AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES FOR RETREAT LONGWALL MINING.

The need for rapid and efficient roadway development is of importance in longwall mining. The decision of whether to advance or retreat hinges on this factor. It is of significance, and in contrast to UK mining practice, that in excess of 99% of all longwall mining in the USA is retreating. This emphasis is due to the advanced state-of-art development practices. The author discusses the multiple entry miner section development systems associated with longwall panels in the USA and shows that continuous miner sections and super sections may hold lessons for UK mining engineers.