Hopkins County Coal

Hopkins County Coal's mining complex, which we acquired in January 1998, is located near the city of Madisonville in Hopkins County, Kentucky. During 2006, Hopkins County Coal ceased production from its Newcoal surface mine (which is now in reclamation) as a result of full depletion of the reserves, and continued with the development of its new Elk Creek mine in the underground reserves leased by Hopkins County Coal in 2005.

The Elk Creek mine, an underground mining complex using continuous mining units employing room-and-pillar mining techniques to produce high-sulfur coal, emerged from development in the second quarter of 2006 with production from the operation of three mining units. In November 2007, Elk Creek added a fourth production unit and is adding a fifth unit which is scheduled to be operational in the second quarter of 2008.

We are utilizing both existing and newly constructed coal handling and other surface facilities at Hopkins County Coal to process and ship coal produced from the Elk Creek mine. In conjunction with the development of the Elk Creek mine, Hopkins County Coal constructed a new preparation plant with a throughput capacity of 1,200 tons of raw coal an hour. Hopkins County Coal's Elk Creek production can be shipped via the CSX and PAL railroads and by truck on U.S. and state highways.

Hopkins County Coal, LLC.
855 Central City Rd.
Madisonville, KY 42431
Phone: (270) 821-8602
Fax: (270) 821-7604