Mining Intelligence and News
United States

Center Mine

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Coal (thermal)
  • Lignite
Mining Method
  • Dragline
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotBNI Energy owns and operates BNI Coal, a lignite mine near Center. Two electric generating cooperatives, Minnkota Power and Square Butte, operate the Milton R. Young Generating Station and use virtually all of the coal produced by BNI Energy.

BNI also is an industry leader in mineland reclamation at its Center Mine, where farmers work alongside mining operations on reclaimed land.

BNI Energy has received the North Dakota Public Service Commission Excellence in Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Award for research on mineland reclamation practices.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
BNI Coal Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
ALLETE, Inc. 100 % Indirect
BNI Energy, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE-ALE), owns and operates BNI Coal, Center mine.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

In the Center Mine the Kinneman Creek (5 feet thick) and Hagel (10 feet thick) beds are the target beds. The Kinneman Creek and Hagel (A and B) coal beds extend throughout much of the central portion of the Oliver county. Fort Union strata is 700 to 1,200 feet thick in this county. Unfortunately, there is little to no subsurface control beyond a depth of about 400 feet in this area.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

Summary:

BNI Energy is a supplier of lignite in North Dakota, produces approximately 4 million tons per year.

After the lignite has been uncovered with the dragline, it must be broken into smaller pieces before it can be hauled to the power plant. This operation is done with bulldozers. The bulldozers at BNI are equipped with a large ripper shank built specifically for breaking coal into pieces small enough to be placed into BNI’s haul trucks.

Commodity Production

CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Coal (thermal) tons  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,958,7074,256,8674,288,4044,296,3074,393,986
All production numbers are expressed as ROM coal.

Operational metrics

Metrics20242023202220212020201920182017
Coal tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,958,707 tons4,256,867 tons4,288,404 tons

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units202220212020201920182017
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 7.4   6.8   4.5  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 12, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 12, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Mar 7, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 12, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesYear
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Aerial view:

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