Tabas coal mine is the biggest and the only fully mechanized coal mine of Iran in which four DOSCO MD1100 roadheaders are working to excavate main tunnels and drift galleries. The mine production plan includes 2 phase as follows:
Phase 1:
Equipping and exploitation of central mine and mine No. 1 by producing 1.5 million tons of raw coal (750,000 tons of concentrate coal per year) using mechanized mining methods.
Phase 2:
Increasing the coal production up to 2.4 million tons per year in Parvadeh No. 4 mine using mechanized mining methods.
Use of Roadheaders in the Tabas coal mine is a consequence of mechanization process in central mines and mine No. 1, in which 4 Roadheader machines, DOSCO MD1100 ,made in England, are used to equip and excavate tunnels and drift galleries. DOSCO MD1100 Roadheader, which is classified in the range of light-duty to medium-duty machines, has been able to introduce itself as an ideal machine for excavating the mixed layer strata. There are 5 layers in Tabas coal field including: B1,B2,C1,C2 and D. C1 layer is the most suitable layer for mechanized mining due to the least variability in thickness (narrowing and swelling) - the thickness of layer varies from 1.8 to 2 m – and thus the main aim of plans is to mine this layer. The amount of annual production of central mine is determined about 200,000 tons of raw coal. The operating and equipping activities has been carried out by Parvadeh Coal Company of Tabas and extraction of this mine is continuing at present. The layer to be extracted from this mine is only C1 layer for now. Extraction in central mine is done by Room and Pillar mining method using 2 continuous miners and 4 LHD systems and material transferring equipments, which is mainly Conveyor Belt. For 100 meters depth the pillars are designed as square-shaped having 15.5 meters width. The safety factor considered for pillars as 2.68. For the depth of 100 to 150 meters, the dimension of squared pillars is 19.5 meters and the safety factor calculated for pillars is 2.47. In mine No. 1 the extraction operation is performed as fully mechanized method using Long Wall mining method. Totally 27 long wall panels have been designed for this mine. The first panel (E1) has been mined and second one (E2) is now being mined. To develop the mine three tunnels have been excavated and also, a forth slope tunnel branches out of tunnel number 3. The sum of the length of main tunnels is 13500 meters from which 500,000 tons of raw coal obtains during development process. All of these tunnels will be excavated by DOSCO MD1100 Roadheaders. Up to now, more than 7 kilometers of them have been excavated by Roadheaders supported by Tunnel Falat Pars Ltd and the process of excavating galleries is currently working. The main tunnels have a cross section between 15 to 20 square meters. The strengh of rock formations to be excavated by Roadheaders in Tabas coal mine can be summarized as below: Siltstone with an average uniaxial compressive strength of 44 MPa. Mudstone with an average uniaxial compressive strength of 18 MPa. And Coal with an average uniaxial compressive strength of 7 MPa.
DOSCO MD1100 Roadheaders approved their abilities to cut Sandstone with uniaxial compressive strength of 82 MPa in the Tabas coal mine.
During last a few years , TFP has a key role to supply and support not only Dosco's Roadheaders in Tabas coal mine but also , to supply other spare parts and equipment which this big mine needs, such as different type of Pumps , Electric parts , Shearer and Roof support spare parts, conveyor part, etc.
Recently TFP is decided to increase his role as a contractor in TABAS COAL MINE, you will see more news about this issue in our web site very soon.