The Stockton Mine is a specialist producer of high carbon content anthracite.  Since August 2003 the Stockton Mine has produced run of mine output but in February 2007 it commenced operation of an anthracite preparation plant which turns run of mine coal in to a variety of sizes of clean anthracite coal products for sale.  The Stockton Mine trades through Atlantic Coal plc’s 100% subsidiary Coal Contractors (1991) Inc..

The Stockton Mine is an established union-free anthracite surface mining operation which encompasses about 900 land acres in the Hazle Creek Valley, Pennsylvania, USA. The mine is located approximately one mile east of the town of Hazleton. Vehicular access to the mine is provided by state roads. Underground mining operations commenced at the property in the early 1900’s and surface mining has been conducted at the Stockton Mine since the mid-1960’s.  Mining operations are conducted by the Stockton Mine’s current staff (including individual contractors) and operated using its own existing plant and equipment. Routine maintenance is performed on equipment units by the mine staff with major component rebuilds being outsourced. A repair shop is maintained on-site along with a truck start-up line.  Most of the original surface area of the Stockton Mine is overlain by previous surface mine spoil material. The current Stockton Mine operations are being conducted under a valid mining permit issued by the DEP.

The start-up of the new 150-200 ton per hour Parnaby Cyclone anthracite preparation plant took place in February 2007 and sale of a variety of clean anthracite products began that month.  The preparation plant t can process approximately 300,000 run of mine tons of anthracite coal annually from the Stockton Mine into various product sizes for sale to both retail and industrial consumers. Based on historic production levels, the mine is capable of and is projected to produce approximately 450,000 run of mine tons of coal per year.  Of the 450,000 run of mine tons produced, 300,000 tons will be processed by the new anthracite preparation plant to yield approximately 150,000 tons of clean anthracite product and the remaining 150,000 tons of run of mine output will be sold under existing run of mine sales commitments.

US Anthracite Market Overview
From 2004 to 2030 coal production in the USA, driven by coal consumption is projected to increase by approximately 50 per cent. Anthracite coal is ranked higher (containing over 86 per cent. carbon) than other more commonly used coals like bituminous and lignite because it has a higher energy content, thus providing a longer burning potential and is accordingly a higher energy fuel. Anthracite gives off less smoke when it burns than bituminous coal, making it better for use in urban areas. Almost all of the US supply of anthracite is located in Pennsylvania. Anthracite is used for commercial and home heating, as well as for industrial uses such as the sintering and pellitizing of iron ore in the steel industry and for filtration applications.  The heating applications of anthracite cause it to compete with other heating fuels such as petroleum and natural gas.  Additionally the Stockton Mine is in the process of developing its sales of anthracite to the steel and filtration industries. 

The Pennsylvania anthracite industry is concentrated within a seven-county region in the eastern portion of the state of Pennsylvania. This region is the primary and only material producer of anthracite rank coal in the USA. During 2005 the region produced 5.6 million tonnes of anthracite, but only 2.24 million tonnes of fresh mined anthracite (excluding culm bank or coal waste recovery operations). Consequently the Stockton Mine’s output represents approximately 10 per cent. of the total production of fresh mined anthracite from the Pennsylvania anthracite region. Over the past twenty five years anthracite coal production within the region has ranged from 3 million tons per annum to 11 million tons per annum. Due to its unique high carbon quality and the specialised market it serves Pennsylvania anthracite is considered a “niche industry” within the US coal sector.