A monument to industry stands before us. This is the Puits n\u00b0 10 Plaque. It marks a site of great historical significance. This plaque at Puits n\u00b0 10 commemorates a vital part of the region’s mining past.
The Puits n\u00b0 10 Plaque symbolizes the location of a former coal mine. The mine was a key part of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin. This basin significantly impacted the region’s economy and culture.
Work began on Puits n\u00b0 10 in 1956. It was located in Dourges. The mine was part of the Groupe d’Oignies. Puits n\u00b0 10 had a concrete extraction tower. This was similar to other mines in the area. A coal washery and a coal-briquette factory were built on site.
Puits n\u00b0 10 began extracting coal. It became a central hub for other mines. It concentrated the output from pits nos. 8 – 8 bis and 9 – 9 bis. Ventilation was provided by pit no. 8 – 16. Spoil heaps nos. 116 and 117 grew to the north of the pit.
A six-kilometer tunnel connected Puits n\u00b0 10 to pit no. 24 – 25 in Estevelles in 1969. Pit no. 24 – 25 stopped production in 1971. It then provided service and ventilation. Puits n\u00b0 2 closed in 1976. Puits n\u00b0 10 then handled the entire sector’s production.
Puits n\u00b0 10 stopped extracting coal. The pit was filled in 1991. The facilities were destroyed. Delta 3 multimodal platform was built on the pithead site. Charbonnages de France marked the pithead of Puits n\u00b0 10. They installed a firedamp vent.
The two spoil heaps from Puits n\u00b0 10 became natural spaces. They were classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 30, 2012. They form part of site no. 42.
In 1946, the Compagnie des mines de Dourges was nationalized. Pits nos. 8 – 8 bis and 9 – 9 bis joined the Groupe d’Oignies. This included the Compagnie des mines de Carvin and Ostricourt. It also included pits nos. 8 – 16 and 24 – 25 of the mines de Courrières.
The diameter of the Puits n\u00b0 10 shaft was 6.78 meters. A drilling headframe was erected in 1957. Drilling stopped in 1958 at a depth of 630 meters. The extraction tower weighed 9,000 tons. It had two 4,400-horsepower extraction machines.
A coal-briquette factory started operating in 1960. Puits n\u00b0 10 extracted lean coal. Pit no. 2 of the mines d’Ostricourt in Oignies was another concentration site. Pit no. 8 – 16 in Courrières provided ventilation. In 1963, the pit operated at the 531-meter level. Skips of ten tons were used for waste disposal. The pit extracted over 5,000 tons per day in 1964. In 1967, a fourth platform was added to the cages. This allowed more mine cars to be carried.
In 1971, Puits n\u00b0 10 reached its peak. It extracted 10,000 tons per day. When pit no. 2 stopped extracting in 1976, Puits n\u00b0 10 was the only active concentration site.
The last mine car came from the Michelle 224 working. The Puits n\u00b0 10 shaft was 848.80 meters deep. It was filled in 1992. The tower and other surface facilities were destroyed.
At the start of the 21st century, Charbonnages de France marked the pithead. The BRGM carries out inspections each year. The only remaining trace of the pit is its water tower.
The Puits n\u00b0 10 Plaque serves as a reminder. It honors the hard work. It recognizes the sacrifices of the miners. Their work shaped the region. It fueled the industrial revolution. It is a tribute to their legacy. It also acknowledges the ongoing transformation of the landscape.