Main issue displayed in the paper is the review of optimization methods according to formulated research problem such as planning of exploitation works in hard coal mining enterprise. It have to be stated that at the present time in polish hard coal mining, scope of the planning process is limited. Geometric parameters of longwall paneIs and its sequence of exploitation are rather determined in accepted long-term plans. So the main possibility is to analyze equipment for planned mining works. In presented article Author provided model of analyzed problem: assumed representation, aim and evaluation function. Take into consideration number of equations which are need to derive a formula of evaluation function, there were shortly presented main dependences between function component elements and assumed representation as well as simplified calculation procedure. Because of the problem complexity and time-consuming calculations Author undertook studies on search an effective optimization method to solve displayed research problem. In the article advantages and disadvantages of selected, cIassic optimization methods as well as evolutionary approach were described. Classic methods were divided into: algorithms which estimate only complete solutions and algorithms for estimation of partial solutions (non complete solutions of original problem) or approximated solution (complete solution of reduced problem). In the article exhaustive search, local search and linear programming were presented as well as some greedy algorithms: dynamic programming, A * algorithm, divide and rule algorithm and divide and bound method. Simulated annealing and tabu search were presented also. As modern approach to search space of solutions evolutionary algorithms were described. Following the paper a few characteristic of evolutionary algorithms were presented which make this approach more applicable to considered problem than classic approach.