SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va., April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Coal Corporation, a producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, today announced that Michael D. Day has been promoted to the new position of Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. He will report to Robert W. Bennett, President & Chief Executive Officer. Previously, Mr. Day served as Executive Vice President – Operations at Patriot.  In his expanded position, Mr. Day will have a greater role in corporate business planning and decision making. He will retain his current oversight responsibility for all of Patriot's operations, as well as the safety, engineering, purchasing and maintenance roles. Patriot President & CEO Bob Bennett stated, "Mike is a proven and experienced leader with outstanding operations, engineering, and business expertise. I am pleased that he has agreed to accept the position of Chief Operating Officer and the additional responsibilities of that position."

About Michael D. Day

Mr. Day, 44, has more than 25 years of experience in the coal industry. He joined Patriot in 2008 and has held several key leadership positions since then, including Executive President – Operations, Senior Vice President – Engineering and W.V. Central Region & Kentucky Operations, Vice President – Operations and Vice President – Surface Operations. Prior to joining Patriot he held a variety of management positions at Magnum Coal Company, Arch Coal and James River Coal Company. Mr. Day is an executive board member of the Kentucky Coal Association and the University of Kentucky Mining Engineering Foundation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mining engineering from the University of Kentucky and is a Registered Professional Engineer.

About Patriot Coal
Patriot Coal Corporation is a producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, with 8 active mining complexes in Northern and Central Appalachia. Patriot ships to domestic and international electricity generators, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.4 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves.

SOURCE Patriot Coal