In the roughly 50 years of mining in the Powder River Basin, it is estimated that roughly 9 billion short tons of low sulfur coal has been mined and shipped. It is honestly quite impressive to see just how wide and deep the mining operation is. As a UP load passes by on Main 1, the size of just one mine (North Antelope Rochelle) really puts everything into perspective. It is estimated that another 25 billion tons of coal is "economically recoverable" in the region. Enough to last until at least another 150-200 years at current levels. Of course, as demand for coals diminishes, the exact future of Powder River Basin is not clear. Incidentally, North Antelope Rochelle Mine is considered to be the largest single coal mining operation in the world.
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