Foresight Energy LP (NYSE: FELP) on Oct. 14 reported that on that day, certain of its underground mining personnel reentered its Deer Run longwall mine in Illinois and began construction of underground ventilation control stoppings.
These stoppings are intended to assist Foresight in adjusting ventilation within the mine and to allow personnel to complete the current longwall move. Upon completion of this longwall move, Foresight intends to seal the current longwall district, where a “combustion event” recently occurred and the resultant elevated carbon monoxide levels were located.
Foresight said it continues to work with regulatory agencies for the purpose of completing this longwall move and fully resuming normal longwall mining operations at Deer Run.
U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows that Deer Run customers earlier this year included Archer Daniels Midland plants in Iowa and Illinois, the G.G. Allen power plant in North Carolina and the Miami Fort power plant in Ohio. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration data shows that the mine produced 1.76 million tons of coal in the first half of this year, well off a pace that saw production of 5.56 million tons in all of 2014.
Foresight, founded by coal operator Chris Cline, is a leading coal producer in the Illinois Basin, with control of over three billion tons of coal reserves currently supporting four mining complexes in Illinois.
