The International Mining Forum was first held in 1998. The Forum is a meeting of scientists and professionals who, together with the organizers, establish ambitious aims to confront ideas and ex-periences, evaluate implemented solutions, and discuss new ideas that might change the image of the mining industry. The International Mining Forum is an event accompanying the School of Underground Mining, organized since 1992 under the auspices of AGH – University of Science and Technology and the Institute of Mineral Economy and Energy of the Polish Academy of Sciences of Cracow.

The motto of the School is the beautiful thought of professor Boleslaw Krupinski, an important and profound miner, who was the organizer and first Chairman of the International Organizing Com-mittee of the World Mining Congress. He spoke as follows about the mining profession: “A miner always was, is and will be a man of technical and social progress. Only by improving the social and technical working conditions, a miner can discover the secrets and treasures of the Earth, conquer and exploit them for the benefit of all, reverse dangers caused by nature and provide the country with forces of nature”.

Following these words we try to include papers addressing a broad range of subjects in the Fo-rums’ proceedings, in many occasions the problems are extending beyond underground mining.

For the fifth time a complete set of papers presented at the International Mining Forum will be published by the prestigious A.A. Balkema Publishers, owned by Taylor and Francis Group.

Also this time an interesting mix of subjects are treated in the proceedings, along with topics strictly connected with underground mining, e.g.:

• Economic Evaluation & Risk Analysis of Mineral Projects;
• New Trends in Coal Mine Methane (CMM) – Recovery and Utilization;
• Mining in the 21st Century – New Problems and Solutions.

Economic evaluation and risk analysis of mineral projects are always hot topics, inherent in mi-ning activity. The session is devoted to many uncertainty and risk issues related to value and return and, therefore, affecting decision making processes.

The special session on recovery and utilization of coal mine methane focuses on upstream and downstream technical solutions for managing methane, best practices of effective management CMM emissions and financing methane drainage improvements and end-use options as well.

The organizers would like to express their gratitude to all persons, companies and institutions, who helped in bringing the Forum into being.

We hope that the Forum will contribute to the exchange of interesting experiences and estab-lishing new acquaintances and friendships.

Jerzy Kicki

Chairman of the IMF 2008 Organizing Committee

See also:

• Articles
• IMF 2008 at CRC Press Online