Study of various coal mines in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming

In preparing this thesis, some of the prominent coal mines in the states of Utah, Wyoming and Colorado were visited. These included the Sunnyside, Castle Gate, Geneva Coal and Kenilworth mines in Utah; the D. 0. Clark, Reliance, and Stansbury mines in Wyoming; and the Imperial and Eagle mines in Colorado. The first part of the thesis contains descriptive information of each mine. This includes the stratigraphy and geology of the respective areas and also the mining methods and types of equipment employed underground. Also presented is a criticism of certain systems as used under the certain prevailing conditions. The second part is mainly a comparison involving Economics;, safety, recovery percentage and the production rates of the mines. These are compared with a view to the methods being used underground. All of the mines studied have adopted the room-and-pillar method with the use of shaking conveyors, mobile loaders or a combination of the two. Therefore, the specific comparisons are based chiefly on the adaptability and productivity of the systems employed under the prevailingnatural or physical conditions. However, the factors involved in comparing the mining methods are so complex and variable that ideal exactitude is difficult.