Quick answer
The mine is an underground mine.[1] It produced bituminous coal, and EIA places it in the Appalachia Northern coal supply region.[1] Mines in the county produced 8,660,839 short tons in 2023, so output rose by about 6 percent in 2024.[1]
| Mine | Type | Coal rank | Short tons, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enlow Fork Mine | Underground | Bituminous | 9,181,023 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Report mine-level data for 2024, released November 19, 2025. Data compiled November 1, 2026.
Surface mining is often used when coal is less than 200 feet underground, and underground mining is used when coal lies deeper.[2] Bituminous coal is the most abundant rank found in the United States, and lignite has the lowest energy content.[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]
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.[6]
The Appalachian coal region includes Alabama, eastern Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, and underground mines supply most of its coal.[7]
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.
Washington County, Pennsylvania had one producing coal mine in 2024, which produced 9,181,023 short tons of coal, according to mine-level data in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual Coal Report for 2024.[1] Mines in the county produced 8,660,839 short tons in 2023, so output rose by about 6 percent in 2024.[1]
The mine was Enlow Fork Mine (underground, 9,181,023 short tons).[1]
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.
The mine is an underground mine.[1] Surface mining is often used when coal is less than 200 feet underground, and underground mining is used when coal lies deeper.[2]
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]
Nearby Pennsylvania counties with producing coal mines include Greene County (21,658,896 short tons in 2024), Fayette County (11,747 short tons in 2024), Westmoreland County (469,820 short tons in 2024), Armstrong County (679,691 short tons in 2024) and Somerset County (1,261,394 short tons in 2024).[1]
Coal Mineral Rights and Royalties in Pennsylvania
Selling Coal Mineral Rights and Coal Royalties
Oil and gas mineral rights in Washington County, Pennsylvania
Mineral rights in Pennsylvania
Coal Mineral Rights and Royalties in Greene County
Coal Mineral Rights and Royalties in Fayette County
Coal Mineral Rights and Royalties in Westmoreland County
[1] Annual Coal Report, mine-level production (2024 data, released November 19, 2025) — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026)
[2] Coal explained: Coal mining and transportation — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026)
[3] Coal explained — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026)
[4] Iaeger Energy Development, LLC v. Moore, No. 18-0409 (memorandum decision, Jan. 13, 2020) — Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia (accessed November 1, 2026)
[5] Regulating Active Coal Mines — Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (accessed November 1, 2026)
[6] Surface Owner Rights and Responsibilities Summary: Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act — Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (accessed November 1, 2026)
[7] Coal explained: Where our coal comes from — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026)
Buckhead Energy buys coal mineral rights and coal royalties.
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