Mining Intelligence and News
United States

Black Thunder Mine

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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.

The Black Thunder mining complex currently consists of four active pit areas and two active loadout facilities.

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 Inc. completed its previously announced all-stock merger of equals transaction (the “Merger”) with Arch Resources, Inc., pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 20, 2024, by and among CONSOL Energy Inc., Mountain Range Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of CONSOL Energy Inc. (“Merger Sub”), and Arch. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into Arch, with Arch continuing as the surviving corporation and as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Additionally, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Company was renamed “Core Natural Resources, Inc.” and began trading under the ticker symbol “CNR” on January 15, 2025.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

Property Geology
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 about two to three degrees to the west, with some slight rolling. This seam contains multiple benches or plys of coal of variable thicknesses, although in some local areas, it becomes one seam that reaches a thickness in excess of 100 feet. Across the mine permit area, the Wyodak Seam ranges in thickness from 10 feet to 100 feet, averaging approximately 70 feet.

Deposit type
The Black Thunder Mine reserve area is a relatively flat lying sedimentary deposit of Paleocene Age. The Black Thunder Mine is actively mining a single coal seam, the Wyodak, that can be divided into multiple splits, the Upper and Main splits of the Wyodak Seam.

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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Commodity Production

CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Coal (thermal) tons  ....  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

Metrics202420232022202120202019201820172016
Coal tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe74,644 k tons69,689 k tons70,513,365 tons67,889,779 tons
Stripping ratio  ....  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 25, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 25, 2025

Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
...... 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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