A discrete section of an underground mine laid out for extraction, separated from adjacent sections by thick, unmined pillars of coal or rock. In panel mining, each block has its own ventilation and haulage systems. This isolation contains fires, gas outbursts, or roof collapses, preventing a localized disaster from spreading to the rest of the mine.
We finish pulling pillars in panel four next week, then we seal it and move the crew to the new district.
Related terms
District
A designated section of an underground mine where a specific crew works a defined coal seam.
Room and pillar
An underground mining method where material is extracted across a horizontal plane, leaving blocks of ore to support the roof.
Longwall
An underground coal mining method that extracts a wide panel in a single continuous slice.