History
Arch Coal was formed in July 1997 through the merger of
publicly traded Ashland Coal, Inc. and privately held Arch Mineral
Corporation. Arch Mineral had its origins in 1969, when it was
formed as a partnership between Ashland Oil (now Ashland Inc.) and
the Hunt family of Dallas, Texas; Ashland Coal was formed in 1975 as
a wholly owned subsidiary of Ashland Oil. With the completion of the
merger, Arch became the leading producer of low-sulfur coal in the
eastern United States.
In June 1998, Arch Coal expanded into the western United
States with the acquisition of the coal assets of Atlantic
Richfield. Included in this transaction were the Black Thunder and
Coal Creek mines in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming; the West Elk
longwall mine in Gunnison County, Colorado; and a 65% interest in
Canyon Fuel Company, which operates three longwall mines in Utah.
In October 1998, Arch added to its Powder River Basin
reserves when it was the winning bidder on Thundercloud, a
412-million-ton federal reserve tract adjacent to the Black Thunder
mine.
In July 2004, Arch Coal solidified its position as a leading
producer of high-Btu, low-sulfur western bituminous coal with the
acquisition of the remaining 35% interest in Canyon Fuel Company and
its 161-million-ton reserves.
In August 2004, Arch again expanded its position in the
Powder River Basin with the acquisition of Triton's North Rochelle
mine adjacent to Arch's existing Black Thunder operation. By
integrating the North Rochelle mine with Black Thunder, Arch created
the premier mine in the nation's fastest growing coal supply region.
In September 2004, Arch again added to its Powder River
Basin reserves when it was the winning bidder on Little Thunder, a
719-million-ton federal reserve tract adjacent to the Black Thunder
mine.
In December 2005, Arch Coal sold select eastern assets to
Magnum Coal Company to unlock the value of some of its Central
Appalachian holdings, sharpened its focus in that region, and
strengthened its balance sheet in preparation for future growth.
In August 2006, Arch acquired a one-third interest in Knight
Hawk Coal, a growing coal producer in the Illinois Basin.
In October 2009, Arch acquired Rio Tinto's Jacobs Ranch mine
and blended it with Black Thunder mine in the southern Powder River
Basin of Wyoming, creating the single largest coal mining complex in
the world.
In November 2009, Arch acquired the rights to mine 731
million tons of Otter Creek coal reserves in the northern Powder
River Basin of Montana.
On June 15, 2011, Arch acquired International Coal Group
(ICG) and cemented its place as a top five global coal supplier and
a top 10 metallurgical coal producer and marketer.
In December 2011, Arch Coal became the successful bidder for
a 222 million ton federal coal lease known as the South Hilight
tract in the southern Powder River Basin.
In August 2013, Arch Coal sold its Canyon Fuel Company LLC
subsidiary to Bowie Resources, LLC. Canyon Fuel includes the Sufco,
Skyline and Dugout Canyon mines in Utah.
Arch Coal is one of the world's top coal producers and
marketers for the global steel and power generation industries. The
company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ARCH) and
maintains its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo.