Kentucky Energy (fka QMIN)

[kojak79]

Unlike manufacturing, where you have a plant built to a specific size to house the equipment necessary to maximize output, coal mines have to develop, or "dig" their way into enough room to add equipment.

They're probably cutting five or six entries, or headings, each about 18-20 wide. A continuous miner is roughly 35 ft long by 14 wide. The shuttle cars are about 30 ft. long by 64" (NOT 64') wide. A roof bolting machine is about the same as the sc. Until they advance the coal faces to fit more equipment, don't be alarmed by the rate. The way it is now, it's like taking dancing lessons in an elevator - there just isn't enough room, yet.

Now that they have enough room for a 2nd sc, they can develop space for more equipment more quickly. And with that comes higher productivity.