Black Butte And Leucite Hills Coal Mines
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Black Butte And Leucite Hills Coal Mines is an operating coal mine in Point of Rocks, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Black Butte And Leucite Hills Coal Mines | Point of Rocks, Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States[1] | 41.574923, -108.691891 (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[1] | – | 1978[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 0.4218780801[2] | 2025[2] | Surface[2] | – | – | 75* | 59[2] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | Other Western | Bituminous[2] | – | Coal Plant[3] |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Black Butte Coal Company [100.0%][1][3][4] | Lighthouse Resources Inc [50%]; Anadarko Petroleum Corp [50%] | USA |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM[5] | 2.55[6] | 2.49[7] | 2.3[8] | 2.21[9] | 1.77[10] | 2.03[11] | 1.61[5] | – | 0.42[2] |
Expansion/Extension
Table 7: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Project Phase | Added Capacity (Mtpa)* | Start Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed[12] | Permitted[12] | Expansion[12] | – | – | – |
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
Black Butte/Leucite Hills Mine is a surface coal mine located 38 miles east of Rock Springs, Sweetwater County, Wyoming. The mine produces sub-bituminous coal. The mine is operated by Black Butte Coal Company, a joint venture by Level III/Anadarko. Its coal is transported to MidAmerican Energy/Berkshire Hathaway's Jim Bridger Steam Plant.[13] In November 2011, Ambre Energy revealed it had purchased a 50 percent interest in the Black Butte mine.[14]
Expansion
In September 2025, an expansion for the Black Butte mine was expedited and approved in response to the Trump Administration's declaration of a national energy emergency.[15] The expansion allows the mine to recover an additional 9.2 million short tons of federal coal in two new areas, known as pit 10 and pit 15, covering 257 acres of land.[16] It will extend operations through at least 2039.[15]
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 1.3 "Mine Data Retrieval System". Mine Health and Safety Administration. Archived from the original on 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 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) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 (PDF) https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/nepa/82072/111877/136896/black_butte_coal_lease_mod_ea.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.oxy.com/siteassets/documents/investors/2024-annual-report.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 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) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 (PDF) https://www.osmre.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/BlackButte_ASLM_Aprvl_Doc_9.9.2025_signed_0.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Fatal Powered Haulage Accident" Mine Safety and Health Administration Website, July 29, 2000
- ↑ "Australian company buys stake in coal mines" Matt Gouras, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, November 25, 2011.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Wyoming’s Black Butte Mine Expansion Approved, Extending Operations Through 2039", U.S. Department of the Interior website, 9 September 2025.
- ↑ [https://www.osmre.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/BlackButte_ROD_9.9.25_signed_0.pdf Black Butte Coal Company Federal Coal Lease WYW-6266 Mining Plan Modification], U.S. DOI Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, September 2025.
