2023 surface coal production (short tons, from EIA)
43,721
2023 total coal production (short tons, from EIA)
43,721
2024 surface coal production (short tons, from MSHA)
5,280
2024 total coal production (short tons, from MSHA)
5,280
Coal type
bituminous (from combined MSHA and EIA info)
CO2 metric tons 2023
94,865
CO2 metric tons 2024
11,456
Data from MSHA
(The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor which enforces compliance with mandatory safety and health standards for mines.)
Mine ID
4609632
Mine state
West Virginia
Portable operation (mine can move around)
N
Current mine name
Surface Mine 1
Current mine type
Surface
Current mine status
Active
Status date
04/03/2025
Current controller
Daniel W Bunn
Current operator
Mega Highwall Mining, LLC
County
Mingo
Company type
Other
Latitude
37.593056
Longitude
-81.990833
Directions to mine
Travel 3 East for 3 miles on WV-73 continue 16 miles on Rt-44 Jerry West Hwy, turn left onto Ben's Creek Rd. for 5 miles then take a sharp right turn onto Alum Creek for 2 mile to the guardhouse.
Nearest town
Wharncliffe
Mine has underground component (yes/no)
n
Mine has surface component (yes/no)
y
Mine has refuse component (yes/no)
n
Mine has preparation plant (yes/no)
n
Data from EIA
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is an agency that is part of the U.S. Dept. of Energy and is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating energy information.
EIA mine name
Surface Mine 1
Coal location state
West Virginia (Southern)
Note:
The EIA coal location state is the state where the coal is mined: the MSHA state is the state where the mine mouth is located. In this case they differ.
County
Mingo
Mine status
Active, men working, not producing
Company type
Independent Producer Operator
Operation type
Mine only
Operator name
Ben's Creek Operations Wv, Llc
Operator address
109 Capital Street Suite 100, Charleston, WV 25301
Coal supply region
Appalachia Central
Mine has underground component (yes/no)
n
Mine has surface component (yes/no)
y
Mine has refuse component (yes/no)
n
Mine has preparation plant (yes/no)
n
Data from GEM
Global Energy Monitor (GEM) is an independent nonprofit organization that develops and shares information in support of the worldwide movement for clean energy. These data are from its Global Coal Mine Tracker database.
Political Economy Research Institute