While a spokesperson had not responded to an ILN request for comment by press time, operations director Josh Carter told local news station WSIL that none of the mine’s 50 staff members would be lost as a result of the closure.

"Everybody's going to move to one of our other southern Illinois locations here," he said.

"We're not laying anyone off, we're just reallocating resources."

He said the mine would begin closure procedures later this week and the workers would transfer to one of the three sister operations, including the new Prairie Eagle mine.

Knight Hawk commenced production on the 700,000 ton per year Royal Falcon in January 2008. The room and pillar operation extracted from the 10 foot-thick No. 6 seam, which was under an average 175ft of overburden.

The operation utilized Joy 1414 continuous miners from two active faces to produce coal with 1.2% sulfur content and 11,800 BTUs in the north and approximately 2.5% sulfur and 11,200 BTUs in the south.

Knight Hawk Coal also operates the Hawkeye, Mine 21, Lone Eagle, Red Hawk and Creek Paum mines.

For more information on Knight Hawk Coal and the Prairie Eagle operation, check out the December 2009 issue of Coal USA Magazine, out soon.