Coal news and updates

Murray subsidiary temporarily idles Century thermal coal mine in Ohio

A Murray Energy subsidiary said Tuesday it is temporarily idling, effective immediately, its Century underground thermal coal mine in Ohio, the largest coal producer in the state.

American Energy, which operates the Monroe County mine, blamed adverse market conditions and low natural gas prices for the idling that is expected to last approximately two weeks.

As St. Clairsville, Ohio-based Murray has done previously, American Energy cited "the ongoing destruction of the United States coal industry by President Barack Obama, and his supporters, and the increased utilization of natural gas to generate electricity."

American Energy will continue to sell and ship coal during the idling period and service to customers will not be interrupted, it said.

Gary Broadbent, a Murray spokesman, said in an email the action does not affect Ohio's second-largest coal mine, Powhatan No. 6, an underground mine in Belmont County operated by Murray's Ohio Valley Coal subsidiary.

Century produced nearly 1.5 million st of high-sulfur coal in first-quarter 2015, US Mine Safety and Health Administration figures show, and 6.6 million st in 2014.

The cutback comes just days after Murray's American Coal subsidiary laid off 86 employees at the Galatia underground thermal coal mining complex in Saline County, Illinois. Again, market conditions were blamed.

source: http://www.platts.com