EastCoal has completed 90% construction of the wash-plant for the Ukraine-based Verticalnaya mine. The company is expecting to ship the plant from the UK manufacturer in the upcoming month. It is preparing the ground work on site. It is expected that the plant will begin the operations before this year end.
Primarily, this plant will process coal from the upper H11 seam, because of the increased coal development from the lower H8 seam of the previous main mine, which is now being dewatered. Also, there are several dumps nearby and it has planned to examine these and further potentially commercial raw coal sources after the plant’s installation. The company will prioritize the beginning of marketing the washed coal from the different sources that are on hand.
Currently, the company is expecting the primary H11 longwall development to be about four months behind the plan, owing to substandard ground state primarily in the two slanted rifts being forced to the seam. EastCoal has decided to offer the two drifts along with complete concrete support into a solid layer for safety reasons.
The H11 access delay is not anticipated to modify the plan of production. Presently, EastCoal has discovered further coal in the H8 seam, which is scheduled to be explored in early 2012.
The company has taken the H8 coal samples and sent for examination. It also expects to take the H11 coal samples in a few weeks, when the drifts proceed into the seam.
Due to the dewatering process at the main mine, the roadway conditions are good at the previously flooded areas. Rehabilitation work is advancing well. The company formed a conveyor route from the deep H8 seam to the surface, mainly through the previous roadway rehabilitation.
EastCoal’s board has needed the induction of safety methods associated with the global industry practice. Global safety consultants have seen the operations at Ukraine and their suggestions are being employed. The employees have acknowledged the safety standards constructively.
The Company has continued the dialogue on a potential addition to its Ukraine mining assets and also persists in examining a Greenfield prospect.
Source: http://www.eastcoal.ca/