LEXINGTON, KY — The chief executive officer of the Kentucky-based company planning to open two metallurgical coal mines in southern West Virginia says construction will begin next month at the first of those mines.
The Elk Creek Mine is located in parts of Logan, Mingo and Wyoming counties. It hasn’t been in operation since the late 1990’s. Ramaco purchased the operation in 2012 and believes now is the right time to reopen it, Ramaco Development CEO Randy Atkins said.
“We will begin our operations from a construction standpoint within the next 30 days and hope to be in production by late spring of next year,” Atkins recently told MetroNews “Talkline” Host Hoppy Kercheval. “Probably by mid-spring we are going to start construction on a plant that will wash the coal.”
Ramaco is in the final stages of securing the necessary permits for the Berwind Mine located in both McDowell County, W.Va. and Buchanan County, Va. Atkins also hopes for mining also by next spring.
Both mines have what Atkins called “exceptional geology.” He believes there will be a market for the metallurgical coal produced.
“We’ll be starting conversations with some of the steel and coke companies contemporaneous with the start of construction. We will be aiming to sell into the 2018 contract period,” Atkins said, adding the company will focus first on the domestic market and then overseas.
Metallurgical coal got close to $200 a ton last week. The price has been going up in recent weeks.
Ramaco Development announced last week it hopes to employ a total of 400 miners at the two locations.