The real story of US coal: inside the world's biggest coalmine

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/10/-sp-the-real-story-of-us-coal-inside-the-worlds-biggest-coal-mine

[font face=Serif][font size=5]The real story of US coal: inside the world's biggest coalmine[/font]

[font size=4]Despite Obama’s pledge to cut carbon emissions, production at North Antelope Rochelle mine in Wyoming is booming - and climate change is off the agenda. Suzanne Goldenberg gets a rare look inside the biggest coalmine in the world[/font]

Report by Suzanne Goldenberg and video by Mae Ryan in North Antelope Rochelle Mine, Wyoming

Monday 10 November 2014 08.00 EST

[font size=3]In the world’s biggest coalmine, even a 400 tonne truck looks like a toy. Everything about the scale of Peabody Energy’s operations in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming is big and the mines are only going to get bigger – despite new warnings from the United Nations on the dangerous burning of fossil fuels, despite Barack Obama’s promises to fight climate change, and despite reports that coal is in its death throes.

At the east pit of Peabody’s North Antelope Rochelle mine, the layer of coal takes up 60ft of a 250ft trough in the earth, and runs in an uninterrupted black stripe for 50 miles.

With those vast, easy-to-reach deposits, Powder River has overtaken West Virginia and Kentucky as the big coalmining territory. The pro-coal Republicans’ takeover of Congress in the mid-term elections also favours Powder River.

“You’re looking at the world’s largest mine,” said Scott Durgin, senior vice-president for Peabody’s operations in the Powder River Basin, watching the giant machinery at work. “This is one of the biggest seams you will ever see. This particular shovel is one of the largest shovels you can buy, and that is the largest truck you can buy.”

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[NickB79]

1. That's the real problem with claims the US is cutting carbon output

But the reality is that Obama has spent the last six years expanding coal, oil and gas production under his “all of the above” energy strategy.

“We quadrupled the number of operating rigs to a record high. We’ve added enough new oil and gas pipeline to encircle the earth and then some,” Obama told a rally during his 2012 re-election campaign.

Coal exports have risen on Obama’s watch, with mining companies shipping some 100m tonnes a year for each of the last three years. Mining companies are actively pursuing plans to expand coal ports and ship more coal overseas, as a back-up market should the incoming Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules on carbon pollution make it harder to burn coal for electricity.

Meanwhile, the federal government, under Obama, gave away $26m last year in tax breaks to the coal industry, according to the Overseas Development Industry report.

We're installing wind farms, converting coal plants to natural gas, and mandating higher auto MPG standards, but then we export the unburned coal and oil overseas.

President Obama states his concern over climate change, and in the next breath extols our booming shale oil production as a boom to the economy.

[happyslug]

2. It is NOT the worse coal, but it is worse then most.

Last edited Sat Nov 15, 2014, 01:45 AM - Edit history (1)

Powder River Basin (PRB) coal is classified as "sub-bituminous" and contains an average of approximately 8,500 btu/lb, with low SO2. Contrast this with eastern, Appalachian bituminous coal containing an average of 12,500 btu/lb and high SO2. PRB coal was essentially worthless until air pollution emissions from power plants became a concern. A coal-fired plant designed to burn Appalachian coal must be modified to remove SO2 at a cost estimated in 1999 to be around $322 per ton of SO2. If it switched to burning PRB coal, the cost dropped to $113 per ton of SO2 removed. Removal is accomplished by installing scrubbers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powder_River_Basin

Coal is classified into the following catagories:

Anthracite, the richest coal in energy, the lowest pollution including the least carbon released. This is mostly in Eastern PA, Wales and China It is known as "Hard Coal".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracite

Bituminous coal, This is the Coal mined in the Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Illinois.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bituminous_coal

The Powder River Basis is mostly Sub-Bituminous coal, barely better then Lignite. It has pollution and energy levels between Lignite and Bituminous Coal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub-bituminous_coal

Lignite Coal, this is the lowest rated coal, it is the largest type of coal being mined today. It has the lowest energy content, the highest pollution and highest carbon release of all coals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignite


http://www.coaleducation.org/lessons/MII/doc3.htm


Wikipedia has a list of the types of Coal. It also mentions peat, which is what coal starts out as, and Graphite, which is "higher" quality of "coal" but is almost impossible to light, thus used in pencils and roofs (As slate).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal

The Wikipedia cite does not mention what we in Western Pa calls "Slack" "Slack" was something not good enough for use as Slate, but if put into a fire, burns badly. This lead to my father's favorite line "She was only a coal miner's daughter, you can tell by the slack in her pants" (i.e. none, slack was thrown away not kept).

I mention this for what is being mined in the Powder River basin is NOT Slate, Slack, Anthracite or BItuminous which are all "Cleaner" coal the what is coming out of the Powder River Basin, but it is better the the Lignite being mined elsewhere in the US West.

Exports of US Coal:



http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=8790


Pennsylvania Coal Mine:



http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/econresource/coal/

One of the problem with Coal, is it is hitting "Peak" i.e. that point when 1/2 of coal has been mined:



http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs115-99/fs115-99.html

2007 Report that shows US Coal Production, IN TERMS OF ENERGY, peaked in 1998. Coal production in terms of TONS, has increased since 1998, but NOT in terms of Energy Content. Lower energy content Lignite and Semi-Bituminous coal has replaced higher energy content Bituminous Coal.

http://energywatchgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/EWG_Report_Coal_10-07-2007ms.pdf