By Jim Ross, HD Media
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Two mining companies with large investments in West Virginia are merging.
Arch Resources and Consol Energy announced Wednesday morning they will merge to form Core Natural Resources to be based in Consol’s home of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
Arch is based in St. Louis. It operates the Mountain Laurel Complex at Sharples in Logan County, West Virginia, which produced about 1.1 million tons of coal last year. It also operates the Beckley Complex at Eccles, West Virginia, which produced about 1.2 million tons last year, and the Leer and Leer South mines in northern West Virginia, which together produced about 7 million tons last year.
Consol operates the Itmann Mine in Wyoming County and the Bailey Mine in southwestern Pennsylvania, which extends into Marshall County, West Virginia.
According to the announcement made jointly by the two companies before stock markets opened Wednesday, “Core Natural Resources will be a leading producer and exporter of high-quality, low-cost coals with offerings ranging from metallurgical to high calorific value thermal coals. With mining operations and terminal facilities across six states, the combined company will own 11 mines, including one of the largest, lowest cost, and highest calorific value thermal coal mining complexes in North America and one of the largest, lowest cost, and highest quality metallurgical coal mine portfolios in the United States.
