The Francisco Mine complex in Gibson County near Francisco, Ind., is comprised of an underground mining operation as well as a coal preparation and rail loadout facility. The underground mine, which opened in 2003, shipped 2.0 million tons of coal in 2009. Francisco Mine primarily serves Duke Energy. The mine has 46 million tons of recoverable coal reserves.

 

The Francisco workforce of approximately 240 operate three split-air supersections utilizing continuous miners and battery coal haulers on two eight-hour production shifts, 5.5 days a week, year-round. The third unit also operates on the same schedule to allow maintenance and preparation of equipment and mining areas. Francisco's preparation and loadout facilities employ 46 workers who operate on two 12-hour shifts per day, seven days a week.

 

Coal from the Francisco Mine is processed at a 650 ton-per-hour heavy media preparation plant and loaded on trains for transporting to Duke Power's Gibson Station plant. An additional 2.5 million tons of coal is trucked in from other Peabody locations for loading and shipment.

 

Employees of Francisco Underground have been honored with the Peabody President's Award for being the company's safest underground mine in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Employees at the preparation plant and loadout facility recently reached the five-year milestone of working without a reportable injury.

 

Francisco Mine is a Peabody Energy operation. Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in clean coal solutions. With 2009 sales of 244 million tons and $6 billion in revenues, Peabody fuels 10 percent of U.S. power and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.