Quick answer
No of the mines are underground and 15 are surface mines, and they produced bituminous and subbituminous coal.[1] Campbell County, Converse County and Sweetwater County produced the most coal in Wyoming in 2024.[1]
| County | Mines | Underground / surface | Short tons, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County | 11 | 0 / 11 | 170,044,887 |
| Converse County | 1 | 0 / 1 | 14,984,446 |
| Sweetwater County | 2 | 0 / 2 | 3,284,299 |
| Lincoln County | 1 | 0 / 1 | 2,417,282 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Report mine-level data for 2024, released November 19, 2025. Data compiled November 1, 2026.
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] Wyoming 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 in Wyoming began in the mid-1860s, when the Union Pacific Railroad arrived.[6]
Coal has been mined in the Hanna Basin since 1868; mines operated at Carbon until 1900, when mining moved to Hanna after the railroad was rerouted.[7]
Wyoming is the top coal-producing state, and the two largest U.S. coal mines, Black Thunder and North Antelope Rochelle, are both in Wyoming.[2]
The Western coal region includes Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado and other states, and surface mines produce most of its coal.[2]
Subbituminous coal came mostly from Wyoming, followed by Montana, New Mexico, Colorado and Alaska.[3]
In the early 1900s Congress began letting the federal government keep mineral interests, starting with coal, when public lands were patented, while homesteading in the Powder River Basin was under way.[8]
Federal coal produced from the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming accounts for over 85 percent of all federal coal production.[8]
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.
Wyoming had 15 producing coal mines in four counties in 2024, which together produced 190,730,914 short tons of coal, according to mine-level data in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual Coal Report for 2024.[1]
By 2024 production, the leading counties are Campbell County (170,044,887 short tons), Converse County (14,984,446 short tons), Sweetwater County (3,284,299 short tons) and Lincoln County (2,417,282 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.
Wyoming 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 in Wyoming began in the mid-1860s, when the Union Pacific Railroad arrived.[6] Coal has been mined in the Hanna Basin since 1868; mines operated at Carbon until 1900, when mining moved to Hanna after the railroad was rerouted.[7]
In the early 1900s Congress began letting the federal government keep mineral interests, starting with coal, when public lands were patented, while homesteading in the Powder River Basin was under way.[8] Federal coal produced from the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming accounts for over 85 percent of all federal coal production.[8]
Wyoming is the top coal-producing state, and the two largest U.S. coal mines, Black Thunder and North Antelope Rochelle, are both in Wyoming.[2]
Selling Coal Mineral Rights and Coal Royalties
[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: Where our coal comes from — 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] Wyoming: Profile Analysis — U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) (accessed November 2, 2026)
[7] Hanna Basin — Wyoming State Geological Survey (accessed November 2, 2026)
[8] Coal: Background — U.S. Bureau of Land Management (accessed November 2, 2026)
Buckhead Energy buys coal mineral rights and coal royalties.
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