1970 - 1983: The Energy Development Company and
The Resource Exploration Mining Company at Hanna, Wyoming
Notes from Bob Leathers with contributions from Steve Fogleman, Bill Becker and Jerry Blare
Energy Development Company and Resource Exploration Mining Companies
1969 - 1970 Mine Development
1971 - 1982 Coal Production
1969 - 1970 Mine Development
1971 - 1982 Coal Production
The Energy Development Company started coal production in the Hanna Basin in 1970. The company was involved in mine development approximately a year prior to that. The company employed a drilling company from Edgemont, South Dakota to do core drilling for the mine's coal studies. The drilling company later became the Resource Exploration and Mining Company and they expanded to do surface mining for Energy Development.
The Resource Exploration and Mining Company operated the Rimrock No. 1 and No. 2 surface mines west of Hanna. Rimrock No. 1 started coal production in 1970 and the Rimrock No. 2 followed in 1971. Coal production for both mines ended in 1983. The two mines were in production for 14 years. Over those years the two Rimrock Mines produced a total of 7,858,518 tons of coal with no work related deaths. The two mines had a peak employment in 1978 of 82 workers.
Energy Development Company, operated the Vanguard No. 1 and Vanguard No. 2 underground mines.Vanguard No. 1 opened production in 1971 and closed in 1973. Over the three years of production Vanguard No. 1 produced 706,634 tons of coal with a peak employment of 115 workers. In 1971, Charles Price was killed at the mine. The Hanna Miner's Monument in the Hanna Cemetery indicates that Gary Oviatt and Tom Yabeny were both killed in the Hanna mines. They were both seriously injured in the Vanguard No. 1 Mine in 1972, but not killed. The monument is in error.
The Vanguard No. 2 mine started production in 1974 and ended production in 1982. It produced a total of 3,093,884 tons of coal over 9 years, with a peak employment of 233 workers in 1979. The underground mine experienced four deaths: Daniel Blanton in 1979, Dale Hulse in 1981, Cordel Renfrow in 1982, and Steven Olives in 1982.
The Resource Exploration and Mining Company operated the Rimrock No. 1 and No. 2 surface mines west of Hanna. Rimrock No. 1 started coal production in 1970 and the Rimrock No. 2 followed in 1971. Coal production for both mines ended in 1983. The two mines were in production for 14 years. Over those years the two Rimrock Mines produced a total of 7,858,518 tons of coal with no work related deaths. The two mines had a peak employment in 1978 of 82 workers.
Energy Development Company, operated the Vanguard No. 1 and Vanguard No. 2 underground mines.Vanguard No. 1 opened production in 1971 and closed in 1973. Over the three years of production Vanguard No. 1 produced 706,634 tons of coal with a peak employment of 115 workers. In 1971, Charles Price was killed at the mine. The Hanna Miner's Monument in the Hanna Cemetery indicates that Gary Oviatt and Tom Yabeny were both killed in the Hanna mines. They were both seriously injured in the Vanguard No. 1 Mine in 1972, but not killed. The monument is in error.
The Vanguard No. 2 mine started production in 1974 and ended production in 1982. It produced a total of 3,093,884 tons of coal over 9 years, with a peak employment of 233 workers in 1979. The underground mine experienced four deaths: Daniel Blanton in 1979, Dale Hulse in 1981, Cordel Renfrow in 1982, and Steven Olives in 1982.
Website Note: The local mining maps show four Rimrock mines. The Wyoming Mine Inspector Reports from
1970 - 1983 provided coal production numbers for only two Rimrock mines, Rimrock No. 1 and Rimrock No. 2. The assumption is that Rimrock three and four were added to the production numbers of mines number 3 and 4.
1970 - 1983 provided coal production numbers for only two Rimrock mines, Rimrock No. 1 and Rimrock No. 2. The assumption is that Rimrock three and four were added to the production numbers of mines number 3 and 4.
Energy Development and Resoure Exploration Mine Fatalities
View the name of the 1 man killed in the Vanguard No. 1 mine.
View the names of the 4 men killed in the Vanguard 2 mine.
Energy Development's and Resource Exploration's Tipple / Dump Number One West of Hanna
Energy Development Company was responsible for the underground mining and Resource for the open pit mining. The Energy Development Company did not own much heavy equipment. The Resource Exploration Mining Company provided all the heavy equipment for road construction and overburden removal. Resource also did all the drilling, blasting and coal removal at the open pit mines. Energy owned and operated all the Tipple / Dump operations which were shared by both mining companies.
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Tipple/Dump Site Map. The Site was Next to the abandoned Rosebud Tipple used in the early 1960's. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Start Up, magazine and trailer. June 1970 (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Tipple House. June 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. First Dump Site. June 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Setting Crusher Forms. March 1970. Curt Brown and Jerry Meranda. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Setting the Crusher. June 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Crusher Set. Fogie Observing. June 1970, (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Installing the Conveyor from the Crusher. June 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Crusher and Conveyor Set. June 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Derailment of Union Pacific Engine near the Crusher and Conveyor Set. 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Stipping For Coal. June 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Energy Express Way. June 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman) Collection)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Exposed Coal Seam. June 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman) Collection)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Setting Charges to Blast the Coal Seam. Aug. 1, 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Coal Seam Ready to be Shot. Dust Devil in the Background. July 15,1970 (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming.. Energy Development Company. Blasting the Coal. July 15, 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. First Load of Coal Hauled to the Dump. July 15, 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Loading the Coal Feed Belt. July 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Loading the Railroad Coal Cars. July 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. First Train of Coal Shipped from Hanna. July 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Energy Development's and Resource Exploration's Tipple / Dump Number Two West of Hanna
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Second and Much Larger Dump West of Hanna. Unit Train Loading Coal. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Second Dump. Unit Train Loading. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Second Dump. Dump Used By Both Energy and Resource. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleson)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Second Dump for Both Energy and Resource. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Company. Second Dump Used By Energy and Resource. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna, Wyoming. Energy Development Coal Company. Dump for Energy"s Vanguard Underground Mines. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Energy Development's Vanguard Underground Mine
Entrance to the Vanguard No. 1 mine. Energy Development opened the Vanguard No. 1 mine in 1970. (Milan "Fogie" Fogleman)
Hanna Energy Development Coal Company's Office Building Which Is Today the Hanna Town Office (While Family Collection by Bob Leathers)
Hanna Energy Development Coal Company Office Building Which Is Today The Hanna Town Offices (While Family Collection by Bob Leathers)
Resource Exploration Coal Mining Company Was Responsible For Drilling and Blasting the Coal
Hanna Resource Exploration Mining Coal Company's Office Which Is An Apartment Building Today (While Family Collection by Bob Leathers)
Shooting overburden at the Rimrock mine.
The videos and still images below are from the Bill Becker Collection.
The videos and still images below are from the Bill Becker Collection.
Bill Becker Collection
Hanna, Wyoming. Resource Exploration Mining Company.Blasting Overburden at the Rimrock Mine. (Bill Becker Collection)
Hanna, Wyoming. Resource Exploration Mining Company. Blasting Overburden at the Rimrock Mine. (Bill Becker Collection)
1976
Resource Exploration's Rimrock Open Pit Mine, Just West of the Hanna Cemetery
Resource Exploration developed an open pit mine just west of the Hanna cemetery in about 1976. The company used some of the most advanced and modern equipment available at the time to develop the mine. The mine company purchased the H241 Demagogue shovel, pictured below, for loading coal and rock. It was the largest hydraulic shovel in the world at the time.
The H241 Demag shovel used at the Rimrock mine was at the time the largest hydraulic shovel in the world. Jerry Blare and his pickup is pictured with the Demag. Jerry was also the operator of the shovel. (Jerry Blare Collection)
Large equipment was need to remove the dirt and rock covering the coal seam. (Jerry Blare Collection)
Large equipment was need to remove the dirt and rock covering the coal seam. (Jerry Blare Collection)
Large earth movers uncovered the coal seam. (Jerry Blare Collection)
Large dozers piled the earth for removal. Elk Mountain is in the background. (Jerry Blare Collection)
Large earth scrapers were necessary to remove the top soil from the coal seam. The top soil was stored for reclamation purposes. (Jerry Blare Collection)
Large equipment was necessary to remove the top soil from the coal seam. (Jerry Blare Collection)
Blasting the rock wall was necessary for removal of the overburden from the top of the pit. (Jerry Blare Collection)
The blast hole rig on the north side of the equipment was operated by Bill Becker. He drilled a blast hole at an angle to protect the power lines above the pit from flying dirt and rock. (Jerry Blare Collection)
Resource and Energy Mine Maps
Resource Exploration's Rimrock Mine Locations West of Hanna
Maps from Google Earth by Bill Becker
Rimrock No. 1
Rimrock No. 2
Rimrock No. 3
Rimrock No. 4
The Vanguard No. 2 Underground Mine started production in 1974 and ended production in 1982. During Vanguard No. 2's nine years of operation, it produced 3,093,884 tons of coal with a peak employment in 1979 of 233 workers. In 1979 Daniel Banton, 1981 Dale Hulse, 1982 Cordel Renfrew, and 1982 Steven Olivas were killed in the Vanguard No. 2 underground mine. (Hanna Basin Museum)
Vanguard No. 1 opened in 1971 and closed in 1973. Over the three years of production, Vanguard No. 1 produced 706,634 tons of coal with a peak employment of 115 workers. In 1971, Charles Price was killed at the mine. The Hanna Miner's Monument in the Hanna Cemetery indicates that Gary Oviatt and Tom Yabeny were both killed in the Hanna mines. They were both seriously injured in the Vanguard No. 1 Mine in 1972, but not killed. The monument is in error. (Hanna Basin Museum)