{"id":11248,"date":"2025-10-16T17:59:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T17:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/?p=11248"},"modified":"2026-04-01T19:41:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T19:41:08","slug":"black-butte-revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northamericanmining.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/16\/black-butte-revival\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Butte Revival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A mine plan modification will restore full-scale mining and prolong operations at the historic site through 2039.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Josephine Patterson<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Highwall
Highwall mining at Black Butte, Pit 10. The new mine plan modification facilitates an extension of Pit 10 in its southeast corner of 50 acres and the development of a new pit (Pit 15) north of Pit 10 on 400 acres. Photo: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has approved a change in the mining plan for the Black Butte mine in Sweetwater County, Wyo., approximately 25 miles east of Rock Springs. The modification enables Black Butte Coal Co. to recover about 9.2 million tons of federal coal from two areas, known as Pit 15 and Pit 10, covering 450 acres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coal will be mined from two seams within the Fort Union Formation. The expected average production rate is between 500,000 and 1.3 million tons per year (Mtpy), which is below the maximum permitted production rate of 5 Mtpy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since June 2024, Black Butte has been \u201con a strictly reclamation plan,\u201d with workers focused solely on restoring previously mined areas while awaiting federal approval of the expansion, reported Cowboy State Daily. The Wyoming news site wrote that the mine plan change had been under federal review since 2014, with the company securing initial lease approval in 2017 and state permits in 2021 before stalling under the previous administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In operation since 1977, Black Butte primarily provides thermal coal to the Jim Bridger power plant, Wyoming\u2019s largest coal-fired power plant, as well as supporting jobs across federal, state, and private lands. With the DOI approval, the surface mine is expected to continue operating through at least 2039. The expansion is also expected to add over 50 new jobs at the operation, which currently employs 56 full-time workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe Black Butte mine expansion strengthens our nation\u2019s Energy Dominance by responsibly unlocking federal coal resources,\u201d said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. \u201cThis decision also supports good-paying jobs in Wyoming and ensures the land is restored after mining, reflecting our commitment to both energy and environmental stewardship.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Black Butte expansion approval supports key Trump administration energy priorities under Executive Order 14154, \u201cUnleashing American Energy,\u201d and Executive Order 14241, \u201cReinvigorating America\u2019s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.\u201d These executive orders promote domestic energy production while maintaining responsible land management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Butte Coal Co. is a 50\/50 Joint Venture between KCP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lighthouse Resource, and Bitter Creek Coal Company.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Black Butte coal mine is a dragline\/dozer strip operation. Photo: Wyoming State Geological Survey<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A mine plan modification will restore full-scale mining and prolong operations at the historic site through 2039. by Josephine Patterson The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has approved a change in the mining plan for the Black Butte mine in Sweetwater County, Wyo., approximately 25 miles east of Rock Springs. The modification enables Black Butte Coal Co. to recover…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[4144,3023,4066,3762],"coauthors":[1644],"class_list":["post-11248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-beautiful-clean-coal-industry","tag-black-butte-coal-co","tag-black-butte-mine","tag-highwall-mining"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t