SAPPHIRE COAL COMPANY
147 Big Blue Boulevard
Whitesburg, KY 41858
606-633-0175 - Tel • 606-633-0746 - Fax

Sapphire Coal Company is headquartered in Isom, Ky., with operations located in Letcher and Knott counties in Kentucky. With more than 300 full-time employees, Sapphire Coal’s primary focus is the production of high Btu coal from the traditional eastern Kentucky strata, including the Hazard, Amburgy, Elkhorn and Whitesburg seams in both underground and surface operations.

In December 2004, United Coal Company acquired the former assets of Golden Oak Mining and Cook & Sons Mining in Letcher County and renamed the operation Sapphire Coal Company.  Since the acquisition of these assets, the operations of Sapphire Coal have been improving steadily. New capital improvements have been made at all active mining operations, including the purchase of state-of-the-art underground and surface mining equipment, as well as major upgrades to surface infrastructure. 

Sapphire’s 1,100 tons-per-hour preparation plant is one of the largest in eastern Kentucky, and with the recent capital improvements, it should also be one of the most efficient. The plant, which is on the same site as the company’s high-speed four-hour unit train loadout, is served by CSX Railroad.
           
Sapphire’s current operations include three underground mines – UZ Mine, Sandlick II Mine and Advantage Mine. Surface coal operations at Sapphire’s Buck Creek Mine yield a lower sulfur product, which optimizes Sapphire’s blend for traditional utility customers. 

In 2007, Sapphire will continue to expand its coal reserves and seek opportunities to develop new coal mines. Sapphire produced more than 2 million clean tons in 2006 and is on track to exceed 2.3 million tons in 2007.