Coal Producer Saves on Bit Costs During Crawler Drill/Rotary Rig Comparison

An experiment substituting pneumatic crawler drills for large-diameter rotary rigs in overburden stripping operations has indicated significant bit cost savings for Perry and Hylton Coal Co., Beckley, W. Va. The test was conducted in the Egeria Mountains (part of the Appalachian Range), where about 30 m (100 ft) of overburden consisting of hard, seamy sandstone and shale must be removed to recover a 560-mm (22-in.) vein. Perry and Hylton operates ten surface mines and is presently developing three more for start-up in the near future. The company follows a progressive policy toward ecological concerns, incorporating a self-imposed systematic mining and reclamation program for mined lands which leaves the landscape in a suitable condition for further development by local communities.