According to a statement released by Massey, 16 people, consisting of Massey members, State officials, and Federal officials will reenter the mine.
The initial focus will be to monitor the quality and quantity of the air in the mine's various underground locations. The results of this fact-finding mission will dictate when future, additional entries to the mine will take place. Further exploration beyond the initial reentry will focus on determining the cause of explosion.
Additional details will be released as they become available.
"We are pleased that the first step in the underground investigation is scheduled to begin," said Massey Energy Chairman and CEO, Don Blankenship. "We are eager to begin a thorough investigation into the root cause of the accident."
Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia. In 2010, the Upper Big Branch mine was forecasted to produce 1.6 million tons of metallurgical coal for the steel industry. Prior to the explosion production at this mine accounted for an estimated 17 percent of Massey's total yearly production capacity.