Grosvenor Armoured Face Conveyor. Was it Running when Methane Ignited on LW104?

While we have heard about a number of possible ignition sources.

Unless I have missed something has the AFC (Armoured Face Conveyor) been mentioned.

Was the AFC at the time of ignition?

It would be unusual if in poor roof and trying to advance chocks

For those wondering what an AFC is

http://undergroundcoal.com.au/fundamentals/07_equipment_2afc.aspx

Once the coal is cut, it has to be removed from the face to the maingate, so some form of coal haulage system is required.

Essentially an AFC is a one-sided trough scraper conveyor, the second side of the trough being formed by the coal face. Cut coal falls into this trough which has an endless chain with scraper flights attached running along the base plate and returning below the base plate in an enclosed lower section or “race”. The coal is dragged along the base plate by the flights.

The outer ends of the AFC flights (or outer chains on old AFC’s) are kept in place on the base by a channel section lip at each side of the base. A similar arrangement for the return chain below the base leads to this part of the AFC being known as the “Sigma Section” because of its shape.

The chain is driven, via sprockets, by electric motors at both ends of the face (maingate and tailgate, although earlier AFC’s were driven by maingate drives only). These drives must sit in line with the face at each end and the size of drive(s) required is often the limiting factor on the practical face length (along with AFC chain strength and size). To accommodate the sprockets and shafts, specially shaped AFC sections have to be used at each end of the AFC to raise the chain path.