COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC 1221

Bituminous Coal and Lignite Surface Mining

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

24companies1885–1999founding years23still active1no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBHP Billiton
1885
FoundedPeabody Coal CompanyFoundedPeabody Energy Corporation
1890
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedFluor CorporationFoundedMassey Energy CompanyFoundedOglebay Norton Company
1924
FoundedNACCO Industries, Inc.
1925
FoundedTexaco Inc.
1926
FoundedIscor Limited
1927
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedBlack Hills CorporationFoundedPeter Kiewit Sons' Inc.
1941
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedNeyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd.
1956
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedRAG AG
1968
FoundedArch Mineral Corporation
1969
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedNERCO, Inc.
1977
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedCONSOL Energy Inc.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedCyprus Amax Minerals Company
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedHanson Building Materials America Inc.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

BHP Billiton →
Active · founded 1885 · Australia
BHP Billiton was formed through the 2001 merger of Australia's mining and oil giant BHP and U.K.-based mining group…
Peabody Coal Company →
Active · founded 1890
As a subsidiary of Peabody Holding Company, Inc., the largest coal producer in the United States, Peabody Coal Company…
Peabody Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1890
Peabody Energy Corporation is the largest private-sector coal company in the world.
United States Steel Corporation →
Active · founded 1901
The United States Steel Corporation is the largest integrated steel company in the United States and the 11th largest…
Fluor Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Mid-1980s:Fluor divests all of its oil properties, some gold operations, and all its offshore drilling facilities.
Massey Energy Company →
Active · founded 1924
Richmond, Virginia-based Massey Energy Company is one of the top coal miners in the United States.
Oglebay Norton Company →
Active · founded 1924
With a cargo capacity of about 400,000 tons and a dozen ships, Oglebay Norton Company owns the largest U.S.-flagged…
Total Fina Elf S.A. →
Active · founded 1924 · France
1954/55:Trademark "Total" is created and registered.
NACCO Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
NACCO Industries, Inc.
Texaco Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Texaco is one of the world's largest oil companies, with exploratory, manufacturing, and marketing operations across…
Iscor Limited →
Active · founded 1927 · South Africa
Iscor Limited has surprised the worldwide steel industry by shedding its valuable mining assets--spun off as publicly…
Morrison Knudsen Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1932
Morrison Knudsen Corporation (MK) has long stood as one of the world's largest engineering and construction…
Black Hills Corporation →
Active · founded 1941
A public utility holding company, Black Hills Corporation is involved in three principal businesses: electric utility…
Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc. →
Active · founded 1941
Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc.
Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd. →
Active · founded 1956 · India
Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd.
Grupo Mexico, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1965 · Mexico
Grupo Mexico, S.A.
RAG AG →
Active · founded 1968 · Germany
RAG AG is one of the world's leading hard coal producers and Germany's number one coal producer.
Arch Mineral Corporation →
Active · founded 1969 · United States
Arch Mineral Corporation is a private coal company owned in equal parts by Ashland Oil Company and the Hunt family.
NERCO, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
NERCO, Inc., is a Fortune 500 company that produces and markets low-sulfur coal, oil, and natural gas.
Sasol Limited →
Active · founded 1979 · Republic of South Africa
Sasol Limited was formed in 1979 to hold the assets of the South African Coal, Oil and Gas Corporation (Sasol) and its…
CONSOL Energy Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
During this same period, CONSOL expanded its coal holdings.
Cyprus Amax Minerals Company →
Active · founded 1993
Established in 1993 through the merger of Cyprus Minerals Company and Amax Inc., Cyprus Amax Minerals Company is the…
Hanson Building Materials America Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Hanson Building Materials America Inc.
Anglo American PLC →
Active · founded 1999 · United Kingdom
Anglo American PLC is considered the world's largest gold-mining organization.
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