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Coal Production Highlights

• First recorded production: 20 tons, in present-day Lee County, 1790
• Cumulative production, 1790-2001: 8.36 billion tons
• 50 percent of total production was within the last 25 years
• First significant surface mining: Hopkins County, 98,200 tons, 1922
• Largest annual production by county: Pike County, 35.7 million tons, 1999
• Largest total cumulative production by county: Pike County, 1.33 billion tons, 1904-2001
• Cumulative production (billion tons):

Underground Surface Undetermined Total Eastern Kentucky Coal Field 3.852 1.636 0.291 5.78 Western Kentucky Coal Field 1.306 1.081 0.196 2.58 TOTAL 5.158 2.717 0.487 8.36

Year Billion Tons 1933 1 1950 2 1973 4 2001 8.36

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County Production

At one time or another, coal has been mined in 56 of Kentucky's 120 counties. The largest number of counties with coal revenues in a given year was 49 counties in 1950. Pike County has produced 1.33 billion tons of coal, more than any other county. Pike County has also produced the most coal from underground mines, over 1 billion tons. Muhlenberg County has produced 418 million tons of surface-mined coal, more than any other county.

The Eastern Kentucky Coal Field produced more than 109 million tons of coal in 2001, and the Western Kentucky Coal Field produced more than 28 million tons. Pike County was the leading producer in eastern Kentucky in 2001 with more than 34 million tons. Webster County led western Kentucky production with more than 10 million tons of coal in 2000.

Production Tables

The tables "Cumulative Coal Production by County and Mining Method, 1790-2001--Listed by County" show total production listed alphabetically by county (you may also view eastern Kentucky and western Kentucky cumulative data). The tables "Cumulative Coal Production by County and Mining Method, 1790-2001--Ranked by Total Tons" rank production by tonnage. You may view both eastern Kentucky and western Kentucky cumulative data independently.

You may view graphs and tables of coal production by county.

You may download all coal production data in Excel spreadsheet format.