SHERIDAN, Wyo.-
A new coal mine is being proposed north of here on the border with Montana.
Affiliates of Consol Energy Inc. and the Pittsburg and Midway Mining Co. have entered into a joint venture to develop the proposed Youngs Creek Mine.
The proposed site is located near existing Decker and Spring Creek mines in Montana, said Lynn Manning, spokeswoman for Consol.
Affiliates of the companies have formed Youngs Creek Mining Co. to develop and operate the mine, according to a joint news release from the firms.
Consol is based in Pittsburgh and P&M is based in Englewood, Colo. P&M also owns a surface-coal mine in Kemmerer.
The proposed mine site contains about 315 million tons of subbituminous coal, according to the release. Initial studies indicate 15 million tons of coal could be mined each year when at full production, the release says.
“This high-quality reserve Youngs Creek Mining will develop is one of the best remaining in the Powder River Basin,” said J. Brett Harvey, president and CEO of Consol.
Engineering, environmental and permitting work are already under way, Manning said, and permit applications for the mine could be submitted in late 2008.
Rodney G. Gaines, a projects manager with P&M, estimated construction of the mine could begin in early 2010 if permitting is successful.
Manning said it’s unclear at this point how many jobs the mine could create.
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Information from: The Sheridan Press,
