Longwall Ventilation Planning At Jim Walter Resources’ No. 3 Mine

At Jim Walter Resources Alabama coal property, the first of twelve projected longwall mining systems started to operate In March, 1979, at the No. 3 Mine. The second longwall started to mine adjacent to the original workings in June, 1980. At the end of 1980, 2 ½ panels had been extracted using the same basic ventilation plan. A single split of air ventilates each longwall panel with intake air traveling the headgate across the face to the tailgate where it is directed and controlled to a 1500 foot deep fan shaft specifically located to exhaust from the longwall area and the gobs associated with longwall extraction. The simplicity of the system makes it easy to understand, apply and control In a relatively gassy coal bed.