Mine Index 0688 Freeman United Coal Mining Corporation, Orient No. 4 Mine

Mine Index Number: 0688

Company Name:	Freeman United Coal Mining Corporation
Mine Name:	Orient No. 4 Mine
Start Date:	1952	End Date:	May 1987
Type of Mine:	Underground
Total acres shown:	6,462
Acres after map date:		General Area of mining acres shown:

Shaft, Slope, Drift or Tipple Location(s)

Type	County	Township-Range	Section	Part Section

Main slope

Williamson

8S 3E

28

NW NE SE

Air slope

Williamson

8S 3E

28

SW NE SE

Air / man / material slope

Williamson

8S 3E

26

1750 FNL, 850 FEL

Air shaft (10 ft - upcast)

Williamson

8S 3E

26

SE SE NE

Shaft (14 ft)

Williamson

8S 4E

30

1039 FSL, 823 FEL

Geology

		Thickness (ft)
Seam	Depth (ft)	Min	Max	Ave	Mining Method

Herrin

275-300

5.5-7.33

RPP, HERThe high-extraction retreat method was more prevalent in the east half of the mine.

Geological Problems Reported

The mine intersected some normal or strike-slip faults, some with displacements up to 80 feet, all part of the Cottage Grove Fault System (see ISGS Circular 522, Cottage Grove Fault System). Most of the fault offsets were small, from a few inches to just less than 15 feet, but a few were up to 80 feet. The source map indicated “bad top” near the faulted areas. An oil seep was noted, and water and gas also entered along the fault planes. Many of the western parts of the mine noted water and bad top at the furthest extent of mining. Faults were reported throughout the mine, sometimes requiring a change in the configuration of rooms. Older portions of the mine collected water and were sealed. The gray shale roof displayed slickensides. In some areas of the mine, the roof was black shale. The coal seam contained some pyrite and calcite filled some cleats.

Production

Company

Mine Name

Date

Production (tons)

Freeman Coal Mining Corporation (add)	Freeman No. 4 (add)	1952-1960	8,484,508

Freeman Coal Mining Corporation (add)	Orient No. 4 (add)	1961-1974	15,834,003

Freeman United Coal Mining Corporation (add)	Orient No. 4 (add)	1975-1987	11,357,238

Total Production: 35,675,749

Production Notes

Coal Report production (if available)

Sources of Data

Source Map

Map Date

Original Scale

Digitized Scale

Map Type

Company, Coal Section files, 6-429

5-15-1987

1:12000

1:12000

Final

Annotated Bibliography (Data source - brief description of information)

Coal Reports - Production, ownership, years of operation, thickness.

Directory of Illinois Coal Mines (Williamson County) - Mine names, mine index, ownership, years of operation.

Mine notes (Williamson County) - Mine type, slope and shaft locations, seam, depth, geologic problems.

Company map, Coal Section files, 6-429 - Slope and shaft locations, mine outline, mining method, geologic problems.