Massey buys W.Va. coal shipping dock on Kanawha River to cut export costs

Massey buys W.Va. coal shipping dock

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Massey Energy will buy a West Virginia coal shipping dock to cut transportation costs, the company said Thursday.

The Marmet Dock on the Kanawha River will allow Massey to ship more coal via barge than rail and to reach export vessels more efficiently, the company said.

The acquisition is part of its plan to focus on sales of metallurgical coal to foreign steelmakers.

The dock was acquired from Kanawha River Terminals. Terms were not disclosed.

The dock has modern equipment, storage for 300,000 tons of coal and the capability of loading up to 7 million tons annually, according to Massey.

It’s also close to several Massey operations in southern West Virginia.