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Energy Sources Research Paper

Exploration and setting up a coal site

On average, the estimated time to discover a coal site is six years. There are several

phases involved in discovering a coal site. First, you need to know what a coal mine is looking

for. Coal needs to be close enough to the surface to be mined (about 25 feet deep) and have an

opening in the rock where it is visible. Then, you must plan for a geological study of the area.

The exploration phase starts with a geological survey of the location. The next step is to conduct

ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys. GPR can detect coal from up to 70 meters below the

surface, and it will help you identify coal structures, like faults and fissures that help delineate

coal zones. This is a crucial step for mining exploration because it can save a lot of resources and

time.

Once the site has been located, the next phase is setting it up. It takes an estimated

duration of three to five years to set up a coal mine. Several phases are involved in setting up a

coal mining site. This process requires planning, coordination, and patience. A team of skilled

experts must set up a coal mining site. Some of the top organizations need huge government

investments to set up their coal mines (Luo). The phase of site preparation takes around two

years. The next phase is underground mine development, which takes about four years to

complete, followed by surface mine development, which needs about five to six years.

Geophysical exploration for underground coal involves electrical resistivity, induced

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polarization, and electromagnetic methods to delineate hydrocarbon accumulations. This reduces

exploration time for underground coal seams and improves the delineation of the shape and

extent of the hydrocarbon accumulation. The last phase is the overall construction of the coal

mine over a period of around six to nine years before operations commence at this stage.

How coal use has changed over time

Since coal was first discovered in China 300 years ago, its use has changed. In China,

coal was used to heat water for washing, cooking, and bathing. Coal also created a smoky fire for

heat. Coal was later used in the construction of homes and buildings. In the late 1700s, the

English used coal to produce gas. By the mid-1800s, coal-fueled steam engines were used to

power everything from ships to trains. The English were just some of the people who discovered

coal. In the 17th century, when the English began populating cities, they faced a problem: how to

put out fires that became uncontrollable. The answer was ingenious: they used coal as fuel. By

the mid-1800s, coal-fueled steam engines were used to power everything from ships to trains

(Davis). As the industrial age progressed and coal's use in factories grew, so did its reputation as

a hazardous substance. Railroads transported materials that were toxic to living things and their

loads of coal. In America, the first coal mines were opened in the mid-1830s when the energy

demand broke out in the United States. The need for energy was created by rapid growth in

population and industry, not by electricity that would be created decades later by harnessing

other sources in the same way coal was used. The first places to mine this fuel were Kentucky

and Pennsylvania. Kentucky was one of the most productive states for the early use of coal in

American history. In today's present, coal has been used to create many modern conveniences

that we use. Coal is responsible for powering our electrical plants. It also provides heat, like in

the 1800s so people can use it for space heaters, fireplaces, stoves, and furnaces. Other essential
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factors are the materials used to make it into metallurgic coke, a carbonized form of coal; steel,

made by heating iron ore with coke in a blast furnace; and sulfur, extracted during the making of

sulfuric acid.

Major coal mine disasters

Significant coal disasters include the Benxihu Colliery Coal disaster, Senghenydd

Colliery Disaster, and Mitsubishi Tokyo Coal Mine Disaster.

Benxihu Colliery Coal disaster, China, 1938 involved the death of over 400 coal miners

and the collapse of a coal mine. It is considered to be the most catastrophic mining accident in

history. A combination of factors caused the disaster: shoddy tunnel construction, lack of

ventilation and shortened tunnels, coal dust buildup, and insufficient water supply (Gupta). The

disaster could not have occurred if the mining company's management had followed the safety

regulations and implemented basic safety practices. To prevent such a disaster in the future, the

management implemented several measures to improve mine safety. Such safety measures

included constructing proper ventilation systems, adequate water supplies, and mechanisms to

pump out the coal dust accumulated in the mines.

The Senghenydd coal disaster occurred on 18 October 1914 at the Senghenydd Colliery

in Wales, when an explosion caused 300 men to perish or become buried underground. It is

considered the worst mining disaster in Merseyside's history and possibly in Britain's history.

The explosion was traced to an accidental ignition of methane gas by a spark from an electrical

cable used for signaling purposes (Kumar). The disaster could not have occurred if the

management had fulfilled their responsibilities and the miners had followed the safety

regulations. To prevent such disasters in the future, the management enacted measures such as

gas venting, gas detection, and a closed-circuit electrical signaling system.

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The Mitsubishi Tokyo disaster occurred on 6 December 1943 at the No. 10 Coal Mine of

Mitsubishi (Tokyo) Steel Works at Yamaoka, Japan, a munitions factory that supplies raw

materials to the Japanese Navy. The explosion was caused by a coal dust explosion in which

1,131 workers were killed or died from suffocation following a second explosion on 11 January.

The deaths were later attributed to methane gas seeping in from an adjacent munitions factory

after two blasts in 1943 had caused a fire to burn for two days and killed 1,000 people

(Komamiya 115). The disaster could have been avoided if the Mitsubishi Company had

responded to a warning that poor ventilation was causing a buildup of dangerous levels of carbon

monoxide and methane. To prevent such incidents from occurring in the future, the management

ensured that all machinery was serviced regularly. The Tokyo Disaster Prevention Special

Committee was formed in August 1945 and concluded that some of the mines were not

adequately ventilated. Investigators concluded that methane might have been trapped in some

coal mining equipment.

Conclusion

Coal can be used as a source of energy since it is abundantly available, but there must be

some considerations to meet to avoid any related damages or disasters. First, the coal mines

should be set up in an appropriate location where they will not be exposed to any natural

calamities. Second, the coal mining machinery must be properly maintained to prevent the

trapping of methane gas inside of them. Safety measures such as ensuring proper ventilation,

having the mining equipment adequately maintained, and keeping checks periodic must also be

taken to prevent any harm to workers. Also, regular checks on the mine's structural stability must

be done to avoid any collapses in the mines. Coal mining must be undertaken using only the best

equipment, not only for the safety of workers but also to ensure that the extracted coal is of good
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quality. All these precautions and guidelines must be put in place and adhered to by companies

engaged in coal mining to prevent any harm or damages that could come in the future.
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References

Davis, Ralph. The rise of the English shipping industry in the seventeenth and eighteenth

centuries. No. 48. Oxford University Press, 2012.

Gupta, Akanksha. "The World's Worst Coal Mining Disasters." Mining Technology, 25 October

2021, www.mining-technology.com/features/feature-world-worst-coal-mining-disasters-

china/.

Komamiya, Kohgaku. "Changes of the Industry and the Disaster in Postwar Japan." Fire Safety

Science 4 (2000): 115-127.

Kumar, Aayush, et al. "Hazard and Risk in Mining Industry: A Case Study Based on

Senghenydd Colliery Disaster." Advances in Industrial Safety: Select Proceedings of

HSFEA 2018. Springer Singapore, 2020.

Luo, Xiao, et al. "Application of comprehensive geophysical prospecting method in the

exploration of coal mined-out areas." Advances in Civil Engineering 2019 (2019).