Belle Ayr Coal Mine
| This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
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Belle Ayr Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Gillette, Campbell County, Wyoming, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Belle Ayr Coal Mine | Gillette, Campbell County, Wyoming, United States[1][2][3] | 44.09744, -105.42811 (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[3] | – | 1972[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45[4] | 13.06[5] | 2025[5] | Surface[3] | Open Pit | 54.26[2] | 75* | 240[5] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | – | – | Bell Ayr[2] | Subbituminous[6] | Thermal[1] | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle Specialty Materials LLC [100.0%][3][2][7][8] | natural persons [100%] | USA |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM[9] | 15.82[10] | 18.46[11] | 10.2[12] | 11.17[13] | 14.44[14] | 14.25[15] | 15.15[9] | 13.24[3] | 13.06[3] |
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
Belle Ayr Mine (MSHA ID: 4800732) is a surface coal mine producing around 18 million short tons per annum in the Powder River Basin, near Gillette in Campbell County, Wyoming, United States.
The mine has had several owners throughout its operation, including Amax Coal West, Inc.; Alpha Coal West, Inc.; Foundation Coal; and Blackjewel LLC.[3][16] Today, the open pit "truck and shovel" operation which produces low-sulphur coal, is owned and operated by Eagle Specialty Materials, an affiliate of FM Coal, LLC.[17] Eagle Specialty Materials is also the owner of Eagle Butte Coal Mine, also located in Campbell County.
Opposition
Environmental groups sue BLM over coal leases in Wyoming
In 2011, three environmental groups — WildEarth Guardians, Sierra Club, and Defenders of Wildlife — sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over the agency's decision to allow Alpha Natural Resources to mine tracts at the Caballo Mine and Belle Ayr Mine. The groups contended the BLM did not properly conduct its assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed operation. They also argued that the coal from these tracts was enough to fuel 152 coal-fired power plants, and would release 643 million tons of carbon dioxide (the equivalent to that released by 111.7 million passenger vehicles a year, using EPA calculations).[18]
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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20260701052212/https://www.eaglespecialtymaterials.com/. Archived from the original on 01 July 2026.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.campbellcountywy.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12212023-3323?packet=true.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Mine Data Retrieval System". Mine Health and Safety Administration. Archived from the original on 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
- ↑ "Belle Ayr Mine", Wikipedia, Accessed September 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 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) - ↑ "Giants in the Powder River Basin", Liebherr website, Accessed September 2026.
- ↑ https://county17.com/2020/09/14/company-with-belle-ayr-eagle-butte-ties-files-for-bankruptcy/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240610024112/https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/ala-miner-fm-coal-files-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy-reorganization-60197013.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O2I99G3lAqLb0N43F4T8Jy_ueLG-fJMm/view.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://drive.google.com/file/d/18TrmkxiUZ64kHvTpfwFj7sxSLfbc-yi-/view.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WVcPoy7TWCAv1LaCQD5KBAMp3B08URzM/view.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bwql2zs_vSTxfo_Eo0V1t4hX9wM412Q_/view.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PeXPu29xs9sz39QNgyE2H8RN2I9H7Kxu/view.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oXZXRbk_jtv5aCJ84YnRZJlKdlJSZJCc/view.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://drive.google.com/file/d/10k8DenaAx8TGPA1SSAqHS-xSW4Y6Bqnz/view.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Foundation Coal, "Foundation Coal: Operational Overviews", Foundation Coal website, accessed May 2009.
- ↑ "Operations", Eagle Specialty Materials website, Accessed September 2026.
- ↑ "Environmental groups sue BLM over coal leases in Wyoming" Jeremy Fugleberg, Casper-Star Tribune, August 24, 2011.
