The Property is situated in the southern portion of the Appalachian Basin, which contains two-fifths of the nations’ bituminous coal deposits and extends over 900 miles from northern Alabama to Pennsylvania.

The primary coal-bearing formations on the Property are Carboniferous in age, being in the Pennsylvanian system, which includes the Breathitt Formation. The average mineable seam thickness for coal horizons in these formations ranges from 1 foot to over 6 feet. The coal seams are generally continuous and non-complex but may vary in thickness and may also be locally absent. Seams retain normal stratigraphic sequence throughout the Property and no evidence has been observed that seams have been modified from pre-deformational thicknesses.

Mineable coal seams within the Property are typically low-ash with the exception of the Joyner seam, and highthermal content bituminous coals. The maximum seam thic ness may reach over 6.0 feet in the Upper Jellico underground mines; however, the average mineable thickness of the seams in this evaluation generally ranges from 1 foot to 4 feet. Seams are generally continuous, but may be locally absent. Secondary discontinuity due to erosional features is present in most areas, resulting in seam outcropping, or visible exposure of the seam at the surface. Other than oxidation of the coal exposed at the surface, erosion of the seams has no significant impact on the mineralized deposits. All seams outcrop on the property, with the exception of the Cumberland Gap seam, which is below drainage. Coal seams are characterized by both single bench and multiple-bench coal horizons with parting (non-coal) material varying by seam and area. Seam parting is common within the coal seams on the Property with intra-seam parting material increasing drastically in some areas. Roof strata are typically shale or sandy shale with zones of sandstone roof being common. Floor strata are typically sandstone, shale, sandy shale, or fireclay.

The proposed Cooper Ridge Mine is located on Straight Creek. The Jellico seam is accessed via drift entry. Cooper Ridge is a thermal coal operation on the WPP lease.

Production is scheduled for 255 days each year, which represents production on Monday through Friday and occasional Saturdays and idle holidays. On each day, up to three production sections are scheduled to produce coal on two shifts; the third shift is reserved for maintenance and mine conveyor belt and power moves. In 2016, only one section, which comes from Double Mountain, will be operating at Cooper Ridge. After completion of
operations at Double Mountain, a second section will begin operating at Cooper Ridge, and a third section will be added in 2020, and a fourth section will be added in 2027 after completion of operations at Ben’s Branch. The sections are configured with one continuous miner available for production in each section. Productivity is planned at the rate of 170 feet of advance for each unit-shift of operation. A total of 46 to 129 employees are assigned to the mine.

Principal production equipment for each section includes a continuous miner, two roof bolters, three shuttle cars, and two scoops. Coal is extracted from the production face with the continuous miner and hauled to the mine conveyor in shuttle cars. At the conveyor belt, the coal is discharged from the shuttle cars onto a feeder breaker for transfer onto the conveyor. The conveyors carry the coal to the outside, where it is stacked on the ground to await truck transport to the Kopper Glo coal preparation plant and load-out. The truck haul distance is approximately 3 miles.

Expected annual production totals approximately 587,000 marketable tons.

Production from surface mines is crushed for railroad car loading and direct shipment to customers without coal preparation. All underground mine and highwall mining production will be washed at the Kopper Glo coal preparation facilities.

Coal is transported to the coal preparation plant and load-out facilities by coal trucks and conveyor belts. Surface mine production is transported by coal trucks to the truck dump and crushing facilities for railcar loading at the Kopper Glo unit train load-out.

Production from the active Double Mountain Mine and projected underground and highwall mines will be transported by coal trucks to the Kopper Glo plant. A new coal preparation plant will be constructed when the Cumberland Gap mine commences production.

Raw coal is fed directly into the coal preparation plant via a truck dump. Stockpile capacity includes approximately 20,000 tons of raw coal storage and 40,000 tons of clean coal storage at the plant.