POP has proved useful even one thousand metres underground

DARKOV – The new mining technology equipment, provided under the POP 2010 Production Optimization Programme, has gained great reputation in our mine. Most recently, it has deserved words of appreciation in the Darkov Mine. The medium complex of Bucyrus DBT 1,3/3,1 was delivered there at the end of the last year, and the local workers decided not to caress it. Already at the first attempt, they installed it in Coalface 273 503 in Seam 37, Block 5 in the area of the so-called auxiliary plant - more specifically, at a depth of approximately 1,000 metres and in the geological and mining conditions with which the previous, commonly used technologies failed to cope.

And what about the result? “The complex has unambiguously proved that thanks to its load-carrying capacity, it can even resist mountain-type pressures prevailing at such depths,” said Ján Kubalik, Shift Technician from the party of the Head of Mining Operation in Mining Plant 2 of the Darkov Mine. What is substantial is the fact that it is not just an opinion of this outstanding expert because his words are unambiguously confirmed also by the results of the comparison with the mining output achieved in the neighbouring Coalface Block 237 500z, which was mined with the mechanized support Fazos 15/31 and related technological equipment.

The quick and trouble-free mining progress has also endorsed the achieved results. “We have achieved approximately triple as high results as compared with Coalface 237 500z! And thanks to the smooth mining progress, the miners drudged much less there,” emphasized Kubalik. In addition, it is worth mentioning that due to the state-of-the-art design of the mining complex, the miner’s work culture has significantly improved in the coalface fitted with the Bucyrus equipment.

“Whether it’s waking conditions, lighting, mining track size, air-conditioning possibility in sections, all this means significant improvement of miner’s work. It cannot absolutely be compared with what used to be here in the past – this would be said by any miner going down there. And it’s also reflected in the safety area,” stated Ján Kubalik, Shift Technician.

(Bohuslav Krzyžanek)