# Coal Mineral Rights and Royalties in Mississippi

> Mississippi: one producing coal mine in one county, 2,041,402 short tons in 2024. Buckhead Energy buys coal mineral rights and coal royalties.

- URL: https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/mississippi
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Publisher: Buckhead Energy (https://www.buckheadenergy.com/)
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Quick answer

Buckhead Energy buys coal mineral rights and coal royalties. Mississippi had one producing coal mine in one county in 2024, which together produced 2,041,402 short tons of coal, according to mine-level data in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual Coal Report for 2024.

## Coal production by county in Mississippi

No of the mines are underground and one is a surface mine, and they produced lignite coal.^\[1\]

| County | Mines | Underground / surface | Short tons, 2024 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Choctaw County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/mississippi/choctaw) | 1 | 0 / 1 | 2,041,402 |

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Report mine-level data for 2024, released November 19, 2025. Data compiled November 1, 2026.

## How coal is leased and paid

U.S. coal is mainly found in three regions: the Appalachian coal region, the Interior coal region and the Western coal region, which includes the Powder River Basin.^\[2\] Coal is classified into four main ranks: anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous and lignite.^\[3\] The coal leases in a 2020 West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals decision carried a tonnage royalty, a minimum annual royalty and a fixed term of years.^\[4\] Mississippi is one of the 24 states with an approved coal regulatory program, so the state is the primary regulator of coal mining there and handles permitting, inspection and enforcement, with oversight from the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.^\[5\]

## Coal mining history in Mississippi

Mississippi has an estimated 5 billion tons of surface-minable lignite, which requires surface mining because it lies in soft or unconsolidated sediments rather than rock.^\[6\]

Lignite seams appear in the earliest books on Mississippi's geology, and development of the Red Hills Lignite Mine began in April 1999.^\[7\]

## Coal rights in Mississippi

Lignite was produced in five states in 2022, led by North Dakota and Texas, with smaller amounts from Mississippi, Louisiana and Montana.^\[3\]

## What you sell and what you keep

What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. The coal leases in a 2020 West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals decision carried a tonnage royalty, a minimum annual royalty and a fixed term of years.^\[4\] Coal rights can also be divided by seam: in one West Virginia case, the leases covered all the coal in all seams above a named seam on the leased tracts.^\[4\]

Educational information only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. The figures are public reference data, not a valuation or appraisal of any interest. Consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or landman about your specific situation.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much coal does Mississippi produce, and where?

Mississippi had one producing coal mine in one county in 2024, which together produced 2,041,402 short tons of coal, according to mine-level data in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual Coal Report for 2024.^\[1\]

### Where are Mississippi's producing coal mines?

The mine is in Choctaw County.^\[1\]

### Can I sell coal mineral rights or coal royalties in Mississippi?

Buckhead Energy buys coal mineral rights and coal royalties. What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest.

### Who regulates coal mining in Mississippi?

Mississippi is one of the 24 states with an approved coal regulatory program, so the state is the primary regulator of coal mining there and handles permitting, inspection and enforcement, with oversight from the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.^\[5\]

### What is the history of coal mining in Mississippi?

Mississippi has an estimated 5 billion tons of surface-minable lignite, which requires surface mining because it lies in soft or unconsolidated sediments rather than rock.^\[6\] Lignite seams appear in the earliest books on Mississippi's geology, and development of the Red Hills Lignite Mine began in April 1999.^\[7\]

## Related pages

[Selling Coal Mineral Rights and Coal Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights)

[Mineral rights in Mississippi](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights/mississippi)

[Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Mississippi](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/wind-royalties/mississippi)

[Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Mississippi](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/mississippi)

## Sources

\[1\] [Annual Coal Report, mine-level production (2024 data, released November 19, 2025)](https://www.eia.gov/coal/data.php) — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026)

\[2\] [Coal explained: Where our coal comes from](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/coal/where-our-coal-comes-from.php) — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026)

\[3\] [Coal explained](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/coal/) — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026)

\[4\] [Iaeger Energy Development, LLC v. Moore, No. 18-0409 (memorandum decision, Jan. 13, 2020)](https://www.courtswv.gov/sites/default/pubfilesmnt/2023-12/18-0409memo.pdf) — Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (accessed November 1, 2026)

\[5\] [Regulating Active Coal Mines](https://www.osmre.gov/programs/regulating-active-coal-mines) — Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (accessed November 1, 2026)

\[6\] [Fact Sheet 2: Lignite Resources of Mississippi (August 2009)](https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Fact-Sheet-2.pdf) — Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology (accessed November 2, 2026)

\[7\] [Environmental News, Vol. 12, Issue 1 (January 2015): 'Geologic Mapping and Lignite Resources'](https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/externaljan2015.pdf) — Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geology (accessed November 2, 2026)

## Ready to Sell Your Coal Mineral Rights or Royalties?

Buckhead Energy buys coal mineral rights and coal royalties.

[Get a Free Written Offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell#inquiry:source=%2Fcoal-mineral-rights%2Fmississippi)

## About Buckhead Energy
Buckhead Energy is a direct buyer, not a broker — we purchase mineral and royalty interests with our own capital. Buckhead Energy buys mineral and royalty interests across all 50 states and has completed acquisitions in 33 states. Buckhead Energy has been buying mineral and royalty interests since 2006. Buckhead Energy holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Buckhead provides a free written offer. Buckhead Energy typically provides an offer within 24–48 hours. Closings typically take 30–45 days, subject to title review and clearance. Buckhead Energy's written offers stay open for 14 days.

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