Black Thunder Coal Mine
Encyclopedia
The Black Thunder Coal Mine is a surface coal mine in the U.S. state
of Wyoming
, located at 43°40′N 105°18′W in the Powder River Basin
which contains one of the largest deposits of coal in the world. Black Thunder is the second most productive mine in the United States
and one of the largest in the world, providing the U.S. with 8 percent of its coal supply. In 2007, the mine produced 86,196,275 short tons of coal, nearly 20 percent of Wyoming's total coal production, and higher than 23 other individual coal producing states.
Black Thunder’s dragline excavator is the biggest in the world and cranks out enough coal to load up 25 miles of railroad cars per day.
In 2009, the America’s Power Factuality Tour stopped at the Black Thunder Coal Mine to report on its role in generating electricity in the United States.
Coal until it was acquired in 1998 by Arch Coal
. For most of its existence, Black Thunder has been the largest mine in the country (by production), but it was surpassed by the nearby North Antelope Rochelle Mine. North Antelope Rochelle was created after Peabody Energy purchased the Rochelle mine next door to their North Antelope Mine and consolidated operations. Arch Coal, Inc. announced on March 9, 2009 that it has agreed to purchase Rio Tinto's Jacobs Ranch mine adjoining Black Thunder, which will result in Black Thunder once again being the largest mine in the country.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, located at 43°40′N 105°18′W in the Powder River Basin
Powder River Basin
The Powder River Basin is a geologic region in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming, about east to west and north to south, known for its coal deposits. The region supplies about 40 percent of coal in the United States. It is both a topographic drainage and geologic structural basin...
which contains one of the largest deposits of coal in the world. Black Thunder is the second most productive mine in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and one of the largest in the world, providing the U.S. with 8 percent of its coal supply. In 2007, the mine produced 86,196,275 short tons of coal, nearly 20 percent of Wyoming's total coal production, and higher than 23 other individual coal producing states.
Black Thunder’s dragline excavator is the biggest in the world and cranks out enough coal to load up 25 miles of railroad cars per day.
In 2009, the America’s Power Factuality Tour stopped at the Black Thunder Coal Mine to report on its role in generating electricity in the United States.
History
The mine was opened in 1977, and run by ARCOARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
Coal until it was acquired in 1998 by Arch Coal
Arch Coal
Arch Coal is an American coal mining and processing company. The company mines, processes, and markets bituminous and sub-bituminous coal with low sulfur content in the United States. Arch Coal is the second largest supplier of coal in the U.S. behind Peabody Energy. The company supplies 16% of...
. For most of its existence, Black Thunder has been the largest mine in the country (by production), but it was surpassed by the nearby North Antelope Rochelle Mine. North Antelope Rochelle was created after Peabody Energy purchased the Rochelle mine next door to their North Antelope Mine and consolidated operations. Arch Coal, Inc. announced on March 9, 2009 that it has agreed to purchase Rio Tinto's Jacobs Ranch mine adjoining Black Thunder, which will result in Black Thunder once again being the largest mine in the country.