One of the oldest coal companies in the U.S. files for bankruptcy

FILE - This file photo taken May 25, 2013, shows an aerial view of Colstrip power plants 1,2,3 & 4 and the Westmoreland coal mines near Colstrip, Mont. Westmoreland Coal Co. of Englewood, Colo., filed for bankruptcy Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, to deal with steep debt and declining world demand. Company officials say the Chapter 11 filing is part of a restructuring agreement with an unnamed group of lenders. Company officials say operations won't be interrupted and there are no expected staff reductions. Westmoreland has coal mines in Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Ohio, North Dakota and Texas and a coal-fired power plant in North Carolina. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP, File)

By Associated Press October 9, 2018 4 min read

One of the oldest coal companies in the U.S. filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday to deal with more than $1.4 billion in debt amid declining demand for the fuel.

Englewood, Colorado-based Westmoreland Coal Co. filed for voluntary Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston as part of a restructuring agreement with an unnamed group of lenders.

Westmoreland, which operates mines across the U.S. and Canada, is the fourth major coal company to file for bankruptcy in the past three years, joining Peabody Energy Corp., Arch Coal and Alpha Natural Resources.

Westmoreland officials said in a statement that operations won’t be interrupted and there are no expected staff reductions.

“After months of thoughtful and productive conversations with our creditors, we have developed a plan that allows Westmoreland to operate as usual while positioning Westmoreland for long-term success,” interim CEO Michael Hutchinson said in the statement.