Patriot Coal Announces Award-Winning Results in National Mine Rescue Contest

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE: PCX) today announced that its mine rescue teams achieved outstanding results at the 2011 National Mine Rescue Contest sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, which included more than 100 teams from across the nation.  

The Company's Magnum team won first place in the National Combination event, which evaluates the overall proficiency of teams in both mine rescue and first aid competitions.  Patriot's Highland team won third place in the same event.  The Magnum team also won first place in the Day 2 Mine Rescue competition.  In the National Bio 240S Apparatus event, the Company's Bluegrass team won first and second place, with the Highland team coming in third.  In the associated state championships, Patriot's Magnum team won first place for West Virginia in the First Aid, Mine Rescue and Combination events, and the Highland team won first place for Kentucky in the Combination event.  In total, the Company's teams finished in the top three in 14 awards, including nine first-place awards.  

"We are very proud of all five of our mine rescue teams that competed in this event.  Members of three teams were awarded third place or higher in these coveted national awards," noted Patriot Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bennett K. Hatfield.  "Well-trained and prepared mine rescue teams are a key component of our safety program. Our team members have worked hard and sacrificed much personal time to develop their skills to this impressive level.  We truly appreciate their dedication to becoming world-class mine rescue teams."

About Patriot Coal

Patriot Coal Corporation is a leading producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, with 14 active mining complexes in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin.  The Company ships to domestic and international electricity generators, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.9 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves.  The Company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PCX.

SOURCE Patriot Coal Corporation