Peabody (NYSE: BTU) today confirmed a fire that began earlier today at its Shoal Creek Mine involving void fill material utilized to stabilize the roof structure of the mine. The Shoal Creek Mine is near Jefferson, Walker, and Tuscaloosa counties in Alabama. All mine personnel have now been safely evacuated from the mine. The Mine deployed a team of firefighters to address the incident; at the time that team evacuated the mine, they reported that no flames were visible. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has been notified of the incident and is working with mine personnel to monitor the underground environment and determine a safe plan for mine re-entry.
The incident remains subject to further investigation. The company is not able to provide any estimates as to the impact of the fire on the Shoal Creek Mine or on the company’s overall operations at this time. That said, the company intends to provide further updates on this incident as more information becomes available.
Shoal Creek employs approximately 419 workers and is a production-stage underground longwall metallurgical coal mine located 35 miles west of Birmingham, Alabama, USA. The mine extracts coal from the Mary Lee and Blue Creek coal seams at depths of 1,000 to 1,300 feet. The Shoal Creek Mine produced approximately 800,000 tons of coal in 2022.
Peabody is a leading producer of metallurgical and thermal coal. The health and safety of our people is our first value and we are committed to ensuring that all our employees and contractors go home safely every day.
