The Last Pit

[Barnze 27]

http://www.chad.co.uk/news/exclusive-thoresby-colliery-set-to-close-next-year-1-6537215

A bit sad to read that Notts last working pit is due to close.

Brings memories of good times and bad.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Very bad News. I grew up within the sound of Wollaton Pit. Sadly, if people don't use coal, it is no use mining it. Even all the coal fired power stations are set to be closed. By order of the EU.

[Barnze 27]

End of an era..

[darkazana 1,736]

We still use coal! We always make sure that we have an open fire wherever we live, just as I always have a gas cooker. It all helps when we have a power cut that we still have heat, light and something to cook on.

Sadly it is yet another British Trade going to the wall, as we import cheaper and inferior goods to our once great and independent land.

[colly0410 1,183]

All very well importing our coal/oil/gas (globalisation ect) cheap on the world markets, until we upset some despot & they cut it of, (like oil in 1973) & we always end up upsetting some Country or other...

[FLY2 10,109]

The treatment of our own industries by successive governments is diabolical. We keep being told British coal is inferior to Eastern European or South American . What crap. As I've said in other topics, some people have made a fortune in backhanders from demeaning our heritage and importing crap, then having the cheek to tell us it's the right thing to do. Less imports now or we will be even more reliant on other nations who can pull the plug if they have a gripe.

[mick2me 3,033]

Welcome Back Barnze

Where's the economics of Shipping Coal from another country to burn on home fires or in Power Stations in Notts?

[poohbear 1,360]

Half listening to a news report on Thoresby pit today, and it was mentioned that the production in one day from one open cast mine (not sure where abroad) was more than Thoresby could produce in a year. Not my subject...but that's helluva difference from an economic point of view.

[Stan 386]

Half listening to a news report on Thoresby pit today, and it was mentioned that the production in one day from one open cast mine (not sure where abroad) was more than Thoresby could produce in a year. Not my subject...but that's helluva difference from an economic point of view.

Whitehaven's Maules Creek Project, near the Leard State Forest, will extract 12-14 million tonnes of raw coal a year.

If given the final go ahead from the Federal Government, Whitehaven expects production to start mid-2013, with operations predicted to last around 30 years.

Thoresby Colliery opened in 1925 and at one point was one of 46 mines spread across Notts

At their peak in the early 1960s Notts mines produced more than 14 million tonnes of coal, with collieries spread from Cotgrave to Clipstone.

[mick2me 3,033]

Whitehaven's Maules Creek Project, near the Leard State Forest, will extract 12-14 million tonnes of raw coal a year.

At their peak in the early 1960s Notts mines produced more than 14 million tonnes of coal, with collieries spread from Cotgrave to Clipstone.

14M per year for all pits?

[BulwellBrian 107]

Coal output in the UK peaked at 287million tons in 1913. In 1946 Nottinghamshire produced 15million tons. Figures taken from the "Colliery Year Book & Coal Trades Directory" for 1947.

I think that Nottinghamshire output increased under the NCB following Nationalisation. The most northerly Notts colliery was Harworth which still exists although mothballed.

[Stan 386]

"At their peak in the early 1960s Notts mines produced more than 14 million tonnes of coal, with collieries spread from Cotgrave to Clipstone."

Just a figure quoted from the NEP article,Brian.

What an amazing figure that we were producing 287 million tons in 1913 .

[Stan 386]

Coal Production

Total production of raw black coal in Australia in financial year 2010-11 was 405 million tonnes (Mt.), down from 471 Mt. in 2009-10. This drop was largely as a result of the Queensland floods of January 2011 where production in that State fell by some 30% (see below).

After processing, 326 Mt. of black coal was available for both domestic use and for export in 2010-11. Again, this represented a drop in production of some 14% from the 366 Mt. produced in 2009-10.

New South Wales and Queensland remained the main producing states with around 97% of Australia's saleable output of black coal, and almost all of Australia's black coal exports. (Exports from Western Australia commenced in 2007.)

Australia has $26.5 billion in advanced coal mining projects and associated infrastructure, involving more than 74 million additional tonnes of coal production by 2014. ‘Less advanced’ coal mine and coal infrastructure projects have a potential capital expenditure of $46.6 billion, if all projects were to proceed.

[mick2me 3,033]

My opinion is that however low coal production became, if it kept people in work and that finances even went into the red to a certain extent, it was on the whole cheaper than having miners on the dole and associated benefits.

[FLY2 10,109]

Whilst ever there is coal beneath the UK, we should mine it now and not be held to ransom.

[mick2me 3,033]

The massive rise in the cost of utilities since the 1984 strike, changes the economics of keeping the pits open.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Half listening to a news report on Thoresby pit today, and it was mentioned that the production in one day from one open cast mine (not sure where abroad) was more than Thoresby could produce in a year. Not my subject...but that's helluva difference from an economic point of view.

Surly a better word for an open cast "mine" would be "quarry"

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Deep mining is a very expensive business, to equip a new face costs many millions these days, developing new faces is very costly too, more so in the thinner seams of the UK, OK at places like the now closed Daw Mill where the roads were driven in coal, so the coal produced part paid for the development.

Coal prices world wide are depressed at the moment, they were around $450 a tonne two years back, now they are below $100 a tonne.

Once UK coal has completely folded, there will only be one deep large colliery in the UK, and it looks like that one will be filled in soon.

[BulwellBrian 107]

Even Opencast mining in the UK is expensive and profits limited due to the restoration costs. In many places abroad restoration is limited therefore cost lower.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

I would like to see coal mined in this country again and burned in modern coal-fired power stations but I don't think this will happen.

[mick2me 3,033]

Cameroon is too worried about our 'Carbon Footprint'

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

My wife is always complaining about my muddy footprints.

[Stan 386]

Perhaps you should take your boots off in bed?

[mercurydancer 1,104]

"At their peak in the early 1960s Notts mines produced more than 14 million tonnes of coal, with collieries spread from Cotgrave to Clipstone."

Just a figure quoted from the NEP article,Brian.

What an amazing figure that we were producing 287 million tons in 1913 .

Yesterday I visited Beamish museum in Co Durham, which is a magnificent museum a little like Crich with the trams but on a larger scale, possibly 5 times the size. Part of Beamish museum tries to recreate life in 1913. One of the attractions there is a tour down the remnants of a drift mine. It really gives a perspective of the harsh conditions. It was a real mine in 1913, and a productive one too. The mine is barely 4ft 6in high, and the visitors wear hard hats, and trudge to the wet coal face crouched down. The coal face is real, and the tools used are real, so are the Davey lamps. The guides are ex-miners and the guide stated that 94% of the coal produced by the Durham coal field in 1913 was by pick and shovel. The total of 287 million tons was quoted by the guide. How on Go'd green earth they did it I will never know.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

There's still a few small mines in South Wales where they "get" the coal the hard way and in low faces.