Mining Intelligence and Sales Leads
United States

Freedom (Coteau) Mine

Click for more information

Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Coal (thermal)
Mining Method
  • Dragline
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Freedom mine is the largest lignite mine in the United States.

The Freedom Mine currently has no significant encumbrances to the property. No NOVs have been issued at the Freedom Mine in the past three years. Coteau currently has all permits in place for the Freedom Mine to operate through 2031. Permit expansions required to extend the life of the mine through 2042 will be acquired as needed.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
NACCO Industries Inc. 100 % Indirect
Coteau Properties Company (operator) 100 % Direct
The Coteau Properties Company (Coteau), a subsidiary of The North American Coal Corporation (NACoal) is the owner and operator of the Freedom Mine. NACoal is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NACCO.

Contractors

Lock

- subscription is required.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The Sentinel Butte Formation incorporates a varying number of lignite coal beds. The major lignite bed within the mine area is the Beulah-Zap (Beulah) bed, the only economical lignite deposit. This lignite horizon has a thickness of generally 15 to 22 feet, except near the edges of the glacial diversion channels, where some of the lignite bed has been removed by erosion. Also, along the glacial diversion channels are areas of soft lignite (leonardite). Soft lignite is a result of areas of the bed being exposed to oxidizing conditions via erosion caused by glacial meltwaters. The soft or weathered lignite is of very poor quality and not economically recoverable.

At the Freedom Mine, the Beulah bed can split into four components, an upper split (Upper Beulah), and a lower split (Lower Beulah). In some locations, the Upper Beulah splits into the Upper Beulah 1 and Upper Beulah 2. Also, in some locations, the Lower Beulah splits into the Lower Beulah 3 and Lower Beulah 4. The splits hold a combined thickness of approximately 15 to 20 feet and then they start to thin to a combined thickness of approximately 10 to 11 feet.

Located above the Beulah bed are several thin beds of lignite. These include, in the order that they occur, the Twin Buttes and Schoolhouse beds. These beds typically average 2 feet thick, although they range from 1 foot to 6 feet within short distances. Interburden between the Schoolhouse and Beulah beds ranges from 5 to 50 feet, and interburden between the Twin Buttes and Schoolhouse beds averages 65 feet.

Located below the Beulah bed are several other beds of lignite. The major beds, in the order below the Beulah bed that they occur, are the Spaer and Stanton beds. These range from 65 to 130 feet below the Beulah bed. The Spaer bed has an average thickness of 5 feet, and lies an average of 80 feet below the Beulah bed. The Stanton bed averages 5 feet thick, and lies an average of 35 feet below the Spaer bed. Other thin beds and splits of the two beds, typically less than 2 feet thick, are occasionally found above and below the Spaer and Stanton beds. Below the Stanton bed can be found the Hagel lignite zone, generally made up of two to three beds, and then below that the Tavis Creek bed. Below the Tavis Creek bed is generally a long sequence of sands and clays before the next lignite (150-300 feet). The Jim Creek bed is a localized lignite bed that appears between the Beulah and Spaer beds.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Lock

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Lock

- subscription is required.

Processing

Summary:

No mineral processing occurs at the Freedom Mine.

All production from the mine is delivered to Dakota Coal Company. Dakota Coal Company then sells the coal to the Synfuels Plant, Antelope Valley Station and Leland Olds Station, all of which are operated by affiliates of Basin Electric. The Synfuels Plant is a coal gasification plant that manufactures synthetic natural gas and produces fertilizers, solvents, phenol, carbon dioxide, and other chemical products for sale.

Commodity Production

CommodityUnits20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Coal (thermal) tons  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 13,514,792 14,183,313 14,716,777 14,109,960 14,294,690
Heat ContentBTU/lb6,7006,7006,7006,7006,7006,700
Sulfur%0.90.90.90.90.90.9
All production numbers are expressed as ROM coal.

Operational metrics

Metrics20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Coal tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 13.5 M tons 14.2 M tons 14.7 M tons 14.1 M tons 14.3 M tons
Raw coal annual capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units2025202420232022
Book Value M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 30, 2026
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 30, 2026

Workforce

EmployeesYear
...... 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
...... Subscription required 2014
...... Subscription required 2013
...... Subscription required 2012
...... Subscription required 2011

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.