St. Louis, US-based coal producer Arch Coal's subsidiary Canyon Fuel Company said on July 9 that it is working closely and cooperatively with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) with the goal of resuming operations at its Dugout coal mine as soon as possible
The mine in Carbon County, Utah, where production has been temporarily idled since June 22, 2010 due to an ignition incident at the longwall, has had a remote monitoring system installed that will help determine whether any combustion activity is occurring.
As a result, the coal company now expects Dugout to be out of production for a lengthier duration than anticipated, and consequently has advised customers that shipments are likely to be adversely impacted.
Dugout Canyon mine and its 275 employees produced approximately 200,000 mt of low-sulfur bituminous coal per month in the first quarter of 2010, which equates to about two percent of Arch's total production.