Foundation Coal

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Foundation Coal is a major U.S.-based coal mining corporation. On its website the company states that in 2008 it produced approximately 69.4 million tons of coal and "controlled approximately 1.75 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves." In 2009, the company was merged with Alpha Natural Resources.

Business Operations

In its 2008 annual report the company states that it sold "70.9 million tons of coal, including 69.3 million tons that were produced and processed at our operations ... We are also involved in marketing coal produced by others to supplement our own production and, through blending, provide our customers with coal qualities beyond those available from our own production. We are primarily a supplier of steam coal to U.S. utilities for use in generating electricity. We also sell steam coal to industrial plants. Steam coal sales accounted for 98% of our coal sales volume and 89% of our coal sales revenue in 2008. We also sell metallurgical coal to steel producers; metallurgical sales accounted for 2% of our coal sales volume and 11% of our coal sales revenue in 2008."

Foundation set out its core business strategy as being to expand "production capacity at our existing mining operations", undertake the "further development of existing significant reserve blocks in Northern Appalachia and Central Appalachia" and consider "potential strategic acquisition opportunities that arise in the United States or internationally."

Mining Operations

On its website, Foundation Coal states that "Foundation Affiliates operate multiple mines in the Powder River Basin, Northern Appalachia, and Central Appalachia regions, as well as substantial reserves and an idled mine in the Illinois basin that can be returned to service as market conditions warrant." The company operates 12 mines in in Wyoming, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. These mines and the amount of coal they produced in 2008 are:

• Belle Ayr Mine, Wyoming is mined by Foundation Coal West, Inc. It produced 28.7 million tonnes in 2008.
• Cumberland Mine, Pennsylvania. It produced 7.2 million tonnes in 2008.
• Eagle Butte Mine, Wyoming is mined by Foundation Coal West, Inc. It produced 7.3 million tonnes in 2008.
• Emerald Mine, Pennsylvania. It produced 6.4 million tonnes in 2008.
• Ewing Fork 1 Mine, West Virginia. It produced 1 million tonnes in 2007.
• Kingston Mines comprising the Kingston 1 Mine in Fayette County and the Kingston 2 Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia are mined by Kingston Resources. Together the two mines produce 1 million tonnes in 2008.
• the Laurel Creek mines in West Virginia, which were idled in 2009.
• Paynter Branch Mine in Wyoming County, West Virginia. It produced 634,279 short tonnes in 2007.
• Rockspring Mine, West Virginia, which is also known as the Camp Creek mine, is mined by Rockspring Development. It produced 3 million tonnes in 2008.
• Pioneer Mines, comprising the Paynter Branch Mine in Wyoming County, West Virginia and the Pax mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia are mined by Pioneer Fuel Corporation. Together they produced 1.5 million tonnes in 2008.

In 2008 Foundation Coal reported that it produced 69.4 million tonnes of coal.

On February 23, 2010 it was announced that Pioneer Fuels' Horse Creek Surface Mine, which is owned by parent company Foundation Coal, spilled into the Clear Fork River in West Virginia. On February 25 the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection issued a notice of violation for the spill, which took place in Raleigh County. The Department issued a similar violation in 2007 for a spill by the company.

On Carbon Capture and Storage

In its 2008 Annual Report, Foundation Coal's President and COO, Kurt D. Kost, stated that "Elements of the U.S. economic stimulus package could affect coal production and pricing. The proposed additional funding for advanced clean coal technologies is promising. When breakthrough technologies for the capture and storage of carbon dioxide are commercially deployed and demonstrated to be effective, coal-fired electricity will strengthen its leading role in new electricity generation both in the United States and, perhaps more importantly, around the globe—especially in regions that desperately need a secure and plentiful source of affordable electricity."

Affiliations

• American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity
• FutureGen

Contact Details

Foundation Coal Corporation
999 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 300
Linthicum Heights, Maryland 21090
Phone: 410.689.7500
Email: ircommunications AT foundationcoal.com
Website: http://www.foundationcoal.com/

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