Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 688,544	$ 742,180	$ 2,010,011	$ 2,191,927
Costs, expenses and other operating
Cost of sales (exclusive of items shown separately below)	540,192	647,096	1,668,766	1,955,547
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	103,965	105,155	306,211	312,042
Amortization of acquired sales contracts, net	(1,994)	(3,013)	(7,028)	(9,948)
Change in fair value of coal derivatives and coal trading activities, net	(3,559)	(3,733)	(1,128)	(5,811)
Asset impairment and mine closure costs	2,120,292	5,060	2,139,438	6,572
Losses from disposed operations resulting from Patriot Coal bankruptcy	(149,314)	0	(149,314)	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	25,731	28,136	72,604	87,203
Other operating (income) expense, net	(8,625)	(1,221)	7,864	(9,451)
Total operating expenses	2,925,316	777,480	4,336,041	2,336,154
Loss from operations	(2,236,772)	(35,300)	(2,326,030)	(144,227)
Interest expense, net
Interest expense	(99,759)	(98,217)	(298,585)	(292,648)
Interest and investment income	672	1,949	4,007	5,828
Interest expense, net	(99,087)	(96,268)	(294,578)	(286,820)
Nonoperating expense
Expenses related to debt restructuring	(7,482)	0	(11,498)	0
Loss before income taxes	(2,343,341)	(131,568)	(2,632,106)	(431,047)
Benefit from income taxes	(343,865)	(34,350)	(351,332)	(112,830)
Net loss	$ (1,999,476)	$ (97,218)	$ (2,280,774)	$ (318,217)
Net loss per common share
Basic and diluted LPS - Net loss (usd per share)	$ (93.91)	$ (4.58)	$ (107.16)	$ (15.00)
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding (shares)	21,292	21,224	21,283	21,221
Dividends declared per common share (usd per share)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0.1