This article is 16 years old. Images might not display.
The shutdown begins February 2 and will cease February 28, mine owner Cliffs Natural Resources said.
According to company officials, Pinnacle was scheduled to produce about 85,000 tons in February.
Pinnacle, located near Pineville, Wyoming County in southern West Virginia, includes the Pinnacle, Green Ridge No. 1 and Green Ridge No. 2 mines.
Green Ridge No. 2 was previously idled, and Cliffs said the complex’s preparation facility would run on an altered and reduced schedule to keep up with existing customer orders.
Cliffs North American Coal senior vice-president Duke Vetor called the curtailment imperative to “balance our production and inventory with customer demand”
An ILN request for additional details, including the potential for a longer period of idle, was not returned by press time.
In December, Cliffs said it laid off 100 workers from the complex, leaving 500 of its staff still intact. In that announcement, the company said the length of the furloughs would be dictated by market conditions.
Cliffs Natural Resources operates six iron ore mines in Michigan, Minnesota and Eastern Canada as well as three coking coal mines in West Virginia and Alabama.
The company’s merger with Alpha Natural Resources was shelved last November.
