reportedApril 1 that it received permission from the U.S. Mine Safety and HealthAdministration to temporarily seal the entire Deer Run mine to reduce oreliminate oxygen flow paths as the company aims to extinguish a combustionevent ongoing sinceMarch 2015.
Arelease from the company said the process of sealing the mine will beginimmediately. Foresight reported that it is uncertain as to when production will at the mine. Employees of themine have suedForesight and Murray Energy Corp.,which holds a major stake in Foresight, over employment benefits related to themine's closure.
Themine represents a significant portion of Foresight's production capacity and isone of its four Illinois Basin coal complexes.