Revenues (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Revenue Recognition [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company’s revenue from coal sales is realized and earned when risk of loss passes to the customer. Under the typical terms of the Company’s coal supply agreements, title and risk of loss transfer to the customer at the mine or port, where coal is loaded to the transportation source(s) that serves each of the Company’s mines. The Company incurs certain “add-on” taxes and fees on coal sales. Reported coal sales include taxes and fees charged by various federal and state governmental bodies and the freight charged on destination customer contracts.

Sales Revenues [Policy Text Block]

Sales

The majority of the Company’s revenue is derived from the sale of coal under a variety of long-term (those with initial terms of one year or longer and which often include price reopener and/or extension provisions), short-term (those with terms of less than one year) and spot agreements. The Company’s revenue from coal sales is realized and earned when risk of loss passes to the customer. Under the typical terms of the Company’s coal supply agreements, title and risk of loss transfer to the customer at the mine or port, where coal is loaded to the transportation source(s) that serves each of the Company’s mines. The Company incurs certain “add-on” taxes and fees on coal sales. Reported coal sales include taxes and fees charged by various federal and state governmental bodies and the freight charged on destination customer contracts.

The Company’s U.S. operating platform primarily sells thermal coal to electric utilities in the U.S. under long-term contracts, with a portion sold into the seaborne markets as conditions warrant. A significant portion of the coal production from the U.S. mining segments is sold under long-term supply agreements, and customers of those segments continue to pursue long-term sales agreements in recognition of the importance of reliability, service and predictable coal prices to their operations. The terms of coal supply agreements result from competitive bidding and extensive negotiations with customers. Consequently, the terms of those agreements may vary in many respects, including price adjustment features, price reopener terms, coal quality requirements, quantity parameters, permitted sources of supply, treatment of environmental constraints, extension options, force majeure and termination and assignment provisions.

The Company's Australian operating platform is primarily export focused with customers spread across several countries, while a portion of the metallurgical and thermal coal is sold within Australia. Generally, revenues from individual countries vary year by year based on electricity and steel demand, the strength of the global economy, governmental policies and several other factors, including those specific to each country. A majority of these sales are executed through annual and multi-year international coal supply agreements that contain provisions requiring both parties to renegotiate pricing periodically. Industry commercial practice, and the Company’s typical practice, is to negotiate pricing for seaborne metallurgical coal contracts on a quarterly, spot or index basis and seaborne thermal coal contracts on an annual, spot or index basis. The portion of volume priced on a shorter-term basis and index linked basis has increased in recent years. In the case of periodically negotiated pricing, the Company may deliver coal under provisional pricing until a final agreed-upon price is determined. The resulting make-whole settlements are recognized when reasonably estimable.

Contract pricing is set forth on a per ton basis and revenue is generally recorded as the product of price and volume delivered. Many of the Company’s coal supply agreements contain provisions that permit the parties to adjust the contract price upward or downward at specified times. These contract prices may be adjusted based on inflation or deflation and/or changes in the factors affecting the cost of producing coal, such as taxes, fees, royalties and changes in the laws regulating the mining, production, sale or use of coal. In a limited number of contracts, failure of the parties to agree on a price under those provisions may allow either party to terminate the contract. The Company sometimes experiences a reduction in coal prices in new long-term coal supply agreements replacing some of its expiring contracts. Coal supply agreements also typically contain force majeure provisions allowing temporary suspension of performance by the Company or the customer during the duration of specified events beyond the control of the affected party. Most of the coal supply agreements contain provisions requiring the Company to deliver coal meeting quality thresholds for certain characteristics such as Btu, sulfur content, ash content, grindability and ash fusion temperature. Failure to meet these specifications could result in economic penalties, including price adjustments, the rejection of deliveries or termination of the contracts. Moreover, some of these agreements allow the Company’s customers to terminate their contracts in the event of changes in regulations affecting the industry that restrict the use or type of coal permissible at the customer’s plant or increase the price of coal beyond specified limits.

Other Revenues [Policy Text Block]

Other Revenues

"Other revenues" may include net revenues from coal trading activities as discussed in Note 7. “Coal Trading,” as well as coal sales revenues that were derived from the Company’s mining operations and sold through the Company’s coal trading business. Also included are revenues from customer contract-related payments, royalties related to coal lease agreements, sales agency commissions, farm income, and property and facility rentals. Royalty income generally results from the lease or sublease of mineral rights to third parties, with payments based upon a percentage of the selling price or an amount per ton of coal produced.