xt798s4jnf2v https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt798s4jnf2v/data/mets.xml Kentucky Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet Department for Energy Development and Independence 2012 journals  English  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Coal Facts Kentucky Coal Production, 2012 text Kentucky Coal Production, 2012 2012 2014 true xt798s4jnf2v section xt798s4jnf2v Kentucky Coal Production, 2012

Region
Total
Eastern Kentucky
Western Kentucky

Tons
91,407,310
49,363,960
42,043,350

2012 Change
-16.3%
-27.6%
+2.5%

Preliminary data from year-end 2012 indicate that total
coal production in Kentucky decreased by more than 16.3
percent from 2011 to the lowest level since 1965. Although
western Kentucky production increased marginally in 2012,
eastern Kentucky production decreased by 27.6 percent.
During that last 3 months of 2012, the rate of production in
western Kentucky was greater than in eastern Kentucky for
the first time since 1960.

3/18/2013

Mine Type
Total
Underground
Surface

Tons
91,407,310
58,278,720
33,128,590

2012 Change
-16.3%
-10.6%
-24.7%

Production slowed at both underground and surface mines in
2012 by 10.6 and 24.7 percent respectively. Underground
coal mines produced 58.3 million tons, and accounted for 64
percent of total production. Surface mines in Kentucky produced 33 million tons and accounted for 36% of production.

energy.ky.gov

1

* Eastern Kentucky Coal Production

Mine Type
Total
Underground
Surface

Tons
49,363,960
24,187,310
25,176,650

2012 Change
-27.6%
-27.3%
-27.8%

Eastern Kentucky coal production decreased in 2012 by
27.6 percent from 2011 to 49.4 million tons—the lowest
level since 1965. Production slowed at both underground
and surface mines. Eastern Kentucky production has declined
by 53.5 percent since the year 2000, and by 62.3 percent
since peaking at 131 million tons in 1990.

2

County*
Pike
Perry
Harlan
Martin
Leslie
Letcher
Knott
Floyd
Magoffin
Bell
Knox
Johnson
Clay
Breathitt
Whitley Text
Lawrence
Wolfe
McCreary
Owsley
Laurel
Rockcastle
Elliot

Tons
2012 Change
12,931,200
-17.9%
9,231,478
-30.1%
7,034,754
-28.1%
3,587,476
-36.0%
3,008,930
-30.7%
2,979,510
-36.1%
2,641,000
-45.1%
2,382,712
-18.1%
2,015,308
-31.9%
1,161,442
-26.0%
565,092
+45.5%
327,683
+41.2%
293,829
-23.0%
287,783
-65.5%
263,881
-50.2%
County Production
234,628
+189.6%
39,315
+100%
+∞%
31,744
26,647
-61.3%
+∞%
12,627
+∞%
4,930
2,396
-94.9%

* Counties with less than 1,000 tons not listed.

Total coal production decreased by more than 15 percent in
15 eastern Kentucky counties. Pike County remained the
largest coal producing county in eastern Kentucky; however,
for the first time in recent history is no-longer the largest coal
producing county in Kentucky, having been overtaken by
Union County in 2012.

energy.ky.gov

3/18/2013

* Western Kentucky Coal Production

Mine Type
Total
Underground
Surface

Tons
42,043,350
34,091,410
7,951,938

2012 Change
+2.5%
+6.9%
-12.7%

County
Union
Hopkins
Ohio
Webster
Muhlenberg
Henderson
Daviess

Tons
13,474,900
8,945,605
7,231,326
5,550,427
4,887,921
1,558,006
395,164

2012 Change
+9.3%
+1.8%
+30.5%
-3.1%
-14.9%
-36.9%
-2.5%

Western Kentucky coal production increased by 2.5 percent
from 2011 to more than 42 million tons. All of this increase
was due to production in Union and Ohio Counties. During
2012, Union County became the largest coal producing
county in Kentucky, surpassing Pike County by 543,700 tons,
or 4.2 percent.

3/18/2013

energy.ky.gov

3

* Coal Mine Employment, 2012

EKY Counties
All
Pike
Perry
Harlan
Martin
Leslie
Letcher
Floyd
Bell
Knott
Magoffin
Knox
Boyd
Lawrence
Johnson
Clay
Breathitt
McCreary
Whitley
Wolfe
Laurel

Employment
9,540
2,316
1,530
1,367
721
605
583
530
448
330
186
112
78
76
67
66
62
35
31
20
14

2012 Change
-29.9%
-28.0%
-27.9%
-37.1%
-30.2%
-29.5%
-34.2%
-24.1%
-23.7%
-63.2%
-47.9%
-24.8%
+4%
+171.4%
-8.2%
+34.7%
-68.4
+400%
-81.5%
+100%
+250%

Employment at Kentucky coal mines has fallen by over 22
percent from 18,111 in December, 2011, to an average of
14,083 in December, 2012, a loss of 4,028 employees. Coal
mine layoffs have been concentrated in eastern Kentucky
where on-site employment has fallen by 29.9 percent from
13,608 in 2011 to only 9,540 in 2012, a loss of 4,068 employees.

4

WKY Counties
All
Union
Hopkins
Ohio
Webster
Muhlenberg
Henderson
Livingston
Marshall
Daviess
McLean

Description
State Total
Underground
Surface
Preparation Plant
Office

Employment
4,543
1,292
997
710
671
576
108
52
50
43
8

Employment
14,083
7,959
3,786
1,666
482

2012 Change
~0.0%
-0.5%
+11.1%
+28.6%
-6.8%
-4.6%
-60.7%
-8.8%
-3.8%
+4.9%
-27.3%

2012 Change
-4,028
-22.2%
-1,470
-15.4%
-2,160
-34.8%
-415
-20.0%
-74
-13.3%

In western Kentucky there were 4,543 persons employed at
coal mines, approximately the same number as were employed in 2011.

energy.ky.gov

3/18/2013

*