Associated Press

LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, Md. - The collapse of a roof has hampered coal production at one of Foundation Coal Holdings Inc.'s mines, the company said Thursday.

The company said "anomalous geological conditions" caused a roof to fall at the Emerald Mine, two miles south of Waynesburg, Pa. The collapsed roof impacted a longwall advance, which Foundation expects to curtail production for 14 to 17 days.

Foundation expects the Emerald Mine to produce 210,000 to 240,000 tons of coal in the second quarter. Last year, the mine produced an average of almost 1.5 million tons of coal each quarter.

The company declared force majeure on coal shipments from the mine, meaning it claims it cannot deliver the coal because of extraordinary circumstances.

Foundation expects to make up for much of the second-quarter shortfall by the end of the year.

Emerald, with 615 workers, is the fourth-most-productive of the company's 13 mines.

"We are working to remedy the issue in a safe and diligent manner," Chief Operating Office Kurt Kost said in a statement.

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