In the past few decades, great strides have been made in coal mining and processing technology. There is still valuable coal in some aged refuse piles, and even prep plant refuse piles, due to inefficient mining and processing methods employed years ago. Recovering coal from these gob/refuse piles has become economically feasible with the low cost of FGX technology.
The FGX dry coal processing method is principally a deshaling method which provides effective separation between rock and coal. More importantly, FGX is a simple process with low operating costs, usually US $0.5-0.6 per raw ton. Thus, FGX dry separation is a viable option for recovering coal from gob or refuse piles. Since gob/refuse piles are notoriously harmful to the environment, removal of these waste piles by FGX also contributes to building a better environment. Using FGX technology for gob pile recovery and refuse pile recovery has many economic and environmental benefits.