Eastern Coalfields Raniganj coal mines
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Raniganj coal mines is a 33.9 million ton-per-annum (MTPA) system of coal mines on the Raniganj coalfield in West Bengal state, India.
Contents
Location
The map below shows the location of Raniganj, in Bardhaman District, West Bengal State. The Raniganj coalfield is located in the West Bengal districts of Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura, and Purulia, and the Jharkhand district of Dhanbad, over an area of 754 square kilometers.[1]
Background on Mine
The Raniganj coalfield was first mined in 1774, and is the oldest coal mine in India. In 1973, the various privately-owned coal mines at Raniganj were nationalized, and put under the management of Eastern Coalfields Limited (a subsidiary of Coal India) in 1975. ECL operates a total of 98 mines on the Raniganj coalfield, of which 77 are underground and 21 open-cast; the mines employ about 73,000 workers. The coalfield's proven reserves total 16.9 billion tons.[1]
Coal fires are frequent in the open-cast mines of Raniganj.[2]
Proposed Expansion
ECL intends to expand Raniganj to 50 MTPA capacity.[1]
Mine Details
- Sponsor: Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL)
- Parent company: Coal India
- Location: Various districts in West Bengal and Jharkhand States, India
- Coordinates: 23.61672, 87.13333 (exact) (ca. 23.5-23.9 N, 86.7-87.3 W)
- Status: Existing
- Capacity: 33.9 MTPA
- Proven reserves: 16,940 MT
- In service: 1774/1973
- Permits:
- Coal type:
- Mining method: 77 underground & 21 open-cast mines
- Source of financing:
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Corporate Information, Eastern Coalfields Limited website, accessed May 2015.
- ↑ Guha, Kumar, & Kamaraju. A Satellite-Based Study of Coal Fires and Open-Cast Mining Activity in Raniganj Coalfield, West Bengal. Current Science 95 (11) (2008): 1603-1607.
