As the world's major coal mining nations reach higher levels of production, their coal reserves increasingly are found in lower seams. With technological breakthroughs developed by Joy Mining Machinery, longwall mining has helped improve coal recoveries from these low seams. This is especially true in China said Randy Cooper, Joy's Global Product Line Manager - Longwall Systems. "China is unique in the world in that every possible ounce of coal must be extracted," he said. In underground mining, nothing compares with the ability of the longwall shearer to accomplish this. The problems for China's coal miners are compounded. To maximize the recovery of underground reserves, they must first mine their thinner seams that usually overlay the thicker seams, Cooper said.
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