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Post by tygwyn on Mar 29, 2014 13:30:00 GMT -5
Not sure if this is true,but its been mentioned on the Welsh Forum,that the funding has been withdrawn on both these Pits,and their on an 18mth closure plan,
Who`s withdrawing the funding?
They were UK Coal Pits,but after the pension deficit with UK Coal and closure of Daw Mill,and transfer of liability to? a government funded company to secure the pensions,maybe its in-line with the energy policy to be coal free by 2030.
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Post by Wheldale on Mar 29, 2014 14:06:49 GMT -5
Shocking news! Kellingley has a couple of years left then requires major money to develope more reserves, Thoresby I read somewhere has reserves until 2019. I doubt anyone will want to take these two pits on.
Hatfield never seems to do so well either. Sounds like the end of coal in the UK. I bet the environmentalists will be dancing at the news!
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Post by Wheldale on Mar 29, 2014 14:19:04 GMT -5
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Post by John on Mar 29, 2014 14:36:58 GMT -5
Shocking news! Kellingley has a couple of years left then requires major money to develope more reserves, Thoresby I read somewhere has reserves until 2019. I doubt anyone will want to take these two pits on. Hatfield never seems to do so well either. Sounds like the end of coal in the UK. I bet the environmentalists will be dancing at the news! I wonder how the "tree huggers" will handle much larger electric bills?  OR, even worse, selective power cuts. You'll see "tree huggers" start to complain when it affects them too. |
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Post by Wheldale on Mar 29, 2014 14:53:30 GMT -5
This will play into the government hands quite well. With the austerity measures in place they won't help the mines. Then most probably back handers will be flying about as the government starts large scale fracking and coal bed methane operations. Either way the environmentalists won't be happy!
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Post by John on Mar 29, 2014 16:20:11 GMT -5
I can't see the UK government getting involved in coal again, the industry has been too run down since privatization..As we all know, it's a costly business and most UK seams are just not very forgiving in yielding profits.
Most of the "easy" coal has been won long before privatization, all that seems to be available is deep faulted seams under land that nobody will grant permission to mine.
Lets be honest, would any of you lads want mining to go on under your houses?? I know I wouldn't, plus there's a lot of sensitivity regarding damaging the picturesque countryside these days. Even 40 years ago there was objections to mining coal under the Vale of Belvoir from Cotgrave Colliery, I don't know whether it was allowed, I'd have to dig my plans out and check.
There's the same seams going under Lincolnshire, but the costs of exploiting them are too high for private enterprise.
Then the other major problem now, skilled mine workers and certified Deputy's, Managers, Undermanagers, Elec and Mech engineers, elecs and fitters..It's been a long time since most of the industry closed up, and there's been very few new people trained to the required standard since.
So where would the skilled experienced mineworkers come from now??? Probably the youngest experienced men would be well into their 50's, and chances are, most wouldn't be interested in going back underground now.
Best you could hope for, would be those men would come back and train a new generation before their skills are lost forever.
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Post by tygwyn on Mar 29, 2014 16:54:31 GMT -5
[quote author=" Wheldale" Sounds like the end of coal in the UK. Not quite,in that dark distant land they call Cymru,we have one Deep Mine and one Smallmine, And one Deep Mine with vast reserves,no one want`s, The working Deep Mine is thinking of expanding its workforce to possibly 100 and the Smallmine is kind of developing,on and off working,which is a shame as it has a 4 million ton possible take,and both Anthracite, But Walter`s Energy American or Canadian is as i believe asset stripping Aberpergwm,a few thousand ton a week with around 70 odd men,but No development on the new drift into the old Treforgan take,without that,its only time, And that brings it back to the Smallmine,Dan y graig No.4,i worked in Dan y graig No.2 back in 78/79,we had a dispute with the owner,a right bastard,you know the type ,driving a TR7 looking down at you like nuts,so down 3 of us went to the NUM lodge at Treforgan Colliery,we were met by the Biggest,Uglyest 4 men that ever wore orange overalls,looking at at these guy`s we told them our problem,Smirking all over their faces they told us. ``Don`t work in holes in the mountain boy`s,come to work for the board``,it was shut in 83 Glad we did`nt go,or we`d have ended up fat and ugly,lol Strange how the wheel turns. |
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Post by Wheldale on Mar 29, 2014 17:20:08 GMT -5
There is still Hatfield in England and Hill Top. Future is looking bleak. Also there is Harworth but I doubt that will turn any coal. Strange that UK Coal never closed it, just mothballed it?
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Post by bulwellbrian on Mar 30, 2014 3:42:20 GMT -5
I can't see the UK government getting involved in coal again, the industry has been too run down since privatization..As we all know, it's a costly business and most UK seams are just not very forgiving in yielding profits.
Most of the "easy" coal has been won long before privatization, all that seems to be available is deep faulted seams under land that nobody will grant permission to mine.
Lets be honest, would any of you lads want mining to go on under your houses?? I know I wouldn't, plus there's a lot of sensitivity regarding damaging the picturesque countryside these days. Even 40 years ago there was objections to mining coal under the Vale of Belvoir from Cotgrave Colliery, I don't know whether it was allowed, I'd have to dig my plans out and check.
There's the same seams going under Lincolnshire, but the costs of exploiting them are too high for private enterprise.
Then the other major problem now, skilled mine workers and certified Deputy's, Managers, Undermanagers, Elec and Mech engineers, elecs and fitters..It's been a long time since most of the industry closed up, and there's been very few new people trained to the required standard since.
So where would the skilled experienced mineworkers come from now??? Probably the youngest experienced men would be well into their 50's, and chances are, most wouldn't be interested in going back underground now.
Best you could hope for, would be those men would come back and train a new generation before their skills are lost forever. Asfordby was built to mine under the vale of Belvoir |
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Post by tygwyn on Mar 30, 2014 5:31:48 GMT -5
Hatfield has you mentioned previously has had one problem after the other,Hargreaves pulling out and the workers buyout,i wish them luck,but will they be able to raise money for developement,looking doubtful in this climate.
Hill Top is shut,and up for sale,last deputy left to work in Boulby and they could`nt find a replacement.
What`s the news on Eckington,someone mentioned it had gone into administration again,then an ex sparkie mentioned it was still going,the last quarter they did`nt rise much coal,but that could be down to development.
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Post by tygwyn on Apr 1, 2014 12:54:05 GMT -5
Apparently,no developments going ahead at Thorsby but there is at Kellingley,there`s around 20 Welsh boy`s up there on salvage with contractors.
900 men in a 1 face Colliery,cannot see that going on for long.
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Post by Wheldale on Apr 1, 2014 13:31:40 GMT -5
I thought there were about 600 miners at Kellingley, 900 seems excessive. I do know that kellingley has been operating faces over 300 meters in width, big faces.
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Post by Minutor on Apr 2, 2014 11:19:36 GMT -5
Been more news today UK Coal looking for government help, didn't the Pension Protection Fund bale these pits out last year? There's a lot of cheap coal around the world at present especially out of the USA.
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Post by Minutor on Apr 2, 2014 15:02:24 GMT -5
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Post by Wheldale on Apr 2, 2014 15:16:16 GMT -5
I know it's not much but there is possibley a new small mine in yorkshire and a couple of drift mines in South Wales.
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Post by tygwyn on Apr 2, 2014 16:26:24 GMT -5
I cannot remember the name of the proposed Smallmine in Yorkshire,but if its output is destined to the power station it looks like it may not open,the same as Unity in the Neath Valley,nobody seems to want to work it,
The only advantage that Aberpergwm and Dan y graig have is their both Anthracite,but Walters Energy who run Aberpergwm have no immeadiate pland to re-start the new drift,and without that its asset stripping,only time till that gets the plug pulled,and Dan y graig seems to have gone quiet on the grape vine,one level was nearly in the new take,but the other has around 200yds of old gobs to drive through,shame as most of its take is free draining.
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Mick
Shotfirer.
Posts: 163
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Post by Mick on Apr 6, 2014 15:56:23 GMT -5
Talking too are local MP friday just after she came from Kellingley and it looks very much like by the end of this month that's it no more coal from big K,the goverment are not intrested in helping i out which i would think most of us already new.If it had been a bloody bank or something like that the money would be there,but as was stated on the new last week this goverment is not going to bail out any pit with tax payers money.
Mick.
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OR, even worse, selective power cuts.
