Feature Stories
John Grogan: The Last Mine Standing in the UK Can Dig Out a Future
October 21, 2014
Hatfiled Colliery, where scenes from the film Brassed Off were shot, is the British coal mine that refuses to die. Despite four periods of administration since privatization, it is now the last deep coal mine in the United Kingdom not
Southern Illinois University’s New Technology for Dust Control in Underground Mines Hit the Market
October 21, 2014
A new technology for controlling dust in underground mining operations, developed by researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has made its way into the marketplace. The university recently awarded a sole source licensing agreement to Minerals Development Technologies Inc., a
Permit Delays Hurt U.S. Mining and Manufacturing
October 20, 2014
Last year, Hecla’s Lucky Friday mine in the Silver Valley produced 1.5 million ounces of silver. Not one of those ounces came downhill to Ground Force Manufacturing in Post Falls, to Titan Spring in Hayden, or to any other North
Colorado’s Hayden Coal-fired Power Plant Going Strong with New Developments Underway
October 17, 2014
For nearly 50 years, it’s been providing power to Northwest Colorado, and Hayden Station shows no sign of stopping with new developments on the horizon in its objective of providing power for Moffat and Routt counties. The coal-fired power plant
Oklahoma Leads the Nation in Gypsum Mining
October 14, 2014
The next time you bite down into a Twinkie, know there is a good chance part of it was mined out of a mesa south of Little Sahara State Park. The same goes for the beer you may order at
As Big Companies Exit Coal Business, New Class of Buyers Emerge
October 7, 2014
OAO Severstal got $60 million when it sold PBS Coals Ltd. in July, less than a tenth of what it paid for the Appalachia mining company six years ago. The worst U.S. coal market in decades is driving the Russian
Mining Regulations Threaten U.S. Economic Momentum
September 29, 2014
The National Association of Manufacturers recently reported that complying with federal regulations costs the United States $2 trillion per year. While the manufacturing industry faces the burden of these regulations, another key obstacle stands in the way of industry development
Coal Must Be Part of America’s Energy Future
September 24, 2014
Along with oil and natural gas, coal is an essential part of the energy tripod that keeps the American economy the largest in the world. In fact, coal is still America’s most abundant energy resource. As recently as 2009, it
Can South Africa Implement Mechanized Mining Methods Successfully?
September 22, 2014
The labor turbulence recently experienced in the Western Bushveld’s platinum mines has led to renewed calls for South Africa’s mining industry to implement mechanized mining methods in order to realize greater efficiencies, reduce reliance on labor and achieve long-term sustainability.
Virtual Tour of Nevada’s Mining Industry Goes 1,000 Feet Below the Earth’s Surface
September 12, 2014
Greg Murtha has been many places creating multimedia virtual tours as president of Incline Village-based Xplorit Multimedia Technologies, from the U.S. Open Surfing Championships at Huntington Beach, Calif. to Kennedy Space Center in Orlando. But his latest virtual tour of
