and in aesthetically pleasing design may be formulated
to merge with the surrounding topography.
 With such blueprint digital Terrain model obtained
from rectified aerial photography of post mining and
Pre reclamation areas can be used to determine the
detailed spoil handling plans for creation of final
surface contours.
 computers have a great role to play in mine
planning the development of Computer Graphics
system will make mine planning much easier