Coal mining has been performed since the arrival of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century. Coal is used as a fuel primarily for steam-generated electrical power plants, as well as being a component of certain industrial applications, such as steel manufacturing. Coal is widely distributed over the planet, either as underground seams which must be mined, or as deposits located closer to the earth’s surface. The latter can be extracted at the surface by removal of the topmost layer of earth and rock covering the coal seam.... Read More >>
Read More