Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc

(a) General

Estimated losses from loss contingencies are accrued by a charge to income when information available indicates that it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.

If a loss contingency is not probable or reasonably estimable, disclosure of the loss contingency is made in the Consolidated Financial Statements when it is at least reasonably possible that a loss may be incurred and that the loss could be material.

(b) Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

The Company leases coal mining and other equipment under long-term financing and operating leases with varying terms. Refer to Note 11 for further information on leases. In addition, the Company leases mineral interests and surface rights from landowners under various terms and royalty rates.

Coal royalty expense was $185,398, $226,366, and $113,685 for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Minimum royalty obligations under coal leases total $14,357, $14,394, $13,160, $11,901, $11,851, and $89,025 for 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and after 2028, respectively.

Other Commitments

As of December 31, 2023, the Company has obligations under certain coal purchase agreements that contain minimum quantities to be purchased in 2024 totaling an estimated $236,848. The Company also has outstanding unconditional purchase obligations for 2024 and 2025 totaling $251,038 and $66,675, respectively, related to the purchase of equipment, diesel fuel, and electricity, as well as for rail freight and export terminal costs (including $48,405 in 2024 for DTA funding.)

Under the terms of its partnership related agreements with respect to its investment in DTA, the Company is required to fund its proportionate share of DTA’s ongoing operating and capital costs. In November 2023, the Company, together with DTA management announced that DTA needed additional capital investment to maximize functionality and minimize downtime due to mechanical issues. Beyond the Company’s share of routine operating costs, it expects to invest up to an incremental $25,000 per year for infrastructure and equipment upgrades at DTA over the next 6 years. The Company’s 2024 funding of DTA includes routine operating and capital costs and infrastructure and equipment upgrades.

Contingencies

Extensive regulation of the impacts of mining on the environment and of maintaining workplace safety has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant effect on the Company’s costs of production and results of operations. Further regulations, legislation or litigation in these areas may also cause the Company’s sales or profitability to decline by increasing costs or by hindering the Company’s ability to continue mining at existing operations or to permit new operations.

During the normal course of business, contract-related matters arise between the Company and its customers. When a loss related to such matters is considered probable and can reasonably be estimated, the Company records a liability.

During the first half of 2023, the Company purchased and sold 399 tons, totaling $15,170, under the Cumberland Back-to-Back Coal Supply Agreements. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company purchased and sold 1,617 tons, totaling $62,171, under the Cumberland Back-to-Back Coal Supply Agreements. As of June 30, 2023, the Cumberland Back-to-Back Coal Supply Agreements had been fully performed.

(c) Guarantees and Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk

In the normal course of business, the Company is a party to certain guarantees and financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk, such as bank LCs, performance or surety bonds, and other guarantees and indemnities related to the obligations of affiliated entities which are not reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. However, the underlying liabilities that they secure, such as asset retirement obligations, workers’ compensation liabilities, and royalty obligations, are reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The Company is required to provide financial assurance in order to perform the post-mining reclamation required by its mining permits, pay workers’ compensation claims under workers’ compensation laws in various states, pay federal black lung benefits, and perform certain other obligations. In order to provide the required financial assurance, the Company generally uses surety bonds for post-mining reclamation and workers’ compensation obligations. The Company can also use bank LCs to collateralize certain obligations.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had $31 of cash collateralized LCs remaining to be replaced as part of the transition from the previous ABL Facility to the New ABL Facility and $60,896 in LCs outstanding under the New ABL Facility. During the first quarter of 2024, the remaining cash collateralized LCs from the previous ABL Facility were cancelled with no replacement required and the cash collateral was returned.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had outstanding surety bonds with a total face amount of $177,109 to secure various obligations and commitments. To secure the Company’s reclamation-related obligations, the Company has $33,858 of collateral in the form of restricted cash and restricted investments supporting these obligations as of December 31, 2023.

The Company meets frequently with its surety providers and has discussions with certain providers regarding the extent of and the terms of their participation in the program. These discussions may cause the Company to shift surety bonds between providers or to alter the terms of their participation in our program. To the extent that surety bonds become unavailable or the Company’s surety bond providers require additional collateral, the Company would seek to secure its obligations with LCs, cash deposits or other suitable forms of collateral. The Company’s failure to maintain, or inability to acquire, surety bonds or to provide a suitable alternative would have a material adverse effect on its liquidity. These failures could result from a variety of factors including lack of availability, higher cost or unfavorable market terms of new surety bonds, and the exercise by third-party surety bond issuers of their right to refuse to renew the surety.

Amounts included in restricted cash provide collateral to secure the following obligations:

Amounts included in restricted investments provide collateral to secure the following obligations:

(1)Classified as long-term trading securities as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Amounts included in deposits provide collateral to secure the following obligations:

(1)Included within Other non-current assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

DCMWC Reauthorization Process

In July 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation or “DCMWC”) began implementing a new authorization process for all self-insured coal mine operators. As requested by the DCMWC, the Company filed an application and supporting documentation for reauthorization to self-insure certain of its black lung obligations in October 2019. As a result of this application, the DCMWC notified the Company in a letter dated February 21, 2020 that the Company was reauthorized to self-insure certain of its black lung obligations for a period of one-year from February 21, 2020. The DCMWC reauthorization was contingent, however, upon the Company’s providing collateral of $65,700 to secure certain of its black lung obligations. This proposed collateral requirement would have been an increase from the approximate $2,600 in collateral that the Company currently provides to secure these self-insured black lung obligations. The reauthorization process provided the Company with the right to appeal the security determination in writing within 30 days of the date of the notification, which appeal period the DCMWC agreed to extend to May 22, 2020. The Company exercised this right of appeal in connection with the substantial increase in the amount of required collateral. In February 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) withdrew its Federal Register notice seeking comments on its bulletin describing its new method of calculating collateral requirements. The DOL removed the bulletin from its website in May 2021. On February 10, 2022, a telephone conference was held with DCMWC and DOL decision makers wherein the Company presented facts and arguments in support of its appeal. No ruling has been made on the appeal, but during the call the Company indicated that it would be willing to allocate an additional $10,000 in collateral. If the Company’s appeal is unsuccessful, the Company may be required to provide additional LCs to receive the self-insurance reauthorization from the DCMWC or alternatively insure these black lung obligations through a third-party provider that would likely also require the Company to provide additional collateral. In January 2023, the DOL proposed for public comment new regulations which, if adopted, would substantially increase the collateral required to secure self-insured federal black lung obligations. Under the proposed 120% minimum collateral requirement, the Company estimates it could be required to provide approximately $80,000 to $100,000 of collateral to secure certain of its black lung obligations. The DOL has indicated that it expects that some form of these new regulations could go into effect in the first quarter or early second quarter of 2024. A significant increase in these collateral obligations could have a materially adverse effect on the Company’s liquidity.

(d) Legal Proceedings

Litigation has been initiated against certain of our subsidiaries in which the plaintiffs allege violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act due to alleged failure to compensate for time “donning” and “doffing” equipment and to account for the effects in the calculation of overtime rates and pay. The plaintiffs seek collective action certification. We cannot reasonably estimate a range of potential exposure at this time. We believe the plaintiffs’ claims are without merit, but if we were ultimately unsuccessful in defending against this litigation, it could have a material, adverse effect upon our liquidity and results of operations.

In addition, the Company is party to other legal proceedings from time to time. These proceedings, as well as governmental examinations, could involve various business units and a variety of claims including, but not limited to, contract disputes, personal injury claims, property damage claims (including those resulting from blasting, trucking and flooding), environmental and safety issues, securities-related matters and employment matters. While some legal matters may specify the damages claimed by the plaintiffs, many seek an unquantified amount of damages. Even when the amount of damages claimed against the Company or its subsidiaries is stated, (i) the claimed amount may be exaggerated or unsupported; (ii) the claim may be based on a novel legal theory or involve a large number of parties; (iii) there may be uncertainty as to the likelihood of a class being certified or the ultimate size of the class; (iv) there may be uncertainty as to the outcome of pending appeals or motions; and/or (v) there may be significant factual issues to be resolved. As a result, if such legal matters arise in the future, the Company may be unable to estimate a range of possible loss for matters that have not yet progressed sufficiently through discovery and development of important factual information and legal issues. The Company records accruals based on an estimate of the ultimate outcome of these matters, but these estimates can be difficult to determine and involve significant judgment.