Under Ground Coal Mining Development

Overview

The term "development" is normally used to refer to the drivage of all first workings roadways, whether main roadways or setting –out pillar areas ready for secondary extraction. Development in most mines is carried out by a number of separate development "units" each consisting of a full set of equipment (coal cutting machine, face transport equipment for coal and materials, roof support equipment and ventilation equipment) usually manned by more or less fixed crews on each shift. It is common for several such units to be operating more or less independently at several locations to support one or more longwall panels. In some mines however which do not operate longwall equipment, a development unit may become the secondary extraction unit having completed the first workings for a panel.
The following will only deal very briefly with development, this being the subject of a major section of this blog.