Superior Surface Mine
| This article is part of the Global Coal Mine Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor. |
| Sub-articles: |
| Related-articles: |
Superior Surface Mine is a mothballed coal mine in Logan County, West Virginia, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Surface Mine | Logan County, West Virginia, United States[1] | 37.728562, -81.978927 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mothballed | – | 2000[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.2 | 0[2] | 2024[2] | Surface[1] | Open Pit | – | 75.0* | 18[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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | Appalachia | Bituminous | – | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Coal Mac LLC [100%][1] | Lexington Coal Holdings [100%] | USA |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2025 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Superior Surface Mine is an underground coal mining operation in Logan County, West Virginia, USA. The mine was once operated by Alex Energy and owned by Massey Energy, until later bought by Alpha Natural Resources. In June 2012 Alpha said it was permanently closing its Superior Surface Mine, the Hatfield underground mine and the Stirrat prep plant in Logan County. According to the AP: "The decisions are driven by a combination of low demand and low coal prices as consumption of cheap natural gas grows. Alpha spokesperson Ted Pile said new estimates on the number of coal-fired power plants being retired also rose this week, while coal stockpiles are at near-record levels."[3]
The mine is now owned and operated by now Lexington Coal Holdings.
- MSHA ID: 4608838
- Operator: Lexington Coal Holdings
- Controller: Lexington Coal Holdings
- Union:
- County: Logan, West Virginia, USA
- Coordinates: 37.728562, -81.978927
- Production (short tons): 0.068 million tons (2020)
- Coal Type: Bituminous
- Mining Method: Surface
- Mine Status: Operating
- Average No. of Employees: 18
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20240717193400/https://www.msha.gov/data-and-reports/mine-data-retrieval-system. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20240213175031/https://www.msha.gov/data-and-reports/statistics/mine-employment-and-coal-production. Archived from the original on 13 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Vicki Smith, "Alpha set to close 2 W.Va. mines, cut back at others," Associated Press, June 28, 2012.
External links
- "Major U.S. Coal Mines," Energy Information Administration
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.
