Profile: Alpha Natural Resources Inc (ANR)

Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (Alpha), incorporated on November 29, 2004, is a supplier and exporter of metallurgical coals for use in the steel-making process and a supplier of thermal coal to electric utilities and manufacturing industries, as well as a exporter of thermal coal. As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated 107 mines and 26 coal preparation plants in Northern and Central Appalachia and the Powder River Basin. The Company operates in two segments: Eastern Coal Operations and Western coals Operations. Eastern Coal Operations consists of the mines in Northern and Central Appalachia, the Company's coal brokerage activities and its road construction business. Western Coal Operations consists of two Powder River Basin mines in Wyoming. The Company uses five different mining techniques to extract coal from the ground, which include longwall mining, room-and-pillar mining, truck-and-shovel mining, truck and front-end loader mining and highwall mining.

Eastern Coal Operations

The Company's operations in Northern Appalachia (NAPP) consist of the Company's Cumberland and Emerald mining complexes, as well as five underground mines and nine surface mines and two additional preparation plants. The Company controls approximately 940.4 million tons of reserves through its operations in NAPP. Approximately 180.9 million tons are assigned to active mines and 759.5 million tons are unassigned. The Company's operations in Central Appalachia (CAPP) consist of 67 underground mines, 22 surface mines and 22 preparation plants, a portion of which are operated by independent contractors. The Company's operations in CAPP collectively shipped 46.9 million tons. The Company controls approximately 2,830.7 million tons of coal reserves through its operations in CAPP. Approximately 1,392.5 million tons are assigned to active mines and approximately 1,438.2 million tons are unassigned.

The Company's coal in CAPP is mined using several different mining methods, including continuous miners employing the room-and-pillar method at the Company's underground mines, and the truck and front-end loader and highwall mining methods at its surface mines. The Company has mines that sell high Btu, low, medium and high sulfur steam coals primarily to eastern utilities and metallurgical coal to steel companies. The Company transports coal produced at certain of its mines by truck to the preparation plants, which include Cave Branch, Erbacon, Green Valley, Liberty, McClure, Pigeon Creek, Power Mountain, Roxanna, and Toms Creek. In addition, the Company transports coal by truck to its Omar and Homer III loadouts.

Western Coal Operations

The Company's Western Coal Operations in the Powder River Basin consist of the Company's Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte operations, which collectively shipped 46.7 million tons as of December 31, 2012. Coal is mined primarily using the truck and shovel mining method. The Company controls approximately 771.5 million tons of coal reserves in the Powder River Basin and all of the coal reserves are assigned to active mines. Belle Ayr consists of one mine that produces sub-bituminous, low sulfur steam coal for sale primarily to utility companies. Belle Ayr extracts coal from a coal seam that is 75 feet thick. The mine sells 100% raw coal mined and no washing is necessary. Belle Ayr shipped 24.3 million tons of coal in as of December 31, 2012. Eagle Butte consists of one mine that produces sub-bituminous, low sulfur steam coal for sale primarily to utility companies. Eagle Butte extracts coal from coal seams that total 100 feet thick. The mine sells 100% raw coal mined and no washing is necessary. Eagle Butte shipped 22.4 million tons of coal in as of December 31, 2012.