Chapter 404 - Nanbao Coal Mine

After a simple survey by the prospecting team, the proven reserves of the Nanbao Coal Mine had reached thirty million tons. Though it wasn't a large coal mine, it was a precious resource for the energy-starved transmigrators. The coal seam here was shallow and the geological structure was simple, making it very suitable for open-pit mining. However, this deposit also had a flaw: it was lignite, which had low calorific value, high volatile matter, and was prone to spontaneous combustion and disintegration, making it unsuitable for long-distance transport. But for the transmigrators who urgently needed fuel, having coal to burn was already a blessing.

The Mining Group under the Industry and Energy Committee had already set up camp here. The person in charge was Ji Situi. Originally a college graduate majoring in mining engineering, he'd been working in sales since graduation. Now returning to his old profession, he felt somewhat unfamiliar.

Most of the equipment for the coal mine was "indigenous equipment." The excavators and conveyor belts originally planned remained just dreams on paper. In the end, they still had to rely on the simplest tools: pickaxes, shovels, and baskets.

The workers at the mine were mainly laborers recruited from nearby villages, along with some "model laborers" purchased from Guangzhou. These people worked in three shifts, digging out the black coal from the ground day and night.

Although it was open-pit mining, safety issues could not be ignored. The Mining Group had formulated strict safety regulations, but for these workers—most of them illiterate—enforcing them was quite difficult. Ji Situi could only rely on fines and strict supervision to maintain safety.

"Director Ji, the coal output today is a bit low." The captain of the mining team came to report, wiping his sweat. "We've dug up too much rock in the open pit recently, and it's taking too much effort to clear."

"Didn't I tell you to use explosives?" Ji Situi asked.

"We ran out of explosives. We've already sent a request to Bopu, but the new batch hasn't arrived yet."

"Urge them again." Ji Situi frowned. Without explosives, relying solely on manpower to dig rocks was indeed too inefficient.

The "standard explosive" used by the transmigrators prioritized safety and stability, mainly ammonium nitrate explosives. Black powder was powerful, but its safety was poor and it produced too much smoke, which affected line of sight in the mine pit. Although this was an open-pit mine, once they dug deep, smoke dissipation was also a problem.

To transport the coal out, the Ministry of Construction laid a simple light rail from the mining area to Nanbao town center. This narrow-gauge railway used wooden rails covered with iron sheets, pulled by draft animals or manpower. Though rudimentary, its transportation volume was much larger than using poles or wheelbarrows.

At the coal washing plant in Nanbao town, black coal was piled up like mountains. Workers were busy crushing, screening, and washing the coal. The washed clean coal would be sent to the briquette factory to be processed into honeycomb briquettes—this was currently the main form of coal usage in Lingao.

Burning raw lignite directly was not efficient and produced a lot of heavy smoke. Making it into honeycomb briquettes not only improved combustion efficiency but also made it convenient for daily use. Now, the cafeterias of the transmigrators and some wealthy households had begun to use honeycomb briquette stoves.

Wang Ruoxiang came to the Nanbao Coal Mine for inspection. As a member of the Executive Committee, she was very concerned about energy supply.

"Director Ji, how is the current coal production?" Wang Ruoxiang asked.

"It can basically meet current demand, but if the scale of industry expands further, it will become a strain," Ji Situi replied truthfully. "The main bottleneck is still transportation and mining efficiency. Relying on manpower is theoretically feasible, but in practice, management costs and accident rates remain high."

"The Executive Committee is considering allocating a few steam engines to you to power drainage pumps and winches. Would that help?"

"That would be excellent!" Ji Situi's eyes lit up. "With steam engines, we can consider deep mining. Even for open-pit mining, using winches to transport ore and waste rock is much faster than carrying them on human backs."

"And about the workers' lives," Wang Ruoxiang added. "Although they are laborers, basic living security must still be provided. Only when they have enough to eat and a safe place to sleep can they work hard."

Ji Situi nodded. "We've built a dedicated dormitory area and a canteen. Although the conditions are simple, they're much better than their homes. However, recently there have been some cases of malaria, and we're organizing treatment."

"Medical and health work must not be neglected. If an epidemic breaks out, the mine will have to stop production." Wang Ruoxiang instructed. "I'll coordinate with the Ministry of Health to send a medical team over."

After inspecting the mining area, Wang Ruoxiang visited the nearby brick and tile factory. This factory used gangue and low-quality coal from the coal mine as fuel to burn bricks and tiles, which was a comprehensive utilization of resources. The red bricks and tiles produced were continuously transported to Bopu and the Hundred Ren City construction sites.

"The development of Nanbao is very fast," Wang Ruoxiang observed. "A few months ago, this was still a wilderness."

"Yes—where there are resources, there are people." Ji Situi said with feeling. "However, the security issue here is also becoming prominent. There are often petty thefts, and occasionally fights."

"The Ministry of Police will increase the police force here. You also need to strengthen internal security management."

Leaving the coal mine, Wang Ruoxiang thought about the future layout. Nanbao would serve as an industrial town, providing energy and building materials support for the entire Lingao base. With the exploitation of limestone mines and the construction of cement factories, this place would become even busier.

(Chapter End)