# Coal Mineral Rights and Royalties in Pennsylvania

> Pennsylvania: 110 producing coal mines in 21 counties, 40,596,563 short tons in 2024. Buckhead Energy buys coal mineral rights and coal royalties.

- URL: https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania
- 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. Pennsylvania had 110 producing coal mines in 21 counties in 2024, which together produced 40,596,563 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 Pennsylvania

28 of the mines are underground and 82 are surface mines, and they produced anthracite and bituminous coal.^\[1\] Greene County, Washington County and Indiana County produced the most coal in Pennsylvania in 2024.^\[1\]

| County | Mines | Underground / surface | Short tons, 2024 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Greene County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/greene) | 3 | 3 / 0 | 21,658,896 |
| [Washington County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/washington) | 1 | 1 / 0 | 9,181,023 |
| [Indiana County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/indiana) | 10 | 7 / 3 | 2,101,608 |
| [Schuylkill County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/schuylkill) | 19 | 3 / 16 | 1,726,677 |
| [Somerset County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/somerset) | 17 | 4 / 13 | 1,261,394 |
| [Cambria County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/cambria) | 6 | 2 / 4 | 1,099,917 |
| [Clearfield County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/clearfield) | 18 | 3 / 15 | 973,323 |
| [Armstrong County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/armstrong) | 3 | 2 / 1 | 679,691 |
| [Westmoreland County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/westmoreland) | 4 | 1 / 3 | 469,820 |
| [Northumberland County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/northumberland) | 10 | 0 / 10 | 405,348 |
| [Luzerne County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/luzerne) | 7 | 0 / 7 | 389,448 |
| [Carbon County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/carbon) | 1 | 0 / 1 | 318,818 |
| [Jefferson County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/jefferson) | 2 | 1 / 1 | 131,337 |
| [Columbia County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/columbia) | 1 | 0 / 1 | 102,268 |
| [Lycoming County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/lycoming) | 1 | 0 / 1 | 33,000 |
| [Fulton County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/fulton) | 1 | 0 / 1 | 23,017 |
| [Mercer County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/mercer) | 1 | 0 / 1 | 12,574 |
| [Fayette County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/fayette) | 1 | 0 / 1 | 11,747 |
| [Dauphin County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/dauphin) | 1 | 1 / 0 | 10,024 |
| [Lackawanna County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/lackawanna) | 1 | 0 / 1 | 5,305 |
| [Clarion County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/coal-mineral-rights/pennsylvania/clarion) | 2 | 0 / 2 | 1,328 |

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.^\[4\] Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania

The earliest record of coal mining in Pennsylvania is a 1761 plan of Fort Pitt, and anthracite was first used in a Wilkes-Barre blacksmith shop in 1769.^\[6\]

Bituminous coal was first mined in Pennsylvania at Coal Hill, now Mount Washington, across the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh.^\[7\]

Before 2005, more than 20 billion tons of bituminous coal and almost 11 billion tons of anthracite had been mined in Pennsylvania or left unrecoverable in the pillars that support mine roofs.^\[6\]

## Coal rights in Pennsylvania

Anthracite generally has the highest heating value of the ranks, and all U.S. anthracite mines are in northeastern Pennsylvania.^\[3\]

Pennsylvania's Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act requires an underground mine operator who affects a public or private water supply to restore or replace it.^\[8\]

The Appalachian coal region includes Alabama, eastern Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, and underground mines supply most of its coal.^\[2\]

Pennsylvania laws passed in 1966 made bituminous underground coal mine operators liable for subsidence damage to certain dwellings and structures; before 1966 they were not liable.^\[9\]

## 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 Pennsylvania produce, and where?

Pennsylvania had 110 producing coal mines in 21 counties in 2024, which together produced 40,596,563 short tons of coal, according to mine-level data in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual Coal Report for 2024.^\[1\]

### Which Pennsylvania counties have the most coal production?

By 2024 production, the leading counties are Greene County (21,658,896 short tons), Washington County (9,181,023 short tons), Indiana County (2,101,608 short tons), Schuylkill County (1,726,677 short tons) and Somerset County (1,261,394 short tons).^\[1\]

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

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 Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?

The earliest record of coal mining in Pennsylvania is a 1761 plan of Fort Pitt, and anthracite was first used in a Wilkes-Barre blacksmith shop in 1769.^\[6\] Bituminous coal was first mined in Pennsylvania at Coal Hill, now Mount Washington, across the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh.^\[7\]

### Can coal rights be owned separately from the land in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania laws passed in 1966 made bituminous underground coal mine operators liable for subsidence damage to certain dwellings and structures; before 1966 they were not liable.^\[9\]

### What does Pennsylvania law say about coal rights?

Anthracite generally has the highest heating value of the ranks, and all U.S. anthracite mines are in northeastern Pennsylvania.^\[3\] Pennsylvania's Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act requires an underground mine operator who affects a public or private water supply to restore or replace it.^\[8\]

## Related pages

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

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

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

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

## 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)

\[6\] [Coal in Pennsylvania (Educational Series 7)](https://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/PDFProvider.ashx?action=PDFStream&docID=1752502&chksum=&revision=1&docName=al_Pa&nativeExt=pdf) — Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey (accessed November 2, 2026)

\[7\] [PA Mining History](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/mining/bureau-of-mining-programs/pa-mining-history) — Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (accessed November 2, 2026)

\[8\] [Surface Owner Rights and Responsibilities Summary: Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act](https://greenport.pa.gov/elibrary/PDFProvider.ashx?action=PDFStream&docID=5671&chksum=&revision=2&docName=SURFACE+OWNER+RIGHTS+AND+RESPONSIBILITIES+UNDER+THE+BITUMINOUS+MINE+SUBSIDENCE+AND+LAND+CONSERVATION+ACT&nativeExt=pdf&PromptToSave=False&Size=153641&ViewerMode=2&overlay=0) — Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (accessed November 1, 2026)

\[9\] [Underground Mining (Mine Subsidence Insurance information brochure)](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dep/documents/citizens/msi/documents/msi%20information%20brochure.pdf) — Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (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%2Fpennsylvania)

## 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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