Kemmerer Mine

Kemmerer Mine is a coal mine in Wyoming that was originally owned by Chevron Mining but sold to Westmoreland Coal in December 2011. The mine comprises three open-cut pits including "Big Pit", which has been described as "the largest open pit coal mine in the United States."

Westmoreland Coal announced in December 2011 that they had agreed to acquire Chevron Mining’s (CVX) Kemmerer Mine in the Hams Fork Region of Southwestern Wyoming for $179 million plus with an additional $14 million in working capital. The deal included 118 million tons of coal reserves, enough for 20 years of production.

Mine Data

 * MSHA ID:	4800086
 * Owner: Chevron Mining Inc
 * Parent company: Chevron
 * Location: Kemmerer, Wyoming
 * GPS coordinates: 41.7669, -110.5952
 * Production: 5,190,147 short tons
 * Type of coal: sub-bituminous, low sulfur, medium BTU
 * Mine type: surface
 * Equipment: electric drills, electric shovels
 * Mine Status:	Active
 * Average No. of Employees:	 293

Lawsuit
In January 2012, Utah-based Northwest Pipeline GP filed a lawsuit against Chevron, claiming that operations at the Kemmerer mine shifted the earth near two interstate natural gas pipelines. Northwest is seeking at least $20 million to pay for the pipelines to be protected and moved. The lawsuit also claims that mining activity caused U.S. Highway 30 to buckle and crack. The Wyoming Department of Transportation said there was minor damage to a 300-foot section of the road but it couldn't be directly linked to mining. A Chevron spokeswoman said that Chevron stopped mining while work was done on the pipeline but wouldn't comment on the suit.

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