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Principles of Consolidation and Nature of Operations
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Principles of Consolidation and Nature of Operations Principles of Consolidation and Nature of Operations
The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of NACCO Industries, Inc.® (“NACCO”) and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”). NACCO brings natural resources to life by delivering aggregates, minerals, reliable fuels and environmental solutions through its robust portfolio of NACCO Natural Resources® businesses. The Company operates under three business segments: Coal Mining, North American Mining® ("NAMining") and Minerals Management. The Coal Mining segment operates surface coal mines for power generation companies. The NAMining segment is a trusted mining partner for producers of aggregates, activated carbon, lithium and other industrial minerals. The Minerals Management segment, which includes the Catapult Mineral Partners (“Catapult”) business, acquires and promotes the development of mineral interests. Mitigation Resources of North America® (“Mitigation Resources”) provides stream and wetland mitigation solutions.

The Company has items not directly attributable to a reportable segment that are not included in the reported financial results of the operating segment. These items primarily include administrative costs related to public company reporting requirements, including management and board compensation, and the financial results of Bellaire Corporation ("Bellaire"), Mitigation Resources and other developing businesses. Bellaire manages the Company’s long-term liabilities related to former Eastern U.S. underground mining activities. Intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of segment reporting.

The Company’s operating segments are further described below:

Coal Mining Segment
The Coal Mining segment, operating as North American Coal, LLC ("NACoal"), operates surface coal mines under long-term contracts with power generation companies pursuant to a service-based business model. Coal is surface mined in North Dakota and Mississippi. Each mine is fully integrated with its customer's operations.

As of December 31, 2023, the Coal Mining segment's operating coal mines were: The Coteau Properties Company (“Coteau”), Coyote Creek Mining Company, LLC (“Coyote Creek”), The Falkirk Mining Company ("Falkirk") and Mississippi Lignite Mining Company ("MLMC"). Each of these mines supply lignite coal for power generation and delivers its coal production to an adjacent power plant or synfuels plant under a long-term supply contract. MLMC’s coal supply contract contains a take or pay provision but contains a force majeure provision that allows for the temporary suspension of the take or pay provision during the duration of certain specified events beyond the control of either party; all other coal supply contracts are requirements contracts. Certain coal supply contracts can be terminated early, which would result in a reduction to future earnings.

The MLMC contract is the only operating coal contract in which the Company is responsible for all operating costs, capital requirements and final mine reclamation; therefore, MLMC is consolidated within NACCO’s financial statements. MLMC sells coal to its customer's Red Hills Power Plant at a contractually agreed-upon price which adjusts monthly, primarily based on changes in the level of established indices which reflect general U.S. inflation rates. Profitability at MLMC is affected by customer demand for coal and changes in the indices that determine sales price and actual costs incurred. As diesel fuel is heavily weighted among the indices used to determine the coal sales price, fluctuations in diesel fuel prices can result in significant fluctuations in earnings at MLMC. The Red Hills Power Plant supplies electricity to the Tennessee Valley Authority (“TVA”) under a long-term power purchase agreement. MLMC’s contract with its customer runs through April 1, 2032. TVA’s power portfolio includes coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, natural gas and renewables. The decision regarding which power plants to dispatch is determined by TVA. Reduction in dispatch of the Red Hills Power Plant will result in reduced earnings at MLMC. During 2023, MLMC completed mining in its original mine area and began mining in a new mine area. The move to the new mine area resulted in increased costs during 2023. MLMC does not anticipate opening additional mine areas through the remaining contract term unless doing so would result in improved economic returns.

On December 18, 2023, MLMC received a force majeure event notice from its customer related to an issue that began on December 15, 2023 and impacted one of two boilers at the Red Hills Power Plant. The notice did not provide a timeline for resolution of the issue. As of March 6, 2024, the impacted boiler is still not operational. The prolonged mechanical issue is expected to result in a reduction in customer demand and will have a significant impact on the Company's results of operations during 2024. The Company determined the anticipated reduction in customer demand caused by this issue was an indicator of
potential impairment. The Company reviewed MLMC's long-lived assets for impairment as of December 31, 2023 and determined the carrying amount of its long-lived assets were not recoverable. As a result, the Company recorded a non-cash, long-lived asset impairment charge of $65.9 million in 2023. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further information on the impairment analysis.

The Sabine Mining Company (“Sabine”) operates the Sabine Mine in Texas. All production from Sabine was delivered to
Southwestern Electric Power Company's (“SWEPCO”) Henry W. Pirkey Plant (the “Pirkey Plant”). SWEPCO is an American
Electric Power (“AEP”) company. As a result of the early retirement of the Pirkey Plant, Sabine ceased deliveries and final reclamation began on April 1, 2023. Funding for mine reclamation is the responsibility of SWEPCO, and Sabine receives compensation for providing mine reclamation services. Sabine will provide mine reclamation services through September 30, 2026. On October 1, 2026, SWEPCO will acquire all of the capital stock of Sabine and complete the remaining mine reclamation.

At Coteau, Coyote Creek and Falkirk, the Company is paid a management fee per ton of coal or heating unit (MMBtu) delivered. Each contract specifies the indices and mechanics by which fees change over time, generally in line with broad
measures of U.S. inflation. The customers are responsible for funding all mine operating costs, including final mine
reclamation, and directly or indirectly providing all of the capital required to build and operate the mine. This contract structure eliminates exposure to spot coal market price fluctuations while providing income and cash flow with minimal capital investment. Other than at Coyote Creek, debt financing provided by or supported by the customers is without recourse to the Company. See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further discussion of Coyote Creek's guarantees.

Coteau, Coyote Creek, Falkirk and Sabine each meet the definition of a variable interest entity ("VIE"). In each case, NACCO
is not the primary beneficiary of the VIE as it does not exercise financial control; therefore, NACCO does not consolidate the
results of these operations within its financial statements. Instead, these contracts are accounted for as equity method
investments. The Company regularly evaluates if there are reconsideration events which could change the Company's conclusion as to whether these entities meet the definition of a VIE and the determination of the primary beneficiary. The income before income taxes associated with these VIEs is reported as Earnings of unconsolidated operations on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and the Company’s investment is reported on the line Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The mines that meet the definition of a VIE are referred to collectively as the “Unconsolidated Subsidiaries.” For tax purposes, the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries are included within the NACCO consolidated U.S. tax return; therefore, the Income tax (benefit) provision line on the Consolidated Statements of Operations includes income taxes related to these entities. See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further information on the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries.

The Company performs contemporaneous reclamation activities at each mine in the normal course of operations. Under all of the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries’ contracts, the customer has the obligation to fund final mine reclamation activities. Under certain contracts, the Unconsolidated Subsidiary holds the mine permit and is therefore responsible for final mine reclamation activities. To the extent the Unconsolidated Subsidiary performs such final reclamation, it is compensated for providing those services in addition to receiving reimbursement from customers for costs incurred.

NAMining Segment
The NAMining segment provides value-added contract mining and other services for producers of industrial minerals. The segment is a platform for the Company’s growth and diversification of mining activities outside of the thermal coal industry. NAMining provides contract mining services for independently owned mines and quarries, creating value for its customers by performing the mining aspects of its customers’ operations. This allows customers to focus on their areas of expertise: materials handling and processing, product sales and distribution. As of December 31, 2023, NAMining operates in Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Virginia and Nebraska. In addition, Sawtooth Mining, LLC ("Sawtooth") provides mining design, consulting and will be the exclusive contract miner for the Thacker Pass lithium project in northern Nevada.

During December 2023, NAMining executed a 15-year contract to mine phosphate at a quarry in central Florida. Production is expected to commence in the first half of 2024 once relocation and commissioning of a dragline is complete. NAMining also amended and extended existing limestone contracts with two customers and expanded the scope of work with another customer.
Certain of the entities within the NAMining segment are VIEs and are accounted for under the equity method as Unconsolidated Subsidiaries. See Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further information on the Unconsolidated Subsidiaries.

Minerals Management Segment
The Minerals Management segment derives income primarily by leasing its royalty and mineral interests to third-party exploration and production companies, and, to a lesser extent, other mining companies, granting them the rights to explore, develop, mine, produce, market and sell gas, oil, and coal in exchange for royalty payments based on the lessees' sales of those minerals.

The Minerals Management segment owns royalty interests, mineral interests, non-participating royalty interests and overriding royalty interests.

Royalty Interest. Royalty interests generally result when the owner of a mineral interest leases the underlying minerals to an exploration and production company pursuant to an oil and gas lease. Typically, the resulting royalty interest is a cost-free percentage of production revenues for minerals extracted from the acreage. A holder of royalty interests is generally not responsible for capital expenditures or lease operating expenses, but royalty interests may be calculated net of post-production expenses, and typically has no environmental liability. Royalty interests leased to producers expire upon the expiration of the oil and gas lease and revert to the mineral owner.

Mineral Interest. Mineral interests are perpetual rights of the owner to explore, develop, exploit, mine and/or produce any or all of the minerals lying below the surface of the property. The holder of a mineral interest has the right to lease the minerals to an exploration and production company. Upon the execution of an oil and gas lease, the lessee (the exploration and production company) becomes the working interest owner and the lessor (the mineral interest owner) has a royalty interest.

Non-Participating Royalty Interest (“NPRIs”). NPRI is an interest in oil and gas production which is created from the mineral estate. The NPRI is expense-free, bearing no operational costs of production. The term “non-participating” indicates that the interest owner does not share in the bonus, rentals from a lease, nor the right to participate in the execution of oil and gas leases. The NPRI owner does; however, typically receive royalty payments.

Overriding Royalty Interest (“ORRIs”). ORRIs are created by carving out the right to receive royalties from a working interest. Like royalty interests, ORRIs do not confer an obligation to make capital expenditures or pay for lease operating expenses and have limited environmental liability; however, ORRIs may be calculated net of post-production expenses, depending on how the ORRI is structured. ORRIs that are carved out of working interests are linked to the same underlying oil and gas lease that created the working interest, and therefore, such ORRIs are typically subject to expiration upon the expiration or termination of the oil and gas lease.

The Company may own more than one type of mineral and royalty interest in the same tract of land. For example, where the Company owns an ORRI in a lease on the same tract of land in which it owns a mineral interest, the ORRI in that tract will relate to the same gross acres as the mineral interest in that tract.

The Minerals Management segment will benefit from the continued development of its mineral properties without the need for investment of additional capital once mineral and royalty interests have been acquired. The Minerals Management segment does not currently have any material investments under which it would be required to bear the cost of exploration, production or development.

During 2023, Minerals Management completed an acquisition of $36.7 million of mineral and royalty interests in the Texas portion of the Permian Basin. During 2022, Minerals Management acquired $11.4 million of mineral and royalty interests in the Texas portion of the Permian Basin and the Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin as well as a small acquisition of mineral interests in the New Mexico portion of the Permian Basin.
Total consideration for the 2023 and 2022 acquisitions of mineral and royalty interests was $36.7 million and $11.9 million, respectively. The 2023 acquisition includes 43.4 thousand gross acres and 2.5 thousand net royalty acres. The 2022 acquisitions included 13.6 thousand gross acres and 880 net royalty acres. Total mineral and royalty interests include approximately 184.7 thousand gross acres and 63.3 thousand net royalty acres at December 31, 2023. Net royalty acres are calculated based on the Company’s ownership and royalty rate, normalized to a standard 1/8th royalty lease, and assumes a 1/4th royalty rate for unleased acres. See Note 18 for further discussion of Minerals Management.

The Company's acquisition criteria for building a blended portfolio of mineral and royalty interests includes (i) new wells anticipated to come online within one to two years of investment, (ii) areas with forecasted future development within five years after acquisition and (iii) existing producing wells further along the decline curve that will generate stable cash flow. In addition, acquisitions should extend the geographic footprint to diversify across multiple basins with a preliminary focus on the more oil-rich Permian basin and a secondary focus on other diversifying basins to increase regional exposure. While the current focus is on the acquisition of mineral and royalty interests, the Company would also consider investments in ORRIs, NPRIs or non-operating working interests under certain circumstances. The current acquisition strategy does not contemplate any near-term working interest investments in which the Company would act as the operator.

The Company also manages legacy royalty and mineral interests located in Ohio (Utica and Marcellus shale natural gas), Louisiana (Haynesville shale and Cotton Valley formation natural gas), Texas (Cotton Valley and Austin Chalk formation natural gas), Mississippi (coal), Pennsylvania (coal, coalbed methane and Marcellus shale natural gas), Alabama (coal, coalbed methane and natural gas) and North Dakota (coal, oil and natural gas). The majority of the Company’s legacy reserves were acquired as part of its historical coal mining operations.

Other items: During 2023, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the termination of the Combined Defined Benefit Plan for NACCO and its subsidiaries (the “Combined Plan”) and Combined Plan participants were offered lump-sum distributions as part of the termination process. As a result of the lump-sum distributions, the Company recognized a non-cash, pension settlement charge of $1.8 million on the line "Other, net" within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. The $1.8 million charge represents a pro rata portion of the unrecognized net loss recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss. See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K for further information on the Combined Plan.

On May 2, 2022, Great River Energy ("GRE") completed the sale of Coal Creek Station and the adjacent high-voltage direct current transmission line to Rainbow Energy Center, LLC (“Rainbow Energy”) and its affiliates. The Coal Sales Agreement (“CSA”) between Falkirk and Rainbow Energy became effective upon the closing of the transaction. Falkirk continues to supply all coal requirements of Coal Creek Station and is paid a management fee per ton of coal delivered. To support the transfer to new ownership, Falkirk agreed to a reduction in the current per ton management fee from the effective date of the CSA through May 31, 2024. After May 31, 2024, the per ton management fee increases to a higher base in line with 2021 fee levels, and thereafter adjusts annually according to an index which tracks broad measures of U.S. inflation. Rainbow Energy is responsible for funding all mine operating costs, including mine reclamation, and directly or indirectly providing all of the capital required to operate the mine. The initial production period is expected to run through May 1, 2032, but the CSA may be extended or terminated early under certain circumstances.

The Company recognized a gain of $30.9 million within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations during 2022 as GRE paid $14.0 million in cash, as well as transferred ownership of an office building with an estimated fair value of $4.1 million, and conveyed membership units in Midwest AgEnergy Group, LLC (“MAG”), a North Dakota-based ethanol business, with an estimated fair value of $12.8 million, as agreed to under the termination and release of claims agreement between Falkirk and GRE. The office building is included in assets held for sale at December 31, 2023.

Prior to receiving the membership units from GRE, the Company held a $5.0 million investment in MAG carried at cost, less impairment. Subsequent to the receipt of the additional membership units, the Company began to account for the investment under the equity method of accounting. During 2022, the Company recorded $2.2 million, which represented its share of MAG's earnings on the "Other, net" line within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.

On December 1, 2022, HLCP Ethanol Holdco, LLC (“HLCP”) completed its acquisition of MAG. Upon closing of the transaction, NACCO transferred its ownership interest in MAG to HLCP and received a cash payment of $18.6 million and recognized a $1.3 million loss in 2022 on the line "Other, net" within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company received additional payments totaling $3.6 million during 2023 in connection with a post-closing purchase price adjustment and the release of amounts held in escrow recorded on the "Other, net" line within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations.