On June 15, one of the leading Russian mining and steel groups, Mechel, announced a temporary halt of mining operations at the Sibirginskaya mine owned by Southern Kuzbass Coal Company, a subsidiary of Mechel Mining, due to high levels of fire gases.
At the Sibirginskaya mine, a heightened level of fire gases was detected in the mined-out area of the long wall 3-1-9, indicating self-heating of coal. Accordingly, mining works at the site were halted and all miners returned to the surface. However, no carbon monoxide was detected in the long wall 3-1-9's active mine-working area.
Mining at the Sibirginskaya mine is currently halted, while mine experts are working to eliminate the source of self-heating. Mechel stated that the mine's entire production infrastructure, including transport, ventilation, pumps, power facilities, tunneling faces and active mine-working areas are operational and safe.
The company stated that the date for resumption of mining will be determined once the project to liquidate the source of self-heating is complete. The mine's storage facilities hold enough coal for the company to meet all its contractual obligations, Mechel said.