Today Quest Minerals & Mining Corporation announced that they will be retaining White Star Mining to continue mining operations at the company’s Pond Creek mine in Slater’s Branch, Kentucky. The President of Quest Minerals & Mining, Eugene Chiaramonte, Jr, stated, “We are very excited that White Star has agreed to conduct mining operations at the Pond Creek Mine. They have significant experience in the coal mining industry and have an excellent reputation for providing quality work. We are looking forward to having them as part of our team and we look forward to a prosperous relationship.”
Quest Minerals has also been signing letters of intent with companies and individuals in the past few weeks to mine coal from the Elkhorn #3 coal seam. This seam is proven as one of the most accessible seams in Eastern Kentucky. The first two letters of intent signed in January of 2008 gave Quest Mining access to an initial 2,400,000 tons of coal reserves. Now with White Star Mining in place and full scale operations ready to begin once permits can be transferred, mining is expected to start with the potential for 30,000 tons per month.
Quest Minerals & Mining Corporation acquires and operates energy and mineral related properties in the southeastern part of the United States. Quest focuses its efforts on properties that produce quality compliance blend coal. Quest currently owns and operates one deep mine at Pond Creek in Belfry Kentucky. Quest’s steam coal is currently sold on the spot market to certain brokers who in turn sell to utilities and industrial clients as fuel for power plants.
In the upcoming months Quest is seeking to acquire new mines and contracting to produce and market additional coal in its geographic focus area. Quest intends to acquire and operate high quality coal properties with established field personnel, primarily in the eastern Kentucky coalfields, which has historically been documented as one of the top three coal producing states. This region has an excellent infrastructure of workers, truckers, rail sidings on the CSX and N&W rail lines and low cost access to the Big Sandy barge docks near Ashland, KY for effective coal distribution.
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