Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. Announces Issuance of WARN Act Notice at Excel Mining, LLC

Rhea-AI Summary

Alliance Resource Partners (NASDAQ: ARLP) announced that its subsidiary, Excel Mining, has issued WARN Act notices to approximately 280 employees at the MC Mining Complex in Pike County, Kentucky. The decision comes due to challenging geology, persistent weakness in coal demand, and delays in payment for committed coal sales. Through October 31, 2024, the complex has generated 0.7 million tons of coal sales and 0.8 million tons of production. Starting November 15, 2024, production will be reduced to two units before permanent closure. The company maintains its previously announced guidance ranges.

Positive

• Maintains previously announced guidance ranges despite mine closure
• Continues production with two units to fulfill existing contractual commitments

Negative

• Closure of MC Mining Complex affecting 280 employees
• Challenging geology and weak coal demand impacting operations
• Delays in payments for committed coal sales
• Reduction in production capacity

Insights

Mining Industry Analyst

This mine closure announcement signals significant operational challenges at ARLP's MC Mining Complex. The layoff of 280 employees and reduction to two production units reflects broader industry pressures. The complex's 0.7 million tons of coal sales and 0.8 million tons of production through October 2024 demonstrate declining output levels. While ARLP maintains its guidance, suggesting minimal financial impact on the overall company, this closure represents continued consolidation in the coal industry amid weakening demand and payment collection issues. The transition to reclamation activities indicates this is a permanent strategic decision rather than a temporary measure. The complex's geology challenges and market headwinds mirror broader coal industry struggles, though ARLP's diversified operations help buffer the company-wide impact.

Labor Market Analyst

The WARN Act notice issuance highlights significant regional employment implications in Pike County, Kentucky. The 280 job losses will have a substantial multiplier effect on the local economy, particularly challenging in a region historically dependent on coal mining employment. While some workers will transition to reclamation activities, this represents a permanent reduction in high-paying industrial jobs. The phased approach through November 2024 provides some transition time, but the rural location may limit immediate reemployment opportunities. This closure follows a pattern of coal industry consolidation that continues to reshape employment patterns in traditional mining communities.

TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ: ARLP) (“ARLP” or the “Partnership”) announced today that its subsidiary, Excel Mining, LLC (“Excel”), issued Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (“WARN”) Act notices to all of its approximately 280 employees of the MC Mining Complex in Pike County, Kentucky.

"The decision to issue WARN notices at the MC Mining Complex was not made lightly," said Joseph W. Craft, III, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Despite our continued efforts to navigate challenging geology and market conditions, persistent weakness in coal demand, compounded by some delays in timely payment for committed coal sales, has necessitated this difficult but necessary step to begin winding down production operations. We deeply regret the impact this decision has on our employees, their families, and their communities."

The MC Mining Complex is owned by MC Mining, LLC and operated by Excel, both wholly-owned subsidiaries of ARLP. Through October 31, 2024, the MC Mining Complex has generated 2024 year-to-date coal sales and production volumes of approximately 0.7 million tons and 0.8 million tons, respectively.

As of November 15, 2024, coal production from the MC Mining Complex will be reduced to two production units. Combined with current inventory, mining from the two production units will continue to supply existing contractual commitments before ceasing in anticipation of the mine’s permanent closure. Excel employees not involved in the reduced production of coal will focus efforts on reclamation activities throughout the MC Mining Complex.

ARLP does not expect this action to have any impact on its previously announced guidance ranges provided in its October 28, 2024 press release.

About Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.

ARLP is a diversified energy company that is currently the largest coal producer in the eastern United States, supplying reliable, affordable energy domestically and internationally to major utilities, metallurgical and industrial users. ARLP also generates operating and royalty income from mineral interests it owns in strategic coal and oil & gas producing regions in the United States. In addition, ARLP is evolving and positioning itself as a reliable energy partner for the future by pursuing opportunities that support the advancement of energy and related infrastructure.

News, unit prices and additional information about ARLP, including filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), are available at www.arlp.com. For more information, contact the investor relations department of ARLP at (918) 295-7673 or via e-mail at investorrelations@arlp.com.

The statements and projections used throughout this release are based on current expectations. These statements and projections are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially. These projections do not include the potential impact of any mergers, acquisitions or other business combinations that may occur after the date of this release. We have included more information below regarding business risks that could affect our results.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: With the exception of historical matters, any matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results. Those forward-looking statements include expectations with respect to our future financial performance, coal and oil & gas consumption and expected future prices, our ability to increase unitholder distributions in future quarters, business plans and potential growth with respect to our energy and infrastructure transition investments, optimizing cash flows, reducing operating and capital expenditures, infrastructure projects at our existing properties, growth in domestic electricity demand, preserving liquidity and maintaining financial flexibility, and our future repurchases of units and senior notes, among others. These risks to our ability to achieve these outcomes include, but are not limited to, the following: decline in the coal industry's share of electricity generation, including as a result of environmental concerns related to coal mining and combustion, the cost and perceived benefits of other sources of electricity and fuels, such as oil & gas, nuclear energy, and renewable fuels and the planned retirement of coal-fired power plants in the U.S.; our ability to provide fuel for growth in domestic energy demand, should it materialize; changes in macroeconomic and market conditions and market volatility, and the impact of such changes and volatility on our financial position; changes in global economic and geo-political conditions or changes in industries in which our customers operate; changes in commodity prices, demand and availability which could affect our operating results and cash flows; the outcome or escalation of current hostilities in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict; the severity, magnitude and duration of any future pandemics and impacts of such pandemics and of businesses' and governments' responses to such pandemics on our operations and personnel, and on demand for coal, oil, and natural gas, the financial condition of our customers and suppliers and operators, available liquidity and capital sources and broader economic disruptions; actions of the major oil-producing countries with respect to oil production volumes and prices could have direct and indirect impacts over the near and long term on oil & gas exploration and production operations at the properties in which we hold mineral interests; changes in competition in domestic and international coal markets and our ability to respond to such changes; potential shut-ins of production by the operators of the properties in which we hold oil & gas mineral interests due to low commodity prices or the lack of downstream demand or storage capacity; risks associated with the expansion of and investments into the infrastructure of our operations and properties, including the timing of such investments coming online; our ability to identify and complete acquisitions and to successfully integrate such acquisitions into our business and achieve the anticipated benefits therefrom; our ability to identify and invest in new energy and infrastructure transition ventures; the success of our development plans for our wholly owned subsidiary, Matrix Design Group, LLC, and our investments in emerging infrastructure and technology companies; dependence on significant customer contracts, including renewing existing contracts upon expiration; adjustments made in price, volume, or terms to existing coal supply agreements; the effects of and changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, and the results of central bank policy actions, including interest rates, bank failures, and associated liquidity risks; the effects of and changes in taxes or tariffs and other trade measures adopted by the United States and foreign governments; legislation, regulations, and court decisions and interpretations thereof, both domestic and foreign, including those relating to the environment and the release of greenhouse gases, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's recently promulgated emissions regulations for coal-fired power plants, mining, miner health and safety, hydraulic fracturing, and health care; deregulation of the electric utility industry or the effects of any adverse change in the coal industry, electric utility industry, or general economic conditions; investors' and other stakeholders' increasing attention to environmental, social, and governance matters; liquidity constraints, including those resulting from any future unavailability of financing; customer bankruptcies, cancellations or breaches to existing contracts, or other failures to perform; customer delays, failure to take coal under contracts or defaults in making payments; our productivity levels and margins earned on our coal sales; disruptions to oil & gas exploration and production operations at the properties in which we hold mineral interests; changes in equipment, raw material, service or labor costs or availability, including due to inflationary pressures; changes in our ability to recruit, hire and maintain labor; our ability to maintain satisfactory relations with our employees; increases in labor costs, adverse changes in work rules, or cash payments or projections associated with workers' compensation claims; increases in transportation costs and risk of transportation delays or interruptions; operational interruptions due to geologic, permitting, labor, weather, supply chain shortage of equipment or mine supplies, or other factors; risks associated with major mine-related accidents, mine fires, mine floods or other interruptions; results of litigation, including claims not yet asserted; foreign currency fluctuations that could adversely affect the competitiveness of our coal abroad; difficulty maintaining our surety bonds for mine reclamation as well as workers' compensation and black lung benefits; difficulty in making accurate assumptions and projections regarding post-mine reclamation as well as pension, black lung benefits, and other post-retirement benefit liabilities; uncertainties in estimating and replacing our coal mineral reserves and resources; uncertainties in estimating and replacing our oil & gas reserves; uncertainties in the amount of oil & gas production due to the level of drilling and completion activity by the operators of our oil & gas properties; uncertainties in the future of the electric vehicle industry and the market for EV charging stations; the impact of current and potential changes to federal or state tax rules and regulations, including a loss or reduction of benefits from certain tax deductions and credits; difficulty obtaining commercial property insurance, and risks associated with our participation in the commercial insurance property program; evolving cybersecurity risks, such as those involving unauthorized access, denial-of-service attacks, malicious software, data privacy breaches by employees, insiders or others with authorized access, cyber or phishing attacks, ransomware, malware, social engineering, physical breaches, or other actions; and difficulty in making accurate assumptions and projections regarding future revenues and costs associated with equity investments in companies we do not control.

Additional information concerning these, and other factors can be found in ARLP's public periodic filings with the SEC, including ARLP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on February 23, 2024, and ARLP's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024, filed on May 9, 2024, August 7, 2024 and November 7, 2024, respectively. Except as required by applicable securities laws, ARLP does not intend to update its forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241115754123/en/

Investor Relations Contact

Cary P. Marshall

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

918-295-7673

investorrelations@arlp.com

Source: Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.

FAQ

How many employees are affected by ARLP's WARN Act notice at Excel Mining?

Approximately 280 employees at the MC Mining Complex in Pike County, Kentucky are affected by the WARN Act notice.

What is the year-to-date coal production at ARLP's MC Mining Complex through October 31, 2024?

The MC Mining Complex has produced approximately 0.8 million tons of coal through October 31, 2024.

When will ARLP reduce production at the MC Mining Complex?

ARLP will reduce production to two units at the MC Mining Complex starting November 15, 2024, before eventual permanent closure.

Why is ARLP closing the MC Mining Complex?

The closure is due to challenging geology, persistent weakness in coal demand, and delays in timely payment for committed coal sales.