Pramod C. Thakur

Pramod C. Thakur graduated from Indian Institute of Technology in 1961 and holds a master's degree in mining engineering, math and a Ph.D. in mining engineering from Penn State University. During his graduate studies, Thakur studied the characteristics of respirable coal dust and found that anthracite dust was more injurious to human health that originally thought. He chaired the Industrial Advisory Committee for the Generic Center for dust control based at WVU and Penn State Universities and the work that was done under his guidance minimized the risk of Black Lungs in U.S. coal mines.

He is the president Expert Solutions for Mine Safety, LCC, a consulting firm located in Morgantown, W.Va. and he is an adjunct professor at West Virginia University in the Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering. Thakur started his career designing mine ventilation for 20 coal mines in 1961-1969 at Andrew Yule and Co. in India. He worked for CONOCO/CONSOL Energy for almost 40 Years before retirement. Thakur served under Governor Underwood as commissioner for 15 years, and he developed different degasification techniques for mine degasification: in-mine horizontal drilling to 3,000 feet, vertical gob wells to degas the mined out area, massive hydraulic fracturing of coal seams deeper than 2,000 feet and horizontal drilling from surface into thin coal seams. These techniques are in use in US as well as many countries overseas. It minimized the risk of mine explosions and vastly improved coal productivity from 14 to 40 tons/man-day in some mines.

Thakur is a published author and was awarded the Hartmann and Howard Eavenson Award for work in mine ventilation and mine health and safety by Society of Mining Engineers. He was awarded the Donald Kingery Award for mine degasification work by the Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute.