Patriot Coal To Further Reduce Thermal Coal Production

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Coal Corp. (OTC Pink: PATCA) today issued WARN Act notices at the Corridor G mining complex located near Danville, West Virginia.  The Corridor G complex, which includes the Hobet 21 Mine and Beth Station preparation plant, employs 360 people and produced 2.3 million tons of thermal coal in 2013.

Pursuant to the WARN Act, the Company today gave 60-day notice of potential layoffs to all employees that could be affected. 

"The combination of increasing EPA regulations, mild summer weather and low natural gas prices has resulted in thermal coal pricing at levels below operating costs at many Appalachian mines," said Patriot President and Chief Executive Officer Bennett K. Hatfield.  "Over the next two months, Corridor G management will further evaluate operations and staffing to assess their ability to produce coal at lower costs and determine the extent of actions to be taken.  We deeply regret the impact these actions will have on our hard-working employees and neighboring communities."

About Patriot Coal
Patriot Coal Corp. is a producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, with 10 active mining complexes in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin.  Patriot ships to domestic and international electricity generators, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.8 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves.

Forward-Looking Statements 
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking.  These statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that may be beyond the Company's control and may cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations.  Factors that could affect the Company's results include, but are not limited to factors detailed from time to time in the Company's reports and other information posted on its website or included in a press release.  The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. 

SOURCE Patriot Coal Corp.