The Dark Story of Britain’s Most Expensive Mining Experiment скачать в хорошем качестве

The Dark Story of Britain’s Most Expensive Mining Experiment

In 1967, National Coal Board geologists discovered 2 billion tonnes of coal beneath North Yorkshire—enough for 50 years. Problem: it lay 600-1,200 meters deep, beneath the Sherwood Sandstone aquifer (massive water-bearing formation). Engineers warned mining beneath pressurized groundwater was dangerous. Derek Ezra (NCB Chairman) pushed forward anyway. 1976: government approved £600M investment (£3B today equivalent). Construction 1978-1983: 5 interconnected drift mines (Wistow, Riccall, Stillingfleet, Whitemoor, North Selby), 200km underground roadways, 8,000 workers at peak. Gascoigne Wood processing plant: 10M tonnes/year capacity. 1983: production began. Peak 1993-94: 12M tonnes/year (45% UK deep-mined coal). Problem: production costs £45/tonne, imports £32/tonne. Required £40M annual subsidies. 1988: major water breach at Wistow, 3-month shutdown. February 2, 2004, 9:47 AM: continuous miner at Wistow breached abandoned 1960s drift filled with millions of liters of pressurized water. 900 men evacuated safely (zero deaths). Water flowed 6 weeks. Pumps overwhelmed in 24 hours. March 2004: closure announced, 1,500 workers redundant. Total mined: 121M tonnes over 21 years. Investment: £3B+. Sold for scrap. Underground: permanently flooded, sealed with concrete. Legacy: 50M liters/day discharged into River Aire (perpetual treatment costs £1.5M/year). SOURCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selby_C... https://nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/coal-mi... https://selbycoalfield.home.blog/ https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons...) https://grokipedia.com/page/Selby_Coa... If British industrial history and engineering failures fascinate you, subscribe and comment. #SelbyCoalfield #DerekEzra #BritishMining #NorthYorkshire #IndustrialFailure Selby Coalfield Complex flooding 2004, Derek Ezra National Coal Board, Sherwood Sandstone aquifer, Gascoigne Wood mine Yorkshire, drift mining technique, UK Coal privatization, Wistow Riccall mines, British coal industry decline, 1984 miners strike, abandoned mine flooding disaster