OREANDA-NEWS. Foresight Energy said today it has resumed mining operations at its Deer Run mine in Illinois, after high carbon monoxide levels temporarily shut down the mine.

The US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Office of Mines and Minerals recently approved Foresight's plan to re-enter the mine and restore power.

Foresight said it has resumed longwall mining under the plan approved by MSHA and "will continue those mining activates over the next several days," until it reaches an area appropriate to safely recover and relocate the longwall to a new area of the mine.

Upon completion of the longwall move, Foresight will seal the current longwall district and then utilize continuous mining machines to resume development of the next longwall district, in a new area of the mine, the company said.

Foresight is working with regulatory agencies to complete the longwall move and fully resume normal longwall mining operations at Deer Run.

The underground mine has been closed since the end of March, when operators initially detected high carbon monoxide levels. It was the second time in less than a year that operations had to be shut down because of high carbon monoxide readings, which can be consistent with a fire.