colliery n : a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings and equipment connected with it [syn: pit]

English

Noun

1. A coal mine.

Coal mining is the extraction or removing of coal from the earth by mining. When coal is used for fuel in power generation it is referred to as steaming or thermal coal. Coal that is used to create coke for steel manufacturing is referred to as coking or metallurgical coal. In the United States, UK, and South Africa, a coal mine and its accompanying structures are collectively known as a colliery. In Australia, 'colliery' usually only refers to an underground coal mine.

Methods of extraction

The most economical method of coal extraction from coal seams depends on the depth and quality of the seams, and also the geology and environmental factors of the area being mined. Coal mining processes are generally differentiated by whether they operate on the surface or underground. Many coals extracted from both surface and underground mines require washing in a coal preparation plant.

Modern surface mining

• Black lung disease
• Coal Measures
• Coal mining debate
• Coal slurry impoundment
• Coal-mining region
• Hurrying
• Mine fire
• Problems in coal mining
• World Coal Institute
• Coal mining in Australia

References

Further reading

• Daniel Burns. The modern practice of coal mining (1907)
• Hughes. Herbert W, A Text-Book of Mining: For the Use of Colliery Managers and Others (London, many editions 1892-1917), the standard British textbook for its era.
• James Tonge. The principles and practice of coal mining (1906)
• Charles V. Nielsen and George F. Richardson. 1982 Keystone Coal Industry Manual (1982)
• Hayes, Geoffrey. Coal Mining (2004), 32 pp
• A.K. Srivastava. Coal Mining Industry in India (1998) (ISBN 81-7100-076-2)
• Chirons, Nicholas P. Coal Age Handbook of Coal Surface Mining (ISBN 0-07-011458-7)
• Saleem H. Ali. Minding our Minerals, 2006. http://saleemali.newsvine.com/_news/2006/12/06/470322-minding-our-minerals

External links

• Abandoned Mine Research
• of Wollongong - educational resource on longwall mining
• National Coal Mining Museum for England
• World Coal Institute - Coal Mining
• NIOSH Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program
• Prudue University - Petroleum and Coal