[Resolution]

DebRoy, I'm speaking about the "planning stage" of Fiddlers Ferry, well before it began to be constructed. The fact that it was able to burn coal at all when built was down to pressure from local Councilors and MP's who supported them. My Father was but one of those. Before that, the origional plan was for OIL burning only!

And Shed Cat, ...I'm sorry fella, You're wrong. I myself have worked in the local mines around Fiddlers Ferry. Local seams were: Wigan 4 feet, Wigan 5 feet, Rushy Park (6 feet).....and coal used to pour off the coal face conveyors from the most modern coal cutting machines available anywhere.

In other areas like Nottingshire, Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Seams up to 20ft thick were not uncommon.....

.............and it's all still down there, 300 yrs worth........now flooded, and probably unreachable.


EDIT:

I'm sorry, I should explain. Once a mine has been closed, the pumps are stopped, and naturally it floods. Eventually the water breaks up the strata for miles and if you then try to mine into it.............it has no strength of it's own anymore, and breaks up if you try to mine into it (after you have spent decades pumping out the water that is!) Any ex-miner will tell you that our deep mined coal is still there. It was abandoned for ever around 1984. Now we have to pay the inflated price for our coal fuel on the world market........yet we have centuries of the stuff beneath our feet!


One day soon, "clean coal technology" will be a reality. Removing the carbon from the burning process. If this is in a gaseous form, it could be used to pump down the drying out oil wells in order to extract the "dregs" of the wells in the North sea. Just like Arthur Scargill said (in 1984) and GW Bush said: (in 2008).


Funny old world isn't it?