BECKLEY, W.Va. — Bucking the coal industry trend of shuttering mines, Ramaco Development announced Tuesday it is investing $90 million to open two coal mines in West Virginia and Virginia.
One facility, Elk Creek, will mine metallurgical coal in Wyoming, Mingo and Logan counties, while the other, Berwind Land, will dig in McDowell County and Virginia’s Buchanan County, bringing hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.
“We believe this investment to be very well timed. As other metallurgical coal companies have financially struggled, we have capitalized on a pure play metallurgical coal producer, with substantial low cost advantages and no debt. Our mines will be perhaps the newest in the country,” said Randall Atkins, Ramaco’s chairman and chief executive, in a statement.