Novemer 4, 2025 - More than one hundred mine workers have are being laid off the job amid the government shutdown, adding to a growing number of mass layoffs being seen in a single county.

Wellmore Energy put out three Warn Notices last month, laying off a combined 118 mine workers with a termination date of December 6.

Earlier this year the company laid off an additional 72 mine workers, bringing the total of lay offs at Wellmore this year close to 200.

The company has operations in Grundy, Hurley and Big Rock.

Wellmore is Grundy based and produces metallurgical coal. It is owned by the Tennessee based United Coal, a subsidiary of the Ukrainian coal and steel firm Metinvest.

This comes after 140 employees were laid off by Buchanan Minerals back in April.

Combined, over 300 positions in the mining industry in Buchanan County alone have been eliminated this year.