Coal: The Choice for the Future

This mine opened in March 2005 and now employs 50 miners and 13 contractors. Two D-11 dozers are used to recover coal that comes from Illinois #5 and #6 seams. The mine produces 1 million tons per year with reserves of 30 million tons.

Sulfur content of the the coal at Prairie Eagle ranges from 2.8 percent to 3.2 percent with ash at 10 percent. It burns at 11,200 BTUs. A new 500 tons-per-hour heavy-media wash plant opened in the summer 2005.

In August 2005, a Superior Highwall Miner came online featuring trench mining techniques. It is the first time this type of technology is being employed in Southern Illinois coal fields and it enables Knight Hawk to cover marginal strip/underground coal without significantly impacting surface property.

In July 2006, an underground mine adjacent to the plant opened. It uses one continuous miner unit, 50 miners produces 700,000 tons of coal annually.

The mine is within close proximity to the former Captain Mine rail facility. Coal can be trucked there for market transport.