OREANDA-NEWS. August 14, 2012. KOKS Group, the world’s largest exporter of merchant pig iron and a leading producer of merchant coke in Russia, announces that its subsidiary Koks-Mining continues active construction of the Butovskaya mine, reported the press-centre of KOKS Group.

Mine tunneling is completed by more than 70%.

Since the beginning of 2012 a number of new high-capacity production units have been installed at Butovskaya mine. In March the mine tunneling system Dosco (UK) was commissioned at the belt road A-7. The new equipment is much more productive and efficient than the previous one and allows decreasing tunneling time towards coal face and easy rock mass extraction. It also helps to make tunnel configuration more precise to set more robust walling.

Additionally, a new belt conveyer was put into operation at this belt road. Unlike drag bar conveyers of model SR-70 used in the mine before, this new belt conveyer will be operated with higher productivity rates and longer operational life. Belt conveyer of the same quality will be commissioned at the belt road A-5 in August. Investments into these two mining complexes exceeded 150 million roubles.

Construction of infrastructure on the surface of the mine is also underway. The new covered conveyor for coal transportation to the warehouse will be commissioned in August. Boiler-house, fire-protection pump station and coal loading unit to railway cars are also under construction now. Railway road construction of the Butovskaya station is in progress.
Currently 688 miners are employed at Butovskaya.

By the start of operations in 2013 the mine’s personnel would include around 900 miners. 32 miners out of the planned 100 employees have recently been recruited for operations at the breakage face of the mine which is now being actively prepared. A modern automated stoping complex for the breakage face will be supplied by the end of the year.