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 $141,812, $185,398, and $226,366 for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

Minimum royalty obligations under coal leases total $18,809, $17,537, $16,346, $16,444, $15,964, and $138,898 for 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and after 2029, respectively.

Other Commitments

As of December 31, 2024, the Company has obligations under certain coal purchase agreements that contain minimum quantities to be purchased in 2025 totaling an estimated $70,473. The Company also has outstanding unconditional purchase obligations for 2025, 2026, and 2027 totaling $190,493, $11,679, and $2,387, respectively, related to the purchase of equipment and diesel fuel, as well as for rail freight and export terminal costs (including $48,432 in 2025 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 needs 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 an average of approximately $27,000 per year for infrastructure and equipment upgrades at DTA over the next 5 years. In addition, to mitigate the risk of shipment delays during the upgrade period, in April 2024, the Company entered into a 3-year agreement which allows for the loading of 1,200 to 2,000 tons of coal annually at a third party terminal in Newport News, VA. The Company’s 2025 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.

(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 and commitments.

As of December 31, 2024, the company had $42,149 LCs outstanding under the ABL Facility.

As of December 31, 2024, the Company had outstanding surety bonds with a total face amount of $182,769 to secure various obligations and commitments. To secure the Company’s reclamation-related obligations, the Company has $34,715 of collateral in the form of restricted cash and restricted investments supporting these obligations as of December 31, 2024.

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 the 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 bonds.

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, 2024 and 2023.

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 January 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published new regulations outlining the requirements and procedures for authorizing operators to self-insure their liabilities under the Black Lung Benefits Act (the “2025 Final Regulation”), and the Company anticipates it would require a substantial increase in the collateral required to secure self-insured federal black lung obligations. Under the 2025 Final Regulation’s 100% minimum collateral requirement, if this requirement is not modified or stayed through legal action, the Company estimates it would be required to provide approximately $80,000 to $100,000 of collateral to secure certain of its black lung obligations. The 2025 Final Regulation permits the Company to use combinations of letters of credit, surety bonds, and cash to meet the collateral requirement. The Company received a letter from the Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation (“DCMWC”) dated January 14, 2025, outlining the new procedures and application process for authorizing operators to self-insure under the new regulation. The letter outlined authorization form requirements and provided a 60-day period for the submission of the required documents. Subsequently, on February 20, 2025, the Company received a letter from the DCMWC stating that the 60-day deadline to provide information was no longer applicable and no information was required to be submitted at this time. DCMWC stated that additional guidance would be provided in due course after consultation with new DOL leadership.

Supreme Court’s Decision on the Chevron Deference Standard

The United States Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, issued on June 28, 2024, eliminated a 40-year old precedent of judicial deference to regulatory agencies’ interpretation of federal laws. Federal agencies such as the DOL and EPA have relied on this now-overturned principle, known as “Chevron deference” in defense of various regulations. Although the Court’s decision does not explicitly affect any prior agency decisions, regulations made final after the date of the decision, such as the DOL’s recently issued black lung regulations, may be subject to more intense scrutiny by the courts if they are challenged by any affected party.

For example, on July 18, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals directed the lower District Court to reconsider its dismissal of a lawsuit challenging a DOL rule that permits retirement plan fiduciaries to consider environmental, social and governance factors when selecting investments. In the case of State of Utah v. Su, et al., the Court of Appeals stated that in order to determine whether the DOL exceeded its statutory authority, “given the upended legal landscape,” the District Court needed to reassess the merits of the plaintiffs’ challenge to the DOL rule.

(d) Legal Proceedings

In December 2024, the state of New York adopted a law purporting to impose significant, ongoing charges upon a variety of companies involved in the production and use of fossil fuels, including the Company (the “Act”). Other states are contemplating adopting similar laws. The Company believes that the new law is unconstitutional under the U.S. Constitution. In February 2025, the Company, along with numerous U.S. states and other entities involved in the fossil fuel industry, filed a complaint against the attorney general of New York and other New York officials. The complaint was filed in the federal district court for the Northern District of New York and requests that the court (a) declare that the Act is preempted by federal statutes and otherwise violates the U.S. Constitution, (b) declare that that the Act is unenforceable, and (c) enjoin the state of New York and its officials from taking any action to implement or enforce the Act. Although we believe that the Act is very unlikely to be upheld, the outcome cannot be predicted with certainty. If the Act, or similar acts adopted in other U.S. states, were upheld, the Company’s liquidity would be materially, adversely affected.

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.