Massey Energy Adding Miners to Keep Pace With Asian Demand, According to AP

Associated Press Report Cites Increased Steel Production for Rise in Coking
Coal Demand

CHARLESTON, W.Va., July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Associated Press
reported today that "Massey Energy (NYSE: MEE) has begun rehiring miners amid
growing demand for coking coal from Asian steelmakers."

According to the report, "Officials with the Richmond, Va.-based coal producer
also told analysts they've been seeing promising signs that U.S. demand for
coking coal to fire blast furnaces is recovering. Both are positive signs for
U.S. coal producers and the ailing economy, which has left towering stockpiles
of coal at power plants and in coal-producing states this summer."

Massey's Chief Executive Don Blankenship was reported as saying, "As China and
India consume more coal, we believe our opportunity may be greater to sell our
coal directly into these markets or to displace Australian and South African
coal in the market as that production remains in Asia."

Coking coal imports to China have soared as the country's steel mills have
cranked up production this summer, said industry analyst Charles Bradford of
Affiliated Research Group.

"They imported 4.6 million metric tons last month," Bradford said. "For the
first six months [of 2009] they only imported 12.7 million tons, so you did a
third of the six months in one month."

The AP report went on to say that "Massey has seen positive signs from U.S.
steel producers. Coking coal accounted for 19 percent of the 9.4 million tons
of coal Massey produced from mines in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia in
the second quarter."

"We have seen at least two significant accounts improve their shipment
schedule, at some fairly healthy prices," Mr. Blankenship said. "I don't think
we're going to sell any more coal at high prices, but I think people who have
commitments to us appear to be more able to fulfill those commitments and,
therefore, you could see a better volume and second-half met situation than we
forecasted."

SOURCE Massey Energy

Matt Lauer, +1-202-496-1000, for Massey Energy