Work on deepening shaft VI from the depth of 1,050 to 1,290 has just begun.
As per the mining custom, the loading of the first bucket was initiated by the mine director.
“This is an immensely important investment for our mine and the entire Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa.
Construction of the 1,290 level is a huge undertaking, since it is an entire complex of headings. The ventilation connection at 1,290 metres will allow us to access new deposits that we intend to extract in the future,” said Piotr Chmiel, the director of the Budryk mine.
“I hope the investment will be carried out safely and on time. I wish the team the best of miners’ luck,” added the director.
In accordance with the work schedule, the deepening of the shaft is to be completed in 2013, but, as we have learned from Józef Ziobroń, the President of Przedsiębiorstwo Produkcyjno – Górnicze ROW-JAS, the leader of the consortium conducting the Budryk works. “We are well prepared for the job and will do our best to complete the works much earlier," said President Ziobroń.
The work will be done using the blast method, and in order to make the drilling as fast and efficient as possible, the company purchased a special drill rig. In total, the miners are to drill approximately 280 metres, since the shaft will in fact need to reach the depth of 1,320, rather than 1,290 metres. The planned daily progress is expected to be eight metres.
The performance of the task “Developing technical documentation, detailed technology of work performance, supply of materials and machinery, and deepening and reinforcing shaft VI from the level of 1,050 to the new level of 1,290 for JSW S.A., Budryk mine” will allow the operation of the newly constructed extraction level 1,290 with regard to ventilation, and materials and human transport. The newly built level 1,290 provides access to group 400 deposits, containing high-value type 35 coking coal.
The deepening of shaft VI to the level of 1,290 is necessary in order to excavate the deposits located below the currently utilised level of 1,050. As a result of the performance of the investment, the extraction of type 35 coal deposits will not conducted as sublevel extraction.
photograph: Agnieszka Materna