Mining Intelligence and News
United States

Elk Creek Complex

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Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit & Underground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Coal (metallurgical)
Mining Method
  • Room-and-pillar
  • Continuous
  • Highwall
  • Contour Strip
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SnapshotThe Elk Creek Complex produces high-quality, high-volatile metallurgical coal. Coal produced from the complex is primarily high-volatile A and high-volatile B metallurgical coal. The Elk Creek Complex also produces thermal coal and specialty coals, which represent approximately five percent of sales.

The Elk Creek Complex is in production with 7 active mines, 2 planned and permitted mines, 2 permitted inactive mines, and 1 planned but not yet permitted mine. The 4 planned/permitted mines include 1 contour surface mine for highwall mining and 3 underground room-and-pillar mines using continuous miners.

The Eight-Kay and Monarch Deep Mines are scheduled to start in 2027 and 2026, respectively. The Bens Creek Deep Mine is planned for 2028 but not yet permitted.

All Run-of-Mine coal is washed at the Elk Creek Preparation Plant. Ramaco initiated progress on a throughput upgrade at the Elk Creek Preparation plant in 2022. The expansion was completed in 2023.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Ramaco Resources, Inc. 100 % Indirect
The Elk Creek Complex is owned and operated by Ramaco Resources, Inc.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The coal seams on the Elk Creek Complex are Carboniferous in age and form part of the Kanawha Formation of the Pennsylvanian System. Typical strata consist largely of sandstone, sandy shale and shale, with beds of coal. The property is located in the CAPP region of the United States. Coal deposits in this region have long supported production for the domestic and international metallurgical and thermal coal markets. The coal seams within the Elk Creek Complex are known for very high calorific value (Btu/lb)and high volatile metallurgical coal characteristics, with high fluidity, low ash content, and medium sulfur content.

The coal seams underlying the property are gently folded, with no major faults or structural anomalies identified in the general area. The strata dip gently to the northwest at approximately two degrees. Depth to the coalseams varies by topography and specific coalseam, ranging from approximately 470 feet to 1,050 feet. Generally, the strata consist primarily of sandstone and shale layers over the area.

The 26 primary coal seams of interest on the Elk Creek Complex, in descending stratigraphic order, are the Buffalo Creek 5, Winifrede, Chilton A, Upper Dorothy Rider, Upper Dorothy 1, 2, 3, and 4, Middle Dorothy, Lower Dorothy, Williamson, Upper Cedar Grove A, Upper Cedar Grove, Lower Cedar Grove A, Lower Cedar Grove B, Lower Cedar Grove C, Upper and LowerAlma, Powellton, Eagle, No. 2 Gas Rider, No. 2 Gas, Bens Creek 1, 2 and 3, Cedar, Lower War Eagle, Glenalum Tunnel, and Gilbert. The seams are relatively thin (usually less than four feet in thickness individually), conformable, and continuous.

Several of the coal seams within the Elk Creek Complex occur in multiple benches. In some places, the interburden between benches is thin enough to allow the mining of multiple benches. This usually involves mining some parting, which is removed during processing at the preparation plant.

Deposit Type
The Elk Creek Complex resource area is a relatively flat-lying, sedimentary deposit of Pennsylvanian Age. Ramaco is actively mining multiple coal seams, including the Chilton A, Upper Dorothy, Middle Dorothy, Upper Cedar Grove, Lower Cedar Grove, Upper Alma, Lower Alma, Eagle and the No. 2 Gas at the Elk Creek Complex. Exploration consists of core drilling for all the mineable seams, which is performed each year in advance of mining, to refine the resource boundary and to define limits of the mine plans.

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

CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018
Coal (metallurgical) k tons  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,6691,669
All production numbers are expressed as clean coal.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018
Hourly processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe700 tons
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Coal tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4,305 k tons4,038 k tons

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units2024202320222021
Book Value M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 11, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 8, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesYear
...... Subscription required 2021

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