Bluegrass Natural Resources said the mine reserve at its Darby coal operation in eastern Kentucky will be exhausted in the next several weeks. The mine has been in production for over 30 years.
The company said the current Darby team will transfer to its new Orchard Branch mine once mining at Darby concludes. Much of the equipment at Darby will be utilized at Orchard Branch along with newly rebuilt shuttle cars.
“We are proud of the accomplishments and history of the Darby mine and are looking forward to continuing that legacy in our new projects,” said the miner.
Since Darby commenced operations in June 1993, the mine has produced more than 18.5 million tons of coal.