Mechel, one of the leading Russian mining and steel groups, has announced that its subsidiary Southern Kuzbass Coal Company is launching the second section of the longwall 3-1-11’s working area at Sibirginskaya Underground Mine. The investment exceeded RUB 300 million ($3.93 million).
The longwall 3-1-11 lies 450 meters deep. The new extraction area’s industrial coal reserves are estimated at 1.5 million mt. The longwall’s second section is equipped with a cutter-loader, an overloader, a crusher, a 220-meter belt conveyor, and a 130-section powered support system.
The longwall 3-1-11 with estimated total coking coal reserves of 3.5 million mt was launched in the autumn of 2019. The company has already mined over one million mt of coking coal in its first production area.
“In the near future, we will begin preparing for mining in its third extraction area, which is due to be launched in late 2022,” Igor Khafizov, Mechel Mining Management’s CEO, said.