Appendix E: Coal Mining and Processing Methods | Coal
2 #0183;#32;Longwall mining is an automated form of underground coal mining characterized by high recovery and extraction rates, feasible only in relatively flatlying, thick, and uniform coal beds. A highpowered cutting machine (the shearer) is passed across the exposed face of coal, shearing away broken coal, which is continuously hauled away by a floorlevel conveyor system ( Figure ).