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Pribbenow Coal Mine (Mina Pribbenow) is an operating coal mine in Cesar, Colombia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Pribbenow Coal Mine | Cesar, Colombia | 9.575297, -73.484914 (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] | – | 1995[2] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 3.86[3] | 2024[3] | Surface | Open Pit | 65.6[4] | 60.0* | 3500.0[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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 561.0 | – | – | Cesar Coal Basin | Bituminous | Thermal | Terminal (Export) |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Drummond Ltd[6] | Drummond Company Inc [100.0%] | United States |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM[7] | – | – | 9.5[8] | 7.8[7] | – | 5.75[1] | 5.98[9] | 3.86[3] | – |
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
Pribbenow coal mine (or Mina Pribbenow, La Loma Mine) is an open-pit coal mine, operated by Drummond Ltd, a subsidiary of Drummond Company Inc, in the Cesar Coal Basin, near La Loma, Colombia.[10][11][12] Mina Pribbenow is operated by Drummond Ltd and owned 100% by Alabama-based Drummond Company Inc through its Colombian subsidiary Drummond International LLC.[13] Along with the nearby El Descanso mine and El Corozo mine, Pribbenow is a part of Drummond's Colombian coal mining operations. Coal from Pribbenow is transported 193 kilometers (120 miles) by railcar on the renovated portion of the Colombian National Railroad System to Puerto Drummond on the northern coast for export.[14]
In January 2019, Colombia's national mining agency announced that it had extended Drummond’s license to operate its La Loma mine for an additional 20 years.[15][16]
Coal Production
Coal production at the Pribbenow coal mine showed a declining trend over the period. The mine produced approximately 5.75 million tonnes of coal in 2022.[17]
Production remained relatively high at 5.98 million tonnes in 2023,[18] before declining to 3.38 million tonnes in 2024.[19]
Coal Production & Exports by Drummond
Drummond reported that it had been Colombia's leading coal producer for six consecutive years as of 2021, with total production from its Colombian mines reaching 28.9 million tonnes and exports totaling 31.5 million tonnes that year.[13] The El Descanso mine accounted for nearly three quarters of Drummond's Colombian production (20.6 million tonnes) in 2021.[13]
Coal exports continued to grow thereafter, reaching a record 33.5 million tonnes in 2022, compared to 26.3 million tonnes in 2020, the lowest level recorded in the previous five years.[20] See data for other years in the table below.
In April 2025, Drummond reported plans to reduce its operations in Colombia’s Cesar Department due to market conditions, including lower demand, higher transport costs, and a portion of production remaining unsold.[21]
Production and Exports - Drummond Mines in Colombia
| Year | Production - El Corozo (Mtpa) | Production - El Descanso (Mtpa) | Production - Pribbenow (Mtpa) | Total Production (Mtpa) | Total Exports (Mtpa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2.2[19] | 21.7[19] | 3.8[19] | 27.7 | 30.2[19] |
| 2023 | 2.2[22] | 21.4[18] | 6.0[18] | 29.5[18] | 27[18] |
| 2022 | 1.4[23] | 20.4[23] | 5.7[23] | 27.6[23] | 27.7[23] |
| 2021 | 0.7[13] | 20.6[13] | 7.6[13] | 28.9[13] | 31.5[13] |
| 2020 | 21.5[22] | 7.8[22] | 29.3[13] | 29.7[13] | |
| 2019 | 23.1[24] | 9.5[24] | 32.6[13] | 31.1[13] | |
| 2018 | 30.8[13] | 31.5[13] | |||
| 2017 | 32.5[13] | 32.4[13] |
Ownership
Mina Pribbenow is a project of the Drummond Company Inc.[13] In 2011 Drummond sold a 20% stake in its Colombian mining operations to the Japanese company Itochu Corp.[25][26] In early 2021 Drummond Company Inc reassumed 100% ownership of the mines.[13]
Controversies and Paramilitary Links
According to the New York Times in 2002, Drummond has been "accused of encouraging the assassination of three union leaders at its giant coal mine in Colombia. Drummond has been investigated over accusations it paid local paramilitary groups to kill union leaders.[27][28] As of August 2022, the Colombian Commission for the Clarification of the Truth has confirmed that Drummond, along with other multinational mining companies, did form alliances with paramilitaries as early as 1996, through agreements adding up to almost 5,000 million pesos, to ensure and expand its mining projects. Jaime Blanco, a Drummond contractor in charge of supplying food for La Loma mine workers, confessed to using his company Servicios y Alimentación (ISA) as a mechanism to channel money from Drummond in favor of the Northern Bloc of the AUC through cost overruns in food contracts." Through these alliances, paramilitaries assisted in taking land from peasants and giving it in mining titles to Drummond. In 2012, the alliances between paramilitaries and mining companies including Drummond resulted in the murder of landowners in Mechoacán and El Prado, as well as other human rights violations.[29][30]
In 2013, after "continuously fail[ing] to retool its operations" per a Colombian government mandate, Drummond was forced to pay a $3.6 million fine, according to In These Times.
In 2013, a ship carrying coal at Puerto Drummond overturned, spilling hundreds of tons of coal into the water.[31] As a result, the Colombian government suspended Drummond's export license for nearly a month and implemented a new regulation requiring direct ship loading as of 1 January 2014.[14]
Drummond blamed the spill in part on construction delays tied to a 2013 mine workers' strike. According to In These Times, "the unrest that led to that labor action arguably stems from the same situation environmentalists blame for the dumping: the notorious impunity of many multinationals in the Global South, particularly in the energy sectors, which exploit poor countries' resources and workers to feed carbon-burning industries abroad."[31]
In September 2017, a senior construction supervisor was killed by a falling electric gate in the warehouse area of Pribbenow mine.[32]
Land Restitution Case
According to media reports, a Colombian court ruled in 2024 that land used by Drummond in Cesar had been unlawfully dispossessed during the armed conflict, ordering restitution to the state and compensation to affected families by public funds, while allowing the company to continue mining operations under its existing license until 2039.[33]
As of 2025–2026, no further updates on the land restitution ruling involving Drummond’s operations in Cesar had been reported.
Methane Plumes Detected Nearby
Global Energy Monitor researchers analyze satellite-detected methane plumes in order to determine whether they have been observed at or near the site of GEM energy assets. The satellite data provider creates imagery of individual methane plumes and estimates their emission rates at the time of observation. GEM has reviewed many of these plume detections against Google Earth imagery and GEM’s own energy infrastructure tracker data. The following table lists methane plumes which are associated with the energy asset or facility based on distance and manual review. (A full description of the analysis process is available in the Global Methane Emitters Tracker methodology wiki page.)
Table M1: Plume details
| Observation date | Satellite data provider | Location of plume origin | Methane emissions rate | Additional plume information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-02-19T19:05:39+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230219t190539p12019-A | 9.544031526, -73.49670989[34] | –[34] | Cesar Department Methane Observation 2023-02-19, 1 |
| 2023-02-23T17:31:39+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230223t173139p11013-A | 9.54265536, -73.50229914[34] | 1146.260869 kg/hr[34] | Cesar Department Methane Observation 2023-02-23, 1 |
| 2023-02-27T15:57:14+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230227t155714p10003-A | 9.54091783, -73.50274403[34] | –[34] | Cesar Department Methane Observation 2023-02-27, 1 |
| 2023-06-29T15:40:54+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20230629t154054p10011-A | 9.53758607, -73.50013633[34] | 879.9051485 kg/hr[34] | Cesar Department Methane Observation 2023-06-29, 2 |
| 2024-01-27T16:45:46+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20240127t164546p11002-A | 9.543646202, -73.50258011[34] | 1170.90524 kg/hr[34] | Cesar Department Methane Observation 2024-01-27, 1 |
| 2024-01-31T15:11:30+00 | CarbonMapper, emi20240131t151130p10004-A | 9.539159347, -73.50280252[34] | 1262.560025 kg/hr[34] | Cesar Department Methane Observation 2024-01-31, 1 |
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 https://issuu.com/drummondltd/docs/drummond_en_cifras_2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://www.somo.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/OECD-complaint-Asamblea-Campesina-el-al-vs-RWE-et-al-re-Colombia-coal.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 (PDF) https://drummondltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Drummond-in-figures-2024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://drummondltd.com/en/our-operations/mining-operations/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://laborrights.org/in-the-news/drummond-colombia-coal-mine-workers-go-strike.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.drummondltd.com/en/our-operations/mining-operations/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://issuu.com/drummondltd/docs/is_drummond_2020_202111223_engdigital.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://issuu.com/drummondltd/docs/2019-sustainability_report_-_en?fr=sMGU4ZjM5NDk1ODc.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://drummondltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Drummond-in-figures-2023.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Drummond Ltd. Colombia mines organizational website, accessed Nov. 10, 2019
- ↑ Viewpoint Mining Magazine Power — a driving force at Drummond’s Mina Pribbenow Viewpoint Mining Magazine accessed Nov 10, 2019
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedap - ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 13.16 13.17 "2021 Sustainability Report (pp 12, 19-21, 57, 70)". Drummond Ltd. Colombia. January 31, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwoodmac - ↑ "Otrosí No. 15 al Contrato de Exploración y Explotación Minera Carbonífera No. 078- 88, Suscrito enter la Agencia Nacional de Minería y Drummond Ltd. (p 15)" (PDF). Agencia Nacional de Minería - Ministerio de Minas y Energía. January 22, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Julia Cobb Colombia extends Drummond contract on coal mine for 20 years Reuters, Jan 20, 2019
- ↑ "Drummond en cifras 2022". https://issuu.com/. 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website=|title=at position 9 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 "Drummond in figures 2023" (PDF). https://drummondltd.com/. 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 "Drummond in figures 2024" (PDF). https://drummondltd.com/. 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Drummond in figures 2024" (PDF). https://drummondltd.com/. 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "La minera Drummond reduciría su operación en Cesar por condiciones de mercado". https://www.larepublica.co/. April 7, 2025. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 "2020 Sustainability Report (p 31)". Drummond Ltd. Colombia. January 2021.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:6 - ↑ 24.0 24.1 "2019 Sustainability Report (p 42)". Drummond Ltd. Colombia. January 2020.
- ↑ "ITOCHU Corporation Invests in Drummond Company Colombian Mines | Press Releases | ITOCHU Corporation". ITOCHU Corporation. June 16, 2011.
- ↑ "Drummond to partially restart Colombian coal operations". S&P Global. April 9, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ bnamericas Drummond scraps plans to sell Colombia coal mine bnamericas, Nov 8, 2018
- ↑ Steven Greenhouse Alabama Coal Giant Is Sued Over 3 Killings in Colombia New York Times March 22, 2002
- ↑ "Comisión de la Verdad señala que sí existieron alianzas entre paramilitares y multinacionales mineras en Colombia". Infobae. 14 agosto 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ "Jaime Blanco Maya, excontratista de la Drummond pedirá perdón a víctimas de las AUC en el Caribe colombiano". Infobae. 20 septiembre 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ 31.0 31.1 Michelle Chen Coal Spill Puts Spotlight on Colombia’s Labor and Environmental Struggles In These Times Jan 24, 2014
- ↑ "Muere supervisor de Drummond en accidente en mina del Cesar". Petrol News / El Heraldo. 25 septiembre 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ "Tribunal ordena restitución de tierras en zona minera de Drummond". https://www.youtube.com/. 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ 34.00 34.01 34.02 34.03 34.04 34.05 34.06 34.07 34.08 34.09 34.10 34.11 url=https://data.carbonmapper.org/
