Energy is the most important part of daily life, and fossil fuels are a key part of the world's energy resources. In fact, the most abundant and economically viable fossil fuel is coal. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States has the largest recoverable reserves in the world. Although domestic consumption has declined from "its annual share of total net production of 50 percent in 2007 to 37 percent in 2012," exports of U.S. coal are steadily increasing. Even if net domestic use continues to decline in the future, exports will certainly increase as more countries begin to industrialize and seek cheap, reliable energy resources. But to use coal for energy, it must be extracted. The choice of a method depends on many different environmental constraints, "factors such as topography, the geometry of the coal seam and the geology of the overlying rocks, and above all, economic constraints" (Hermann 2011) all play a role. role in the choice of method. There are two main coal mining techniques; the first technique used is surface mining. Surface mining is where topsoil is removed by machines and coal is then extracted from the exposed coal seam. Surface mining includes mountaintop, surface, contour, highwall, and area mining. These different mining techniques are used based on environmental and economic factors. The second extraction technique, more conventional, is underground mining which includes longwall mining, as well as room and pillar mining. This is where Victaulic can offer efficient extraction techniques leading to financial savings, rapid installation, increased safety and reduced need for future fittings. Victaulic piping solutions play an important role in cr...... middle of paper ......E Tribal Energy Development Guide, World Coal Institute, USGS, MineralInformation Institute, Kentucky Geological Survey and National Mining Association. “Coal Mining Technologies.” http://teeic.anl.gov. Indian Bureau of Energy and Economic Development, October 31, 2000. Web. February 20, 2014. Hermann, Fred W. “Types of Coal Mining.” Types of coal mining. ILO, 2011. Web. Feb 20 2014. Kentucky Geological Survey. “Mining Methods.” http://www.uky.edu/KGS/. KGS, University of Kentucky, August 1, 2012. Web. February 20, 2014. US Energy Information Administration. “What is the role of coal in the United States? » EIA Energy in Brief: What is the Role of Coal in the United States U.S. Department of Energy, August 16, 2013. Web. February 19, 2014.Vermeulen, Anine. “The company designs innovative fittings for mining pumps.” Weekly mining. Creamer Media, February 8, 2013. Web. February 20. 2014.