The decision of the Management Board, which had been expected for several months, should help intensify the mining works in this area and contribute to a faster launch of mining of coking coal. The recoverable coal reserves of the new mine are estimated at over 180 million tons of coal in the Bzie-Dębina 1-Zachód deposit (nearly 71.5 million tons of reserves; JSW intends to obtain a concession for this deposit by the year-end) and Bzie-Dębina 2-Zachód (113.8 million tons, JSW already holds the license). Roughly 95% of reserves in the Bzie-Dębina deposits consist of type 35 hard coking coal.
At present, the research works carried out in the Bzie field involve expansion of the network of holes used to explore the deposit better (5 holes). Also, heading works are conducted in order to open seams of coal. In order to improve process, the personnel and materials transport shaft must also be furnished with all necessary equipment. On the other hand, in order to improve ventilation, a ventilation shaft should be built along with all the necessary mine infrastructure, except for a coal preparation plant, since the output from Bzie will be processed by the modernized Preparation Plant at Zofiówka.
According to the company management, the spinning off of the Bzie Dębina mine from the structures of the Integrated Mine will significantly expedite the mining of coking coal and sort out the structure of the Borynia–Zofiówka–Jastrzębie mine, which has been the largest mine in the Polish mining industry to date. The Borynia Section pursues its activity in the mining area of 17.4 square kilometers. The Jastrzębie Section – in the mining area of 8.3 square kilometers. And the Zofiówka Section – in the mining area of 16.4 square kilometers. The three sections currently have 8,264 employees in total. The mine consists, among others, of: 2 coal preparation plants, 15 mine shafts with various intended uses, five mining levels and five ventilation levels, a few hundred mine workings, a complex ventilation network, coal transport and haulage systems. Additionally, the Zofiówka Section managed the process of opening and industrial development of coking coal reserves in the Bzie-Dębina 2 deposit.
“Managing such a complex organization involved coming across various obstacles. The decision to spin off the Bzie-Dębina mine will allow us to focus exclusively on its expansion and, consequently, on mining coking coal from the Bzie-Dębina 2-Zachód deposit faster,” said Daniel Ozon, President of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa.
