Montana Coal Council
Working for the Coal Industry of Montana
Home | Montana Coal Production & Employment | Montana Coal Industry Taxes Paid | U.S. Coal Facts & Figures | U.S. Coal Reserves and Surface Mines | Membership Information | Member News
Montana Coal Production & Employment
Production and Value
The following chart shows production for 2001 through 2010. The price per ton at the various sites depends on the quality of coal (heating value, moisture content, sulfur and ash content, etc.) but an average for Fiscal Year 2010 was $9.78 per ton making the value of that coal over $437 million. The price is established by the Department of Revenue after three state and two federal taxes are deducted.
| Coal Production | |
|---|---|
| Year | Production (Million Tons) |
| 2001 | 39.2 |
| 2002 | 37.3 |
| 2003 | 37.0 |
| 2004 | 40.1 |
| 2005 | 40.6 |
| 2006 | 41.8 |
| 2007 | 43.2 |
| 2008 | 44.9 |
| 2009 | 39.6 |
| 2010 | 44.7 |
Source: Department of Labor & Industry, Safety Bureau
Employment and Payroll
Montana's surface mining industry furnishes some of the highest-paying and most sought-after jobs in the state. Below are the employment and payroll figures for 2010.
| Employment and Payroll | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of Employees |
Estimated Payroll |
|
| Signal Peak Energy | 222 | $18,780,000 |
| Decker Coal Co. | 153 | $8,300,000 |
| Spring Creek Coal | 235 | $19,500,000 |
| Western Energy Co. | 426 | $28,143,000 |
| Westmoreland Resources | 170 | $11,888,000 |
| Westmoreland Savage | 12 | $975,000 |
| Total | 1,218 | $87,586,000 |
Source: Individual Companies