Longwall mining

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Longwall mining is a form of underground coal mining where a long wall of coal is mined in a single slice (typically 0.6–6.0 m (2 ft 0 in – 19 ft 8 in) thick). The section of rock that is being mined, known as the longwall panel, is typically 3–4 km (1.9–2.5 mi) long, but can be up to 7.5 km (4.7 mi) long and 250–400 m (820–1,310 ft) wide. The longwall method compares with shortwall, room-and-pillar, and several others.