The opencast coal mines around the town of Banovici first opened in 1947. Currently the group operates three open cast mines at Grivice,Turija, and Cubric and there is also a deep mine (400 metres) in Omazici, which is not at work at present. The coal is brough to a washery at Oskova, two kilometres east of Banovici from where the coal is taken by rail. Seventy percent of the coal is sent to the power plant at Tuzla. The spoil from the washery is taken several kilometres to the tip via an aerial ropeway.