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Black Thunder Mine

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Black Thunder Mine

Location: 67 km S from Gillette, Wyoming, United States

Address:


P.O. Box 406
Gillette
Wyoming, United States
82718

Contacts:

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Coal (thermal)
Mining Method
  • Dragline
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotBlack Thunder Mine is one of the largest surface coal mining operations in North America.

Black Thunder is an active mine and most development work has already been completed. As the mine expands, future development will be required for extension of haulroads, relocation of gas pipelines and a 69kV powerline, and relocation of the road and railroad track in the central area of the property to allow coal removal beneath.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Thunder Basin Coal Co LLC (operator) 100 % Direct
Core Natural Resources, Inc. 100 % Indirect
Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Core Natural Resources, owns and operates the Black Thunder mine.

On January 14, 2025, CONSOL Energy and Arch Resources closed an all-stock merger of equals. Arch survived as a wholly owned subsidiary, and CONSOL was renamed Core Natural Resources, Inc., which began trading as “CNR” on January 15, 2025.

Contractors

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SourceSource

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The Powder River Coal Basin (PRB) of northeastern Wyoming lies entirely within the boundaries of the Powder River structural and topographic basin. Coal-bearing strata range in age from Upper Cretaceous in the Mesa Verde Formation to Eocene in the Wasatch Formation.

The economically mineable coal in Campbell County occurs within the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation. The Wyodak coal seam occurs at the top of the Fort Union Formation and is overlain by the Wasatch Formation. The coal is low sulfur, low ash, and is subbituminous C in rank. Surface mineable coal deposits occur along the north-northwesterly striking subcrop of the Wyodak coal seam. The coal seam subcrops on the eastern edge of the lease and dips approximately two to three degrees to the west, with some slight rolling. This seam contains multiple benches or plys of coal of variable thickness, although in some local areas, it becomes one seam that reaches a thickness in excess of 100 feet. Across the permit area, the Wyodak Seam ranges in thickness from 10 feet to 100 feet, averaging approximately 70 feet.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Water usage

Parameter20252021
Mine dewatering water 49,000,000 gpm197,000 gpm

Commodity Production

CommodityUnits20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Coal (thermal) tons  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe71,976,64371,134,60670,513,36567,889,77999,450,689
All production numbers are expressed as ROM coal.

Operational metrics

Metrics2025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Coal tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe74,644 k tons69,689 k tons70,513,365 tons67,889,779 tons
Stripping ratio  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3.47 bcy/t4.03 bcy/t

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units20232022202120202019
Book Value M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 299.4  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 27, 2026
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 27, 2026

Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2025
...... Subscription required 2024
...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required 2018
...... Subscription required 2017
...... Subscription required 2016
...... Subscription required 2015

Aerial view:

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