Coal miner Core Natural Resources announced just before Christmas that it had restarted longwall operations at its Leer South metallurgical mine in Barbour County, W.Va., where the face had been idle for nearly a year.
The operator first confirmed the longwall system’s shutdown on January 13, 2025, due to “combustion-related activity” that was detected in a previously mined area.
Specifically, the company said its teams were successful in recovering the major mining equipment at Leer South, including the 209 hydraulic shields, face conveyor, shearer, stage loader, crusher, and power system. The equipment was generally in good condition, with limited damage despite the prolonged period of inactivity. Following the repositioning of the longwall system, the operations team permanently sealed the affected area of the Leer South mine, effectively eliminating any potential future issues associated with this combustion event.
In addition, Core said December 18, its West Elk longwall mine in Colorado is now executing at consistent productivity levels following a “period of transition” it said was tied to a move of the system to the mine’s B Seam. Officials expect that improved performance will continue into future periods.
“On behalf of the entire board and management team, I commend the operations team for making safety their highest priority in the successful recovery, repositioning, and restart of the longwall system,” said Chairman and CEO Jimmy Brock.
“In addition, we want to again extend our appreciation to federal, state and local regulatory officials for their collaboration and support. Leer South is a highly strategic asset, and we fully expect this world-class operation to execute at a high level in 2026 and beyond. While the issues at Leer South and West Elk adversely affected Core’s performance in 2025, we are looking forward to strong cost improvement and profitability at both these operations going forward.”
George Schuller Jr., Core senior vice president and chief operating officer, added that he expects Leer South to enter 2026 fully ramped and operating efficiently with an exceptionally strong outlook for operational excellence going forward.
In aggregate, Core expects a significant step-up in its financial performance in 2026 due to the restart at Leer South; the much-improved geological conditions at West Elk; substantial insurance recoveries stemming principally from the combustion event at Leer South; the cessation of the fire-suppression and idling costs at Leer South; and the full-year benefit of substantial and ongoing merger-related synergies.
Source: Core Natural Resources