An hour in the Khe Sim mine shaft.

For a long time, I've longed to visit the coal mines of the Northeast Corporation to experience the unwavering spirit of these "worker soldiers" who refuse to back down from any difficulty. This time, my wish was granted when I visited Khe Sim Company.

The miners prepare their tools and equipment to take down into the mine and begin a production shift.

The story of a coal miner

The starting point was the furnace door at a level of -20+/-45 degrees. From there, we walked to the production site. This section of the furnace was at a level surface, meaning we were essentially walking on the ground. Because we were near the furnace door, a refreshing breeze blew in. The moisture from the groundwater dripping from the furnace roof was quite cool. The main furnace served both transportation and ventilation functions, so it was quite well-ventilated.

But after only about 10 minutes, we reached a more challenging tunnel. The tunnel sloped down to a depth of 150 meters below sea level. Moreover, the passage was narrow, requiring us to bend over to squeeze through. On either side were tons of hydraulic support equipment, bracing, and wooden planks. Not to mention the very slippery stainless steel coal chutes.

Engineer Nguyen Manh Duc, Deputy Site Manager of Exploitation Site No. 1, inspects a production location.

Engineer Nguyen Manh Duc, Deputy Foreman of Mining Site No. 1, our companion, said that they had to excavate a lot of coal, then expand the area, and reinforce the mine roof with wood and wire mesh to make it this way. Otherwise, no one would be able to step over it.

There were sections with steep slopes reaching nearly 45 degrees. We clung to the support pillars and swung ourselves down. Every now and then, a barrier, waist-high, would block the path to prevent rocks, soil, and coal lumps from rolling down to the production area below. To pass, we had to climb over the barrier. After about ten minutes, I found the heat unbearable. The deeper we went, the more stifling it became. There was no wind, and the air was getting hotter.

The hot air combined with the descent down the steep mine shaft was exhausting. Everyone was drenched in sweat. My shirt was soaked through. Sweat stung my eyes, but there was nothing to wipe it away because our hands, feet, and clothes were covered in coal dust. Looking at the faces of my companions, I couldn't recognize anyone if I hadn't heard their voices. Everyone's face was blackened by coal dust, only their eyes and white teeth were visible.

Understanding our feelings, Duc smiled kindly and recounted that when he first graduated, he felt the same way we do now. Duc explained that people often think that graduating from university and becoming an engineer means sitting in an air-conditioned office. But no, like anyone else who graduated from university, Duc had to work in a coal mine for six months digging coal like a laborer before being transferred to a technical officer position.

The miners shovel the coal down a chute to transport it outside.

At that time, a country boy, born and raised in Xuan Truong, Nam Dinh , only familiar with fields and farms, studied at the University of Mining and Geology, becoming a mining engineer at Company 86. He was completely bewildered by the vast coal seams deep underground. After working in the mine for a few months, the mining engineer asked to return home to get married.

Some people speculated that he couldn't handle the hardships in the mine and had "abandoned ship." But all their guesses were wrong. After a few days, Duc returned, and not alone. He brought his newlywed wife with him to start a new life. Duc's wife got a job as an accountant at a company in Cam Pha, while he continued digging coal in the mine for the full six months. Duc said that all theory was meaningless. Without working in the mine like his comrades, without practical experience, he couldn't work. Without practical experience, he would pay the price with his own blood and the blood of his teammates.

After six months of working in the mine, Duc transitioned to a technical officer position. Now, after Company 86 merged with Khe Sim, at the age of 31, he is the Deputy Site Manager of Construction Site No. 1. The predecessor of Khe Sim Company – a branch of the Northeast Corporation – was the Khe Sim Enterprise, established in 1997. Today, Khe Sim has risen to become one of the top enterprises of the Corporation. Officers like Duc earn around 25 million dong per month, a very high income compared to laborers in his hometown. Duc is proud to work in the disciplined, military-like environment of Khe Sim.

Charcoal repays the favor.

Speaking of technology, many people recall the early days when Khe Sim only had one bulldozer and five transport trucks. The mining area covered 500 hectares, stretching across seven wards and communes of Cam Pha town, with scattered resources, thin seams, and some coal seams that were "fractured" and deformed. The management skills and mining knowledge of the officers and soldiers were limited, and they had not yet mastered the technology.

The situation is different now. Building on the noble qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" combined with the tradition of "Discipline and Unity" of the miners, Khe Sim has actively applied science and technology, proactively innovated, and upgraded its equipment to improve labor productivity and safety levels.

New technologies, such as ZH1600/16/24F mobile hydraulic frame supports, XDY hydraulic supports, and ZRY flexible support systems, have been applied. Furthermore, the introduction of a single-drum mining machine into the 10T seam longwall mining operation has increased productivity by more than 1.9 times compared to manual mining, maximizing resource recovery.

To improve working conditions in underground mining, Khe Sim Company surveyed and found that seam 8 at levels -10/+45 in site 3 is suitable for longwall mining using the ZRY flexible support system. Captain Nguyen Van Thang, site manager of site 3, said that in March last year, this new mining technology was installed, completely eliminating longwall mining with outdated wooden supports and single hydraulic beam supports.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Tran Duc Thanh, Deputy Director and Chairman of the Company's Trade Union, the mechanized ZRY soft support system is used in the process of supporting the mining face, replacing outdated support structures, reducing labor, improving working conditions, solving the problem of supporting coal seams with steep slopes, contributing to ensuring safe mining, thoroughly recovering resources in coal seams of medium thickness, and creating a new development in the application of advanced underground mining technology at the Company.

The company also applies software to calculations, sets up centralized mine gas monitoring stations, automatic surveillance cameras, manages mine ventilation, and uses large fans with reversing mechanisms to shorten the construction time of mine tunnels, accelerate coal extraction in mining areas, increase labor productivity, and improve working conditions.

The achievements are always a source of pride, inspiration, confidence, and motivation for the entire staff and workers to constantly innovate and create. Lieutenant Colonel Ta Quang Truong, Head of the Political Department of the Company, believes that the qualities of a soldier and a miner are seamlessly blended to create the generation of Khe Sim soldiers and miners today. Listening to Truong speak and walking through the mine, I saw, amidst the black coal, eyes yearning to master the technology. Simple and unpretentious in life, but fiercely determined in work.

Electrical and mechanical team leader Pham Van Hanh proudly told us that this was the most modern pumping station in the Corporation. It's important to understand that the pumping station is the heart of every underground mine. If the pumping station malfunctions or stops working even for a short time, mine water will flood, submerging millions of tons of machinery and equipment and hundreds of people. This is especially true during the rainy season when groundwater seeps into the rock and flows down into the mine. Therefore, absolutely no incidents should occur in the pumping station area.

Having worked as an electrical and mechanical engineer in the mine for 13 years, Hanh understands better than anyone that electricity is like the bloodstream of the human body. Electricity powers conveyor belts, serves the mining site, the drainage pump system, and the ventilation system. Because the mine tunnels are long, detecting and resolving electrical problems needs to be done quickly and accurately.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Thuong, an officer from the Safety Department, guided us through the mine, accompanying us like a shadow. I understood that underground mining is extremely arduous, hazardous, and dangerous work, so it's absolutely essential to avoid disrupting production or endangering the workers. The discipline and work ethic of the military environment have forged these soldier-workers into more mature and calm individuals in any situation.

The miners were overjoyed to have completed a shift in the mine and returned safely.

After an hour of walking in the mine, my legs were aching. Duc laughed and said, "You've only walked a quarter of the distance we usually walk every day. But it's okay, we're done walking, let's go up."

From the bottom of the well, we ascended to the surface using a device called a monkey winch. The monkey winch resembles a cable car with a sturdy iron bar attached to it. Each bar has a seat and a footrest. The miners sit precariously on it. Perhaps because of its shape resembling a monkey swinging, this device is called a monkey winch.

The climb up the mine shaft to the surface took about 20 minutes. I enjoyed the feeling of being a special passenger. Each passenger was spaced about ten meters apart. We couldn't see each other. Talking along the way was difficult. I spent my time reflecting on the tunnel we had just traveled, and on the soldiers working underground, sweating it out.

The soil, rocks, coal, and sweat all test the patience of the miners. Though the soil is barren and the coal seams poor, they never fail to reward the workers. The coal repays them with conveyor belts and ships busily loading it. From here, the coal will travel far and wide, contributing to the fires of life and further enriching the tradition of the heroic miners of Northeast Vietnam.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/mot-gio-duoi-lo-cho-khe-sim-3313011.html