Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]

Segment Information

The Company has three reportable business segments, which are based on the major coal producing basins in which the Company operates. Each of these reportable business segments includes a number of mine complexes. The Company manages its coal sales by coal basin, not by individual mine complex. Geology, coal transportation routes to customers, regulatory environments and coal quality are characteristic to a basin. Accordingly, market and contract pricing have developed by coal basin. Mine operations are evaluated based on their per-ton operating costs (defined as including all mining costs but excluding pass-through transportation expenses), as well as on other non-financial measures, such as safety and environmental performance. The Company’s reportable segments are the Powder River Basin (PRB) segment, with operations in Wyoming; the Western Bituminous (WBIT) segment, with operations in Utah, Colorado and southern Wyoming; the Appalachia (APP) segment, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia.  The “Other” operating segment represents primarily the Company’s Illinois operations and ADDCAR subsidiary, which manufactures and sells its patented highwall mining system.

Operating segment results for the years endedDecember 31,2012, 2011 and 2010 are presented below. Results for the reportable segments include all direct costs of mining, including all depreciation, depletion and amortization related to the mining operations, even if the assets are not recorded at the operating segment level. These reportable segments results do not reflect the mine closure or impairment costs, since those are not reflected in the operating income reviewed by management. Corporate, Other and Eliminations includes these charges, as well as the change in fair value of coal derivatives and coal trading activities, net; corporate overhead; land management; other support functions; and the elimination of intercompany transactions.

The asset amounts below represent an allocation of assets consistent with the basis used for the Company’s incentive compensation plans. The amounts in Corporate, Other and Eliminations represent primarily corporate assets (cash, receivables, investments, plant, property and equipment) as well as unassigned coal reserves, above-market acquired sales contracts and other unassigned assets. Goodwill is allocated to the respective reporting units, even though it may not be reflected in the subsidiaries’ financial statements.

	PRB			APP			WBIT		Other Operating Segments			Corporate, Other and Eliminations			Consolidated
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2012
Revenues	$	1,524,537		$	1,793,575		$	728,089	$	112,837		$	—		$	4,159,038
Income (loss) from operations	100,679			148,512			144,421		5,145			(1,080,345		)	(681,588		)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	166,539			271,220			71,696		11,512			4,541			525,508
Amortization of acquired sales contracts, net	(1,987		)	(23,925		)	—		723			—			(25,189		)
Total assets	1,972,522			3,875,105			658,255		176,032			3,324,863			10,006,777
Capital expenditures	23,410			275,476			58,465		9,928			27,946			395,225
December 31, 2011
Revenues	$	1,646,947		$	1,915,090		$	672,766	$	51,092		$	—		$	4,285,895
Income (loss) from operations	180,730			283,404			119,665		(4,685		)	(165,538		)	413,576
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	171,693			203,759			81,235		7,876			2,024			466,587
Amortization of acquired sales contracts, net	19,458			(39,988		)	—		(1,539		)	—			(22,069		)
Total assets	2,307,783			4,740,723			681,393		581,040			1,903,020			10,213,959
Capital expenditures	110,999			217,435			66,356		28,243			117,903			540,936
December 31, 2010
Revenues	$	1,606,236		$	1,042,490		$	537,542	$	—		$	—		$	3,186,268
Income (loss) from operations	146,555			193,943			58,082		—			(74,596		)	323,984
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	185,218			97,764			80,497		—			1,587			365,066
Amortization of acquired sales contracts, net	35,606			—			—		—			—			35,606
Total assets	2,295,786			706,624			677,611		—			1,200,748			4,880,769
Capital expenditures	38,142			70,839			65,470		—			140,206			314,657

A reconciliation of segment income from operations to consolidated income before income taxes follows:

		December 31
		2012			2011			2010
	(In thousands)
Income (loss) from operations		$	(681,588	)	$	413,576		$	323,984
Interest expense		(317,626		)	(230,186		)	(142,549		)
Interest income		5,478			3,309			2,449
Other nonoperating expense		(23,668		)	(51,448		)	(6,776		)
Income (loss) before income taxes		$	(1,017,404	)	$	135,251		$	177,108