Surface Coal Mine Layout

Infrastructure:

● Access Road: A well-maintained road providing entry and exit for haul trucks, personnel
vehicles, and equipment transport.
● Power Lines and Substation: Supplies electricity to operate the mine machinery and
facilities.
● Water Lines: Provides water for dust suppression, equipment cleaning, and other
operational needs.
● Drainage Ditches and Settling Ponds: Channels rainwater runoff and allows sediment to
settle before releasing clean water back into the environment.
● Fencing: Secures the mine perimeter for safety and restricts unauthorized access.

Facilities:

● Pit: The excavated area where coal is extracted.

● Overburden Stockpile: Area for storing the removed rock and soil (overburden) before
mining the coal seam.
● Coal Stockpile: Designated area for storing mined coal before transport.
● Processing Plant: Facility where raw coal is crushed, sized, and cleaned according to
customer specifications. This might include crushers, screens, and washing units.
● Maintenance Shop: Building equipped with tools and equipment for repairs and upkeep of
mining machinery.
● Warehouse: Stores spare parts, consumables, and other supplies needed for mine
operations.
● Administration Office: Houses mine management personnel and includes offices for
planning, production control, and safety.
● Explosive Storage (if applicable): Secure and properly ventilated magazine for storing
explosives used for blasting (in some surface mining methods).

Mine Layout Sketch:

Simple sketch (not to scale):

______ (Access Road)

/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
(Overburden Pit Coal) Processing Plant
Stockpile (Active Mining) Stockpile
\ /
\ /
\ /
\______/ (Drainage Ditch)

| Administration | | Maintenance | | Warehouse |

| Office | | Shop | | |
------------------ ------------------ ------------------

(Power Lines)
|
| (Water Lines)
|
(Fencing)------> (Settling Pond)

Note: This is a basic layout, and the specific arrangement of facilities will vary depending on the
size, type, and geology of the surface coal mine.