Pyatts Quadrangle

The Herrin Coal was mined in the Pyatts Quadrangle, commonly having a thickness of over 7 feet. The roof material was often problematical, with pods or lenses of white top that came down readily, associated with slips and rolls that further contributed to poor roof conditions. Energy Shale, a gray sandy shale, was also present in some areas. In most areas, a competent limestone was present above the shale, and in some cases, was the immediate roof over the coal. Slips and rolls were present in a few mines, but not prevalent enough to cause a notable problem in mining. Pyrite was often present in bands, lenses and nodules, but most reported cases indicated the pyrite was easily removed when hand loading was practiced, as was the case with the underground mines in this area.

Two large surface mines operated in the Pyatts Quadrangle. Fidelity No. 11 Mine (mine index 0622) operated from 1929 to 1991, and Burning Star No. 2 Mine operated from 1951 to 1995. Fidelity No. 11 Mine ran into difficulties with poorly mapped underground workings. It is possible that many of the unlocated mines at the back of this report no longer exist because of later surface mining.

Coal Mines In Illinois Pyatts Quadrangle