MINE DETAILS
Witcher Creek Surface Mine
MSHA MINE ID4609341
LOCATION
Mine location
1 of 1 mine with usable MSHA coordinates. Select a marker to open a mine.
Mine coordinates
- Witcher Creek Surface Mine38.28278, -81.47500Open map ↗
Quarterly trends
2025 Q1 – 2026 Q4
Database snapshot · 2026-10-13. MSHA quarterly production and employment reports.
Coal production
325,924reported short tons
Hours worked
152,191reported employee hours
Tons per hour
2.14production ÷ hours worked
Missing values appear as —. Totals use available reports. Tons per hour requires production and hours for the same quarters and a nonzero hours total. * Striped bars mark partial mine coverage or an incomplete quarter. See the table for coverage.
Quarterly data and reporting coverage
| Quarter | Coal (short tons) | Hours worked | Tons / hour | Avg. employees | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q1 | 70,129 | 27,106 | 2.59 | 45 | 1/1 mines reporting |
| 2025 Q2 | 68,184 | 23,283 | 2.93 | 45 | 1/1 mines reporting |
| 2025 Q3 | 48,861 | 27,129 | 1.80 | 43 | 1/1 mines reporting |
| 2025 Q4 | 51,757 | 22,361 | 2.31 | 42 | 1/1 mines reporting |
| 2026 Q1 | 43,390 | 26,502 | 1.64 | 45 | 1/1 mines reporting |
| 2026 Q2 | 43,603 | 25,810 | 1.69 | 50 | 1/1 mines reporting |
| 2026 Q3 | — | — | — | — | No report |
| 2026 Q4 | — | — | — | — | No report |
Safety and enforcement
2025-01-01 – 2026-10-13
Violations
211 significant & substantial (S&S)
Accident records
00 records classified as fatality
Proposed penalties · USD
2,899.0017 of 21 violations with amounts
On-site inspection hours
323.0013 inspections · 13 with hours
Counts are published records, including contractor records. * The quarter was incomplete at the snapshot date; recent counts may rise as reports arrive. — means no reported amount or hours. Portfolio totals use current membership.
Quarterly safety data
| Quarter | Violations | S&S | Proposed USD | Accident records | Fatality records | Inspections | On-site hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-Q1 | 1 | 0 | 151.00 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11.0 |
| 2025-Q2 | 11 | 0 | 1,935.00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 94.5 |
| 2025-Q3 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6.0 |
| 2025-Q4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.5 |
| 2026-Q1 | 2 | 0 | 302.00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 90.0 |
| 2026-Q2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.0 |
| 2026-Q3 | 6 | 0 | 511.00 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 109.0 |
| 2026-Q4 * | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 |
Most cited CFR sections
All violations issued in the selected period. Counts combine subsections.
Safety activity
Health Technical Investigation · 5.0 on-site hours
77.404(a) · S&S
71.403(c)
50.30(a)
77.410(c)
77.1606(c) · $209.00 proposed
77.1606(c) · $151.00 proposed
Regular Safety and Health Inspection · 105.3 on-site hours
Verbal Hazard Complaint Inspections · 3.0 on-site hours
Spot Inspection · 0.8 on-site hours
48.9(a) · $151.00 proposed
Impoundment Spot Inspection · 4.0 on-site hours
77.208(d) · $151.00 proposed
77.1606(c) · $151.00 proposed
Regular Safety and Health Inspection · 90.0 on-site hours
Impoundment Spot Inspection · 3.5 on-site hours
Spot Inspection · 1.5 on-site hours
Spot Inspection · 3.0 on-site hours
Impoundment Spot Inspection · 1.5 on-site hours
77.1605(d) · $151.00 proposed
77.1605(d) · $151.00 proposed
77.1606(c) · $193.00 proposed
77.410(c) · $151.00 proposed
77.1606(c) · $209.00 proposed
77.1606(c) · $209.00 proposed
Safety sources and definitions
MSHA Violations (issue date), Accidents (accident date), and Inspections (begin date). Snapshot 2026-10-13.
Counts describe published rows, including contractor records; accident records are not distinct incidents or numbers of people injured.
Zero means no matching records in the imported sources, not proof of no events. Historical coverage differs by source; absence before a source begins reporting is not a zero incident rate. Invalid or absent dates and records after the snapshot are excluded.
S&S means SIG_SUB=Y. Fatality records use DEGREE_INJURY_CD=01. Proposed penalties are not final assessed or paid amounts; missing dollar values are omitted.
Inspection hours are SUM_TOTAL_ON_SITE_HOURS attributed to the inspection start date, without supervisor/trainee hours. Missing hours are omitted; a started inspection may still be open.
Portfolio totals use current mine membership, including events before the current owner or operator's tenure.
CFR headings link to the current Title 30 index; they are not historical legal determinations.
EIA-923 · COAL RECEIPTS
Coal shipments and quality
Receipts reported by power plants and terminals, matched by MSHA mine ID.
Quarterly receipts and quality
| Quarter | Short tons | Heat · Btu/lb | Sulfur % | Ash % | Delivered USD/ton | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-Q3 * | 7,717 | 12,110 | 1.00 | 12.00 | 78.21 | |
| 2025-Q4 | 7,674 | 12,075 | 0.95 | 12.64 | 47.04 | |
| 2026-Q1 | 42,965 | 12,122 | 0.96 | 12.59 | 72.79 | |
| 2026-Q2 | 33,496 | 11,932 | 1.05 | 13.83 | 82.26 | |
| 2026-Q3 * | 10,447 | 11,940 | 1.00 | 13.25 | 82.70 |
| Month / source | Receiving plant / supplier | Short tons | Delivered USD/ton | Heat · Btu/lb | Sulfur % | Ash % | Purchase | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07EIA row 11931 · preliminary | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MGMT GROUP, LLC | 10,447 | 82.70 | 11,940 | 1.00 | 13.25 | ContractBIT | River |
| 2026-06EIA row 10035 · preliminary | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MGMT GROUP, LLC | 13,933 | 81.49 | 11,845 | 1.05 | 14.11 | ContractBIT | River |
| 2026-05EIA row 8196 · preliminary | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MGMT GROUP, LLC | 10,460 | 82.53 | 12,010 | 1.05 | 12.80 | ContractBIT | River |
| 2026-04EIA row 6376 · preliminary | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MGMT GROUP, LLC | 9,103 | 83.11 | 11,975 | 1.04 | 14.57 | ContractBIT | River |
| 2026-03EIA row 4567 · preliminary | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MGMT GROUP, LLC | 10,740 | 75.11 | 12,095 | 0.96 | 12.43 | ContractBIT | River |
| 2026-02EIA row 2606 · preliminary | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MGMT GROUP, LLC | 17,963 | 68.94 | 12,125 | 0.99 | 12.58 | ContractBIT | River |
| 2026-01EIA row 623 · preliminary | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MGMT GROUP, LLC | 14,262 | 75.90 | 12,140 | 0.93 | 12.73 | ContractBIT | River |
| 2025-10EIA row 28729 · final | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MARKETING GROUP LLC | 7,674 | 47.04 | 12,075 | 0.95 | 12.64 | ContractBIT | River |
| 2025-09EIA row 25665 · final | John E Amos3935 · WV · INVESTMENT MARKETING GROUP LLC | 6,098 | 76.24 | 12,105 | 0.99 | 12.16 | New contractBIT | River |
| 2025-08EIA row 22503 · final | John E Amos3935 · WV · RIVER TRADING | 1,619 | 85.66 | 12,130 | 1.04 | 11.42 | ContractBIT | River |
Delivered cost includes transport and is not mine revenue. Missing prices remain blank. * Fewer than three months are published in the selected quarter. Receipts reflect the months EIA has published; an unfinished quarter is not comparable with a full quarter. Portfolio matches use current ownership.
Coverage, sources and calculations
- Reported coal receipts at EIA-923 power plants/terminals; this is not a census of mine shipments, exports or metallurgical sales.
- Matches use only the published MSHA ID, normalized to seven digits. Unidentified mine origins remain in the source table but are not assigned to a mine.
- Portfolio attribution uses current MSHA ownership, not ownership at the shipment date. Receipts and production can differ because of timing, stocks and coverage.
- Quality means are weighted by positive reported tons with that measurement. Delivered cost uses only rows with published cost, positive heat and positive tons; missing/withheld costs are never zero-filled.
- USD/ton = (cents/MMBtu ÷ 100) × MMBtu/ton. This is plant delivered cost, not mine sales price or revenue.
- Receipt month is as published, including records supplied by annual respondents. Recent months are preliminary and subject to revision. Missing rows do not prove zero shipments.
Imported releases start 2008-01. This window includes 12 published months. EIA releases · Survey instructions
- 2026 · preliminary · EIA923_Schedules_2_3_4_5_M_07_2026_21SEP2026.xlsx · Page 5 Fuel Receipts and Costs
- 2025 · final · EIA923_Schedules_2_3_4_5_M_12_2025_Final.xlsx · Page 5 Fuel Receipts and Costs
EIA ANNUAL COAL REPORT · 2024
Coal prices and estimated revenue
Annual county prices and a production-based allocation of county coal sales.
The estimate assumes each eligible mine receives its county-average price and shares county sales in proportion to production. Actual sales and prices can differ substantially. All producing annual records in this selection have estimates. Annual price data uses a separate window from the MSHA charts.
| Mine / county | Annual production · tons | County FOB · USD/ton | Est. sales · tons | Est. coal revenue · USD | Basis / availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Witcher Creek Surface Mine4609341 · Kanawha, West Virginia | 140,210 | 99.79 | 143,564 | 14,326,257 | County allocation estimate4.82% of eligible county production5 eligible mines / 5 sales respondents |
Method, assumptions and source records
- This is an annual county-sales allocation, not reported mine or company revenue. Currency is nominal USD in the source year; quantities are short tons.
- Mine share = same-year annual mine production / eligible same-county production. Estimated sales = published county sales × share. Estimated coal revenue = estimated sales × published county average FOB price.
- The model assumes eligible mines share county sales in proportion to production and receive the county-average price. Matching mine counts is a check, not proof of identical respondents. Mine quality, contracts and sales timing can differ substantially. No statistical confidence interval is implied.
- FOB excludes transport and insurance. EIA-923 delivered costs do not enter this model. No grade premium, state/national fallback, quarterly apportionment or carry-forward to a later year is applied.
- Eligibility follows the source's production threshold and excludes preparation-only and refuse operations. Withheld values, inconsistent county counts and missing/ambiguous locations produce no estimate.
- County sales are published in thousands of tons and prices to cents. Calculations retain precision, but the inputs are rounded and the allocation is approximate.
- Portfolio attribution uses current MSHA ownership, not ownership during the sales year. Covered-mine sums exclude unavailable estimates and must not be read as whole-company revenue. Coverage denominators use the annual EIA mine-production release.
Sales-reporting threshold: 50,000 short tons per mine in 2024. Withheld sales or prices stay unavailable.
EIA Table 30 · county sales and FOB prices · EIA annual mine production · Release index
Annual report released November 19, 2025. Method: county-sales-allocation-v1. JSON and CSV preserve source row numbers and file checksums.
OWNERSHIP
Operator and controller history
Current ownership comes from MSHA Mines. Historical start and end dates come from MSHA Controller and Operator History.
—
Martha A WardcontrolsSilver Horse Services, LLCoperatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341—
Ralph BallardcontrolsInvestment Management Group, LLCoperatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341—
Douglas M Epling et alcontrolsHanover Resources, LLCoperatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341—
Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund (VCLF)controlsERP Environmental Fund Inc.operatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341—
Kissito Healthcare InccontrolsERP Environmental Fund Inc.operatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341—
Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund (VCLF)controlsERP Environmental Fund Inc.operatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341—
Magnum Coal CompanycontrolsCatenary Coal Company LLCoperatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341—
Patriot Coal CorporationcontrolsCatenary Coal Company LLCoperatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341—
Ashland Inc et alcontrolsCatenary Coal Company LLCoperatesWitcher Creek Surface Mine
msha-controller-operator-history · controller/operator co-tenure derived on mine 4609341Other historical summaries · source-specific periods
RECORD SUMMARY
Production, safety and enforcement
These summaries use the periods stated on each card, independently of the reporting period above.
01 / SAFETYwatch
Accidents and injuries
3 historical accident/injury rows; 0 coded fatalities and 336 lost days across the published record.
ACCIDENT + INJURY RECORD3 since 2021
accidentsmine-production-quarterly02 / COMPLIANCEwatch
Violations and penalties
80 violation rows across the full record; 1 carry an S&S flag and $15,313 appears in current assessed amounts.
ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY73 since 2021
inspectionsviolationsassessed-violationsorders-107a03 / HEALTHwatch
Occupational health samples
225 coal dust; 21 coal quartz; 38 noise. 0 personal-sample rows have a published C/E ratio above 1; 1 noise rows have an action-level or PEL dose above 100%. These are separate measures, not a silica exceedance count. Silica results and sample status are shown separately.
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE284 samples
coal-dust-samplesquartz-samplesnoise-samples04 / PRODUCTIONcontext
Quarterly production and employment
26K employee hours and 50 summed average employees across reported subunits in the latest published quarter.
2026-Q244K tons
mine-production-quarterlymine-production-yearly05 / LEGALneutral
Contests, conferences and decisions
0 contested-violation rows, 0 civil-penalty docket/decision rows, and 0 conference records linked by issuance number.
POST-ISSUANCE LIFECYCLE0 linked rows
conferencescontested-violationscivil-penalty-dockets-decisions06 / CONTRACTORScontext
Contractors
Contractors are linked through this mine’s violation or accident records. Their production and hours cover all their operations, so they are not included in this mine’s totals.
ENTITY-LEVEL CONTEXT1 linked entities
contractor-production-quarterlycontractor-production-yearlyaccidentsviolations07 / INSPECTIONScontext
Inspections
72 inspection events and 2K published inspection hours across the historical record.
OVERSIGHT COVERAGE44 since 2021
inspectionsviolationsHEALTH SAMPLING
Silica and quartz
Coal quartz, metal/nonmetal personal samples and area samples. Snapshot Oct 13, 2026. 21 silica records across the mine’s published history.
Coal quartz concentration
Quarterly mean · µg/m³ · not-voided samples
— No eligible measurements. * Quarter in progress. Means describe the available samples, not average exposure across the mine.
Quartz % is the sample’s quartz content; µg/m³ is its reported concentration. Personal C/E is the ratio to the limit published with that sample. Personal and area concentration units and void status are not specified in those source files.
| Date / sample | Dataset / analyte | Occupation / area | Measurement | Sample status | Published action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58543077 / lab 2026038887 | Coal quartzQuartz | BULLDOZER OPERATORDESIGNATED WORK POSITION | 58 µg/m³34.8% quartz | Not voided | Not reported |
| 58537975 / lab 2026007829 | Coal quartzQuartz | HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATORDESIGNATED WORK POSITION | 74 µg/m³29% quartz | Not voided | Not reported |
| 58538124 / lab 2026007828 | Coal quartzQuartz | HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATORDESIGNATED WORK POSITION | 82 µg/m³13.1% quartz | Not voided | Not reported |
| 58538528 / lab 2026007827 | Coal quartzQuartz | BULLDOZER OPERATORDESIGNATED WORK POSITION | 12 µg/m³10.7% quartz | Not voided | Not reported |
| 58538126 / lab 2026007826 | Coal quartzQuartz | HIGHWALL DRILL OPERATORDESIGNATED WORK POSITION | 19 µg/m³11.6% quartz | Not voided | Not reported |
Sources and interpretation
- Coal means use numeric concentrations from samples marked not voided, excluding control/invalid sample types and dates after the snapshot. Missing values remain null; reported zeroes remain zero.
- Quarterly means describe available samples, not mine-wide or worker-average exposure. Quarters with no eligible measurements remain empty; the current quarter is partial.
- Personal C/E is MSHA's published concentration-to-limit ratio. A value above 1 is not by itself a citation or a determination under the 2024 silica rule. Personal and area files do not publish a void-status field.
- Area records include bulk-dust analyses and are kept separate from personal exposure results. Their concentration units are not specified in the source dictionary.
- Missing samples do not establish safe conditions. Coal quartz percentage and concentration are separate measures. No compliance threshold is inferred for coal samples.
Coal quartz field definitions ↗Metal/nonmetal personal field definitions ↗Metal/nonmetal area field definitions ↗
EIA + TITLE 30
EIA production and cited regulations
EIA annual figures are reported separately from MSHA. Regulation links use the current eCFR snapshot.
ANNUAL COAL PRODUCTION140,210short tons
- LABOR HOURS
- 108,787
- AVG EMPLOYEES
- 44
- SUPPLY REGION
- Appalachia Central
- UNION
- No union code published
- OPERATION
- Mine only
- COMPANY TYPE
- Independent Producer Operator
1 published EIA row aggregated under this MSHA ID. Components remain available in JSON.
30 CFR 77.404Machinery and equipment; operation and maintenance.1 recent row ↗30 CFR 71.403Waiver of surface facilities requirements; posting of waiver.1 recent row ↗30 CFR 50.30Preparation and submission of MSHA Form 7000-2—Quarterly Employment and Coal Production Report.1 recent row ↗30 CFR 77.410Mobile equipment; automatic warning devices.1 recent row ↗30 CFR 77.1606Loading and haulage equipment; inspection and maintenance.4 recent rows ↗30 CFR 48.9Records of training.1 recent row ↗30 CFR 77.208Storage of materials.1 recent row ↗30 CFR 77.1605Loading and haulage equipment; installations.2 recent rows ↗
RECENT PUBLIC RECORDS
Recent violations and samples
Latest records retained for inspection; aggregates above use the full source history.
502213977.404(a)S&S
518377771.403(c)Citation
518377650.30(a)Citation
502677177.410(c)Citation
518638277.1606(c)Citation
518638177.1606(c)Citation
518376248.9(a)Citation
502292877.208(d)Citation
Coal dust, noise and other contaminants. Silica records above ↑
Coal dustHIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR
.042 mg/m³Not voided
Coal dustREFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE
.096 mg/m³Not voided
Coal dustREFUSE TRUCK DRIVER/BACKFILL TRUCK DRIVE
.141 mg/m³Not voided
Coal dustHIGHLIFT OPERATOR/FRONT END LOADER
.055 mg/m³Not voided
Coal dustBULLDOZER OPERATOR
.089 mg/m³Not voided
Coal dustBULLDOZER OPERATOR
.167 mg/m³Not voided
Coal dustHIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR
.297 mg/m³Not voided
Coal dustHIGHWALL DRILL OPERATOR
.14 mg/m³Not voided
SOURCE COVERAGE
Reporting dates and coverage
14 datasets contain linked records. Missing datasets are listed below.
DATASETROWSWINDOWSTATUS
Accident, Injuries, and Illnessessafety · contractors3Feb 2, 2021—Jul 16, 2024mine-keyed
Addresses of Recordidentity · logistics1Jun 8, 2022—Jun 8, 2022mine-keyed
Assessed Violationscompliance · legal76Mar 18, 2019—Aug 19, 2026mine-keyed
Civil Penalty Dockets and Decisionscompliance · legal—No published rowsabsent / not applicable
Coal Dust Sampleshealth · safety225Mar 5, 2019—Sep 21, 2026mine-keyed
Conferencescompliance · legal—No published rowsabsent / not applicable
Contested Violationscompliance · legal—No published rowsabsent / not applicable
Contractor Employment and Production — Quarterlycontractors · production · safety38Not published—Not publishedentity-linked
Contractor Employment and Production — Yearlycontractors · production · safety10Not published—Not publishedentity-linked
Controller and Operator Historyidentity · compliance9Aug 28, 2009—May 11, 2022mine-keyed
Mine Employment and Production — Quarterlyproduction · safety · compliance62Not published—Not publishedmine-keyed
Mine Employment and Production — Yearlyproduction · safety · compliance13Not published—Not publishedmine-keyed
Inspectionssafety · compliance72Mar 31, 2014—Oct 7, 2026mine-keyed
Minesidentity · production · logistics1Not published—Not publishedmine-keyed
Metal and Nonmetal Area Sampleshealth · safety—No published rowsabsent / not applicable
Metal and Nonmetal Personal Health Sampleshealth · safety—No published rowsabsent / not applicable
Noise Sampleshealth · safety · equipment38Mar 18, 2019—Feb 25, 2026mine-keyed
Quartz Samples — Coalhealth · safety21Mar 18, 2019—Sep 15, 2026mine-keyed
Violationscompliance · safety · legal80Mar 18, 2019—Oct 7, 2026mine-keyed
107(a) Orders Issuedsafety · compliance—No published rowsabsent / not applicable
NOTES
Limitations
- Contractor production is entity-level and is never represented as mine-attributable.
- Missing rows can mean no event, publication delay, identity mismatch, or inapplicability.