Estevan Coal Mine

This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

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Estevan Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Estevan, Bienfait, Estevan-Big Muddy, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Estevan Coal Mine	Estevan, Bienfait, Estevan-Big Muddy, Saskatchewan, Canada	49.092848, -102.886072 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:

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Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status	Status Detail	Opening Year	Closing Year
Operating	–	1973	–

Table 3: Operation details

Note: The asterisk (*) signifies that the value is a GEM estimated figure.

Capacity (Mtpa)	Production (Mtpa)	Year of Production	Mine Type	Mining Method	Mine Size (km2)	Mine Depth (m)	Workforce Size
–	3.13	2025	Surface	Open Pit	203	50*	369

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
125	–	–	–	Subbituminous	Thermal	Coal Plant

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Note: To access more comprehensive data on energy ownership, please visit the Global Energy Ownership Tracker.

Owner	Parent Company	Headquarters
Prairie Mines and Royalty LLC [100.0%]	Westmoreland Mining LLC	USA

Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)

Note: The asterisk (*) indicates that the value is an estimated figure based on various factors, including the company's forecasted or reported monthly or quarterly production data, etc.

ROM or Saleable	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
ROM	6.3	–	6	–	–	4.34	4.37	3.1*	3.13

Reported Methane Emissions Data

Global Energy Monitor collates facility-scale methane emissions data reported by government and company sources collected in a systematic fashion. This mine is associated with the following methane emissions reports:

Table 7: Methane emissions

Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes CO2 equivalent)	Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes CH4)	Year of Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions	Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes) Reference	Reference type
0.267	22.161	2024	​	national government data

Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker August 2026 release.

Reported Methane Emissions Data

Global Energy Monitor collates facility-scale methane emissions data reported by government and company sources collected in a systematic fashion. This mine is associated with the following methane emissions reports:

Table 7: Methane emissions

Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes CO2 equivalent)	Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes CH4)	Year of Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions	Reported Coal Mine Methane Emissions (thousand tonnes) Reference	Reference type
0.267	22.161	2024	​	national government data

Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2026 release.

Ownership Tree

This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Background

Estevan Mine is a surface coal mine, owned and operated by Westmoreland Mining, near Estevan and Bienfait, Saskatchewan, Canada. Estevan Mine supplies coal to Saskatchewan Power Corporation’s four-unit Boundary Dam and single-unit Shand Generating Station, an activated carbon processing joint venture, and a wholly-owned char plant, whose product is used to manufacture barbecue briquettes.

The mine uses advanced topsoil stockpiling techniques to minimize erosion, along with contour leveling, unmanned aerial vehicle surveying, and 3D modeling and equipment simulation software to optimize reclamation efficiency and re-vegetation of all disturbed land developed before being returned to prior use activities.

In 2019, the Westmoreland Coal Company emerged from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a privately held company—Westmoreland Mining LLC—owned and operated by a group of its former creditors.

According to local new reports, coal production requirements from Estevan have dropped significantly in recent years due to the planned shutdown of Unit 5 at the Boundary Dam Power Station, as well as planned work on existing Units 3 and 6. From 2023 to 2024, nearly a 30 percent drop in production was observed.

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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.