A list of the largest coal-producing U.S. mines for the year 2009. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports the production of all mines that produce more than 4 million short tons. In 2009, 47 mines qualified by the list. All together, major mines produced more than 650 million short tons of coal, a majority of the roughly 1 billion total short tons unearthed across the nation. Wyoming mines dominate the list, filling out the first nine positions.
| Mine | Company | Type | State | Production (Short tons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mcelroy Mine | Mcelroy Coal Company | Underground | W.Va. | 9,863,588 |
| North Antelope Rochelle Mine | Powder River Coal LLC | Surface | Wyo. | 98,279,377 |
| Coal Creek Mine | Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC | Surface | Wyo. | 9,766,852 |
| Navajo Mine | Bhp Navajo Coal Company | Surface | N.M. | 8,418,245 |
| Black Thunder | Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC | Surface | Wyo. | 81,079,043 |
| Falkirk Mine | Falkirk Mining Company | Surface | N.D. | 8,071,246 |
| Foidel Creek Mine | Twentymile Coal Company | Underground | Colo. | 7,827,079 |
| Kayenta Mine | Peabody Western Coal Company | Surface | Ariz. | 7,474,029 |
| Cumberland Mine | Cumberland Coal Resources LP | Underground | Pa. | 6,818,681 |
| Sufco | Canyon Fuel Company LLC | Underground | Utah | 6,748,311 |
| Powhatan No. 6 Mine | The Ohio Valley Coal Company | Underground | Ohio | 6,732,699 |
| San Juan Mine 1 | San Juan Coal Company | Underground | N.M. | 6,499,195 |
| Cardinal | Warrior Coal LLC | Underground | Ky. | 6,316,496 |
| Galatia Mine | American Coal Company | Underground | Ill. | 6,267,253 |
| Century Mine | American Energy Corporation | Underground | Ohio | 6,033,455 |
| Wyodak Mine | Wyodak Resources Development Corporation | Surface | Wyo. | 6,016,063 |
| Loveridge No 22 | Consolidation Coal Company | Underground | W.Va. | 6,004,124 |
| Mach #1 Mine | Mach Mining LLC | Underground | Ill. | 5,921,151 |
| Absaloka Mine | Westmoreland Resources Inc. | Surface | Mont. | 5,911,673 |
| Elk Creek Mine | Oxbow Mining, LLC | Underground | Colo. | 5,702,875 |
| Emerald Mine No 1 | Emerald Coal Resources Lp | Underground | Pa. | 5,558,640 |
| Robinson Run No 95 | Consolidation Coal Company | Underground | W.Va. | 5,544,554 |
| El Segundo | Lee Ranch Coal Co. (Peabody) | Surface | N.M. | 5,445,200 |
| Dry Fork Mine | Western Fuels-Wyoming Inc | Surface | Wyo. | 5,233,980 |
| Jewett Mine | Texas Westmoreland Coal Co. | Surface | Texas | 5,092,532 |
| Twilight Mtr Surface Mine | Progress Coal | Surface | W.Va. | 4,953,903 |
| Three Oaks | Luminant Mining Company LLC | Surface | Texas | 4,887,765 |
| Beckville Strip | Luminant Mining Company LLC | Surface | Texas | 4,515,620 |
| Decker Mine | Decker Coal Company | Surface | Mont. | 4,515,393 |
| West Elk Mine | Mountain Coal Company, LLC | Underground | Colo. | 4,475,344 |
| Kemmerer Mine | Chevron Mining Inc | Surface | Wyo. | 4,460,896 |
| Center Mine | BNI Coal Ltd | Surface | N.D. | 4,239,963 |
| Oak Hill Strip | Luminant Mining Company LLC | Surface | Texas | 4,225,852 |
| Dotiki Mine | Webster County Coal LLC | Underground | Ky. | 4,200,121 |
| Cordero Mine | Cordero Mining LLC | Surface | Wyo. | 39,380,964 |
| Antelope Coal Mine | Antelope Coal LLC | Surface | Wyo. | 33,975,524 |
| Jacobs Ranch Mine | Jacobs Ranch Coal LLC | Surface | Wyo. | 29,021,485 |
| Belle Ayr Mine | Alpha Coal West, Inc. | Surface | Wyo. | 28,395,952 |
| Buckskin Mine | Kiewit Mining Group | Surface | Wyo. | 25,411,798 |
| Caballo Mine | Caballo Coal Company | Surface | Wyo. | 23,252,475 |
| Eagle Butte Mine | Alpha Coal West. Inc. | Surface | Wyo. | 21,479,183 |
| Spring Creek Coal Company | Spring Creek Coal LLC | Surface | Mont. | 17,608,969 |
| Rawhide Mine | Caballo Coal Company | Surface | Wyo. | 15,842,274 |
| Freedom Mine | The Coteau Properties Company | Surface | N.D. | 15,046,737 |
| Enlow Fork Mine | Consol Pennsylvania | Underground | Pa. | 11,092,684 |
| Rosebud Mine&Crusher | Conveyor/Western Energy Company | Surface | Mont. | 10,331,684 |
| Bailey Mine | Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company | Underground | Pa. | 10,232,360 |
Credits: Ben Welsh