Cumberland Mine Resumes Operations after Unplanned Outage

BRISTOL, Va., Aug. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: ANR), a leading U.S. coal producer, today announced that subsidiary Cumberland Coal Resources LP has mitigated adverse geological conditions in the headgate area of its Cumberland underground longwall mine in Greene County, Pa. As a result, the company has resumed operations and lifted the force majeure related to the geological conditions that halted mining operations and coal shipments July 15.

Alpha President Paul Vining praised the efforts of employees who worked to mitigate the conditions and bring the longwall back into production in a safe and timely manner.

"Safety will always take top priority for Alpha, and it was absolutely critical that we mitigate the adverse conditions before resuming mining operations," Vining said. "We maintained a reduced workforce of employees who did an outstanding job of focusing on safety first to return the Cumberland Mine to operation."

Vining said that while mining and coal shipments have resumed, mine personnel are gradually ramping up operations while continuing to monitor the headgate area geological status and all mine safety and operations conditions.

About Alpha Natural Resources
Alpha Natural Resources is one of the largest and most regionally diversified coal suppliers in the United States. With mining operations in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Wyoming, Alpha supplies metallurgical coal to the steel industry and thermal coal to generate power to customers on five continents.  Alpha is committed to being a leader in mine safety with our Running Right safety process, and an environmental steward in the communities where its affiliates operate. For more information, visit Alpha's website (www.alphanr.com) or like Alpha's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AlphaNaturalResources).  

SOURCE Alpha Natural Resources