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Table 29. Average Recovery Percentage at Producing Underground Coal Mines by State and Mining Method, 2000
Coal-Producing State and Region Continuous1 Conventional2 Longwall3 Other4 Total
Alabama w - w - 53.61
Colorado 46.66 - 67.45 82.00 66.67
Illinois 48.58 - 57.33 - 53.21
Indiana w - - - w
Kentucky Total 50.06 56.51 56.68 - 50.44
  Eastern 50.34 56.51 50.00 - 50.45
  Western 49.43 - 57.34 - 50.41
Maryland w - w - 60.00
Ohio 60.77 - 60.00 - 60.12
Oklahoma w - - - w
Pennsylvania Total 61.09 76.65 65.96 80.00 65.07
  Anthracite 80.00 76.65 - 80.00 78.89
  Bituminous 60.74 - 65.96 - 64.99
Tennessee 64.18 - - - 64.18
Utah 58.55 - 48.73 - 50.72
Virginia 53.69 - 50.00 48.81 52.27
West Virginia Total 53.05 48.00 62.17 59.00 56.73
  Northern 59.53 - 60.78 - 60.37
  Southern 50.85 48.00 67.05 59.00 53.62
Appalachian Total5 53.11 54.44 59.98 52.64 56.30
Interior Total5 52.88 - 57.33 - 54.48
Western Total5 55.45 - 57.98 82.00 58.29
East of Miss. River 53.00 54.44 59.39 52.64 55.80
West of Miss. River 55.81 - 57.98 82.00 58.30
U.S. Total 53.16 54.44 59.00 65.58 56.23


1/ Mines that produce greater than 50 percent of coal by continuous mining method.
2/ Mines that produce greater than 50 percent of coal by conventional mining method.
3/ Mines that have any production from longwall mining method.  A typical longwall mining operation uses 80 percent longwall mining and 20 percent continuous mining.
4/ Mines that produce coal using shortwall, scoop loading, hand loading, or other mining methods or a 50/50 percent continuous/conventional split in mining method, or mines that produce less than 10,000 short tons, which are not required to provide data.
5/ For a definition of coal-producing regions, see Appendix C.
w/ Withheld to avoid disclosure of individual company data.
       Notes: Average recovery percentage represents the percentage of coal that can be recovered from coal reserves at reporting mines, weighted for all mines in the reported geographic area.  Excludes mines producing less than 10,000 short tons, which are not required to provide data.
       Sources: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-7A, "Coal Production Report" and U.S.  Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Form 7000-2, "Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report."