The Dry Fork mine is a coal mine located 8 miles north of Gillette, Wyoming in the United States in the coal-rich Powder River Basin. The mine is an open pit mine that utilizes truck and shovel mining method to mine a low-sulfur, sub-bituminous coal that is used for domestic energy generation and shipped to customers via railroad. In 2011, the mine began supplying coal to the newly constructed Dry Fork power station that was constructed adjacent to the mine. The mine is currently owned and operated by Western Fuels Association.
As of 2009, Dry Fork had reserves of 330 mm tons of sub-bituminous coal and a maximum permitted production capacity of 15mm tons per year. Typical annual production has been in 5.2mm ton range for the last several years though. In 2008, the mine produced just over 5.2 million short tons of coal, making it the 37th-largest producer of coal in the United States.
The average quality of the coal shipped from Dry Fork is 8,050-8,200 BTU/lb, 0.20-0.42% Sulfur, 3.8-5.1% Ash, and 1.50% Sodium (of the ash). Train loading operations at the mine are done with a batch weigh bin system that is coupled to a "weigh-in-motion" track scale system. Silo capacity at the mine's rail loop, which can accommodate a single unit train, is 10,800 tons.
History
The Dry Fork mine shipped its first coal to members of the Western Fuels Association in 1990 and is run by Western Fuels-Wyoming an associate of Western Fuels. Since opening, Dry Fork has shipped 69.5mm tons of coal.
Production
Year Coal production Employees 2018 6,304,022 83 2017 6,045,618 82 2016 6,141,433 82 2015 6,369,206 79 2014 5,373,973 79 2013 5,433,936 78 2012 6,006,787 77 2011 5,776,092 79 2010 5,448,073 71 2009 5,232,451 67 2008 5,261,242 71 2007 5,310,716 70 2006 5,860,998 69 2005 4,093,611 61 2004 4,533,621 61 2003 4,363,683 61 2002 4,891,403 65 2001 4,029,100 68 2000 2,268,720 34 1999 1,219,590 9 1998 1,030,718 9 1997 918,224 8 1996 2,945,662 39 1995 3,606,453 47 1994 3,836,228 51 1993 3,279,801 49 1992 3,453,340 49 1991 2,786,946 43 1990 736,641 32 1989 0 3
References
External links Dry Fork Mine at tic-inc.com