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SW: →Warren Buffet and Bill Gates visit Thunder Mine: - add section
The mine was opened in 1977, and run by [[ARCO]] Coal until it was acquired in 1998 by [[Arch Coal]].<ref>[http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/thunder/ Mining Technology]</ref> For most of its existence, Black Thunder has been the largest mine in the country (by production), but it was surpassed by the nearby North Antelope Rochelle Mine. North Antelope Rochelle was created after Arch Coal purchased the Rochelle mine next door to their North Antelope Mine and consolidated operations. Arch Coal, Inc. announced on March 9, 2009 that it has agreed to purchase Rio Tinto's Jacobs Ranch mine adjoining Black Thunder, which will result in Black Thunder once again being the largest mine in the country.<ref name="news.archcoal.com">{{Cite web |url=http://news.archcoal.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=369455 |title=Arch Coal Announces Plans to Acquire Rio Tinto's Jacobs Ranch Operation}}</ref>
==Warren Buffet Buffett and Bill Gates visit Thunder Mine==In November 2010 , [[Warren Buffet Buffett]] and billionaire [[Bill Gates]], a Berkshire director, visited the [[Black Thunder Mine]] in Wyoming. Buffett was quoted later as saying that he found the trip to the [[Black Thunder Mine]] “fascinating.” Neither gave interviews during the tour, but some speculated that the trip was an indication that the two were looking to invest in the project.<ref>[http://www.investingdaily.com/id/18175/warren-buffett-is-betting-big-on-coal.html "Warren Buffett is Betting Big on Coal"] Jim Fink, ''Investing Daily'', January 6, 2011.</ref> However, in the past Bill Gates has stated that coal and natural gas must be phased out by 2050.<ref>[http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0212-gates.html "Bill Gates: ban coal and invest in clean energy technology"] Mongabay.com, February 12, 2010.</ref> As the CEO of [[Berkshire Hathaway]], Buffett also owns the [[Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad]] that transports most of Wyoming's vast coal supply around the country, along with the utility company, [[MidAmerican Energy]], which operates 11 coal-fired power plants, including four in Wyoming.<ref name=jeffhuff>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/all-the-presidents-coal-m_b_841400.html "All the President's (Coal) Men: Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Obama's Wyoming Giveaway"] HuffPo, March 28, 2011.</ref> On Dec. 14, 2010, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett met with President Obama's Oval Office and discussed ways to improve the economy. According to author Jeff Biggers, on Jan 6, 2011, Wall Street analysts said Buffett was betting "big" on Coal. In a Feb. 26, 2011 annual [[Berkshire Hathaway]] Shareholder Letter, Buffet said his coal-transporting railroads (nearly 300 million tons of coal a year) "will increase Berkshire's 'normal' earning power by nearly 40% pre-tax and by well over 30% after-tax." On March 22, 2011, citing the nuclear tragedy in Japan and world energy needs, Secretary of Interior [[Ken Salazar]] opened 750 million-2.4 billions tons of coal on public lands in Wyoming's section of the [[Powder River Basin]].<ref name=jeffhuff/><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/22/wyoming.coal.mining/ "Coal mining to expand on public lands in Wyoming"] Jim Spellman, CNN.com, March 22, 2011.</ref>
==Mine Data==
