Operator of major Wyoming coal mines files for Chapter 11

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Another large Wyoming coal producer has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Blackjewel LLC operates the Eagle Butte and Belle Ayre mines in the Powder River Basin and several other U.S. coal properties.

The Milton, West Virginia-based company filed Monday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for southern West Virginia.

The Gillette News-Record reports the bankruptcy comes three days after Blackjewel missed a $1 million tax payment owed to Campbell County.

Eagle Butte ranks fourth and Belle Ayr sixth among the top-producing U.S. coal mines. The mines produced over 33 million short tons (30 million metric tons) of coal in 2017 and have nearly 600 workers.

Several Wyoming coal producers including Arch Coal, Peabody Energy and Cloud Peak Energy have filed for bankruptcy in recent years amid diminished demand for coal-fired electricity.

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Information from: The Gillette (Wyo.) News Record, http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com