Alpha Natural Resources to sell at least 16 closed mines

BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) - One of the country's biggest coal producers, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, is getting ready to sell at 16 inactive mines in four states.

Alpha Natural Resources is planning to sell shuttered mines in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois, according to documents filed this week in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond, Virginia.

The company, which is headquartered in Bristol, Virginia, wants bids to be placed by Jan. 20, 2016. The sale procedures will be considered during a Nov. 5 hearing.

Citing "adverse market conditions," the company said earlier this month that it plans to idle two mines in West Virginia's Raleigh County and lay off 92 workers at the end of November. The Register-Herald (http://bit.ly/1Q79faf ) reports that it's unclear whether the 79-person operation at the Edwight Surface Mine and 13-person operation at the Independence Coal Co.'s Tunnel Mine will be among those that are put for sale.

Alpha operates about 60 coal mines, many in parts of Appalachia that have seen the sharpest declines in coal demand and coal prices. Coal prices have plunged in recent years as utilities have switched increasingly to natural gas, partly because of price, but also because of changing regulations.

When Alpha filed for bankruptcy in August, it was the fourth big coal producer to do so within the last two years.

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Information from: The Register-Herald, http://www.register-herald.com