Absaloka Coal Mine
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Absaloka Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Hardin, Montana, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Absaloka Coal Mine | Hardin, Montana, United States[1][2] | 45.805302, -107.081141 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[2] | – | 1974[3] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 0.1271119986[4] | 2025[4] | Surface[2] | Open Pit | 71.11[5] | 75* | 32[4] |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | – | – | Powder River Basin | Subbituminous | Thermal | Coal Plant[6] |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Westmoreland Absaloka Mining LLC [100.0%][7] | Westmoreland Mining Holdings LLC | USA |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM[2] | 3.57[2] | 3.82[2] | 3.12[2] | 2.08[2] | 1.43[2] | 2.22[2] | 2.03[2] | – | 0.13[4] |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker August 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The Absaloka Mine (MSHA ID: 2400910) is a surface mine in southeastern Montana. Established in the 1970s by the Morrison Knudson Corporation (a company now known as Washington Group International), it was acquired by Westmoreland Resources in 2007.[8]
In 2024, it was one of only four operating coal mines within the state of Montana.[9]
A portion of the Absaloka mine's operations is located within the Crow Nation Reservation, making it the only mine within the U.S. that operates both on and adjacent to Tribal lands.[8]
For decades, Absaloka supplied coal to Minnesota's largest coal-burning plant, the Sherburne County Plant.[10] At its peak, the mine produced as much as 6 million tonnes per annum and provided nearly half of the Crow Tribe's non-federal income. However, in recent years, its coal production has dwindled and has reportedly ceased as of April 2024 due to the mine losing its final utility contract.[11] Despite no longer producing coal, neither Westmoreland nor the Mine Safety and Health Administration have declared the mine as closed.[11][12]
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ https://westmoreland.com/westmoreland-absaloka-mining-llc-montana/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 "Mine Data Retrieval System". Mine Health and Safety Administration. Archived from the original on 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
- ↑ (PDF) https://deq.mt.gov/files/Water/WQInfo/Documents/2025%20Public%20Notices/PN-MT-25-02/MT0021229/2025-DFS-MT0021229.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20260701051244/https://www.msha.gov/data-and-reports/statistics/mine-employment-and-coal-production. Archived from the original on 01 July 2026.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://deq.mt.gov/files/Land/CoalUranium/Annual%20Reports/AR%20Report_2022.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240404224401/https://elkodaily.com/news/local/business/mining/absaloka-coal-mine-crow-tribe-westmorland/article_7c5bfb08-f556-5a13-89b8-3c7e0c5efca5.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Major Mines & Projects". miningdataonline.com. Archived from the original on 2024-07-23. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
{{cite web}}: Text "Absaloka Mine" ignored (help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Absaloka Mine", Westmoreland website, Accessed September 2026.
- ↑ Derf Johnson, "The Inevitable Wind-down of Montana's Coal Mines", Montana Environmental Information Center, 29 March 2024.
- ↑ "EIA 923 March 2020" EIA 923 2020.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "The future of coal country: Collision of cultures and choices", Montana Free Press, 23 October 2024.
- ↑ Absaloka Mine - Mine Information, U.S. Department of Labor MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System, Accessed September 2026.
