Basis of Presentation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Peabody Energy Corporation (the Company) and its affiliates. Interests in subsidiaries controlled by the Company are consolidated with any outside shareholder interests reflected as noncontrolling interests, except when the Company has an undivided interest in an unincorporated joint venture. In those cases, the Company includes its proportionate share in the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of the jointly controlled entities within each applicable line item of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.  All intercompany transactions, profits and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with 2014 presentation.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. In the opinion of management, these financial statements reflect all normal, recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation. Balance sheet information presented herein as of December 31, 2013 has been derived from the Company’s audited consolidated balance sheet at that date. The Company's results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for future quarters or for the year ending December 31, 2014.

The Company classifies items within discontinued operations in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements when the operations and cash flows of a particular component of the Company have been (or will be) eliminated from the ongoing operations of the Company as a result of a disposal (by sale or otherwise) and the Company will no longer have any significant continuing involvement in the operation of that component.