Facts About the Massey Coal Company
Massey Energy Company, formerly Massey Coal Company, was founded in 1920 when A.T. Massey incorporated the A.T. Massey Coal Company as a coal brokering business in Richmond, Virginia. Since its inception the company has undergone restructuring and changes in ownership. With the acquisition of several coal mines and the establishment of several subsidiaries, it is now the largest producer of Appalachian coal.
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Company History
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Massey Coal Company, Inc. was originally incorporated in 1920. In 1945 operations were expanded to include coal mining. St. Joe Minerals acquired a majority interest in the company in 1974 and went on to form the Massey Coal Partnership with Royal Dutch Shell in 1980. St. Joe Minerals was acquired by the Flour Corporation in 1981. In 1987 the Massey Coal Partnership was reorganized into A.T. Massey Coal Company, a subsidiary owned by the Flour Corporation. From 1987 on several mining subsidiaries were established. In 2000 the Massey Coal Company separated from the Flour Corporation and was renamed Massey Energy Company. From 2000 to 2010 Massey Energy continued to acquire mining operations throughout Appalachia and form international partnerships and expand operations to India and Central America.
Mining Operations
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As of July 2010 Massey Energy Company was operating 47 mines in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. 35 of the mines are underground operations and 12 are surface mines. The company operates 23 Resource Groups, which are complexes that blend, process and ship coal produced in the mines. One complex may handle the coal production from as many as 7 mines. Four mining methods are employed by Massey Energy: underground room and pillar, underground longwall, surface and highwall mining.
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Products
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A wide range of coal products are produced by Massey Energy Company for a diverse customer base. Among the products are low vol and high vol metallurgical coal, low sulfur utility coal, steam coal and custom blended coal for specialized applications. Massey Energy also sells surplus mining equipment as it becomes available.
Safety
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Massey Energy Company, formerly Massey Coal Company, faced national scrutiny in April, 2010 when 29 miners died in a massive mine explosion caused by improper ventilation of methane gas. It was the largest and worst disaster in U.S. coal mining history in 40 years. February 1, 2006 a fire broke out in a Massey controlled mine in Logan County, West Virginia in which two men were killed. Efforts to fight the fire were hampered by inadequate equipment. The company agreed to pay civil and criminal penalties for the accident.
Environmental Issues
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In 2007 Massey Energy Company began to focus on environmental issues and an effort to reduce citations from state regulatory commissions. According to company information, they have achieved an overall reduction in citations of 36 percent. In January, 2008, Massey Energy agreed to pay a $20 million settlement for violations of the Clean Water Act at coal mines in West Virginia and Kentucky. The company also agreed to invest $10 million to develop and implement procedures that would identify problems immediately so the company could quickly address violations. Additionally, the company agreed to set aside 20 acres of riverfront property in West Virginia as a preserve and to protect it from future mining and perform 20 more projects downstream from their mining operations.
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References
- Photo Credit coal pit image by Sergey Galushko from Fotolia.com
