October 14, 2026 - CORE Natural Resources is improving performance across key coal operations while pursuing new markets for coal-derived materials, including rare earth recovery and aerospace manufacturing.

The company’s recent announcements also include leadership changes and expanded responsibilities for executives overseeing operations, finance and coal sales. The updates span May through August 2026; its latest quarterly results discussed here were released August 6 and cover the three months ended June 30.

CORE was formed through the January 2025 merger of CONSOL Energy and Arch Resources. Its operations supply coal for electricity generation, steelmaking and industrial uses, with mining assets in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Colorado and Wyoming and ownership interests in two marine export terminals.

In its second-quarter report, CORE announced revenue of $1.1 billion, net income of $126.5 million and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $323.6 million. Operating cash flow reached $250 million, while free cash flow totaled $148 million.

Sales of high-energy thermal coal increased 9% from the first quarter to 8.4 million tons, and the segment’s cash cost per ton declined 9%. Coking coal sales rose 8% to 2.3 million tons, while metallurgical coal cash costs improved 7%.

The Powder River Basin business faced weaker spring shipments. Sales totaled 10.2 million tons, with cash costs exceeding realized coal revenue per ton. CORE expected better volumes and costs during the second half.

The company secured 16 million tons of additional sales commitments for future delivery and returned approximately $68 million to shareholders during the quarter. Its August outlook projected full-year coal sales of 87.3 million to 92.4 million tons.

CORE’s financial results also benefited substantially from insurance recoveries associated with the disruption at its Leer South mine in Barbour County, West Virginia. Its quarterly filing reported a $154.5 million settlement, with $125.4 million recorded during the second quarter. Those recoveries should be distinguished from recurring coal sales.

The filing also confirmed that Leer South resumed longwall operations in December 2025 after equipment was recovered and relocated. Higher sales from the restarted longwall contributed to lower metallurgical coal costs compared with the prior-year period.

Beyond mining, CORE is pursuing opportunities to recover valuable materials from coal waste. On July 6, the company announced that its CONSOL Innovations subsidiary had been selected for a multimillion-dollar Department of Energy grant to support a pilot facility using tailings from the Pennsylvania Mining Complex.

The proposed facility would extract rare earth elements and other critical materials from mining byproducts. CORE said the award remained subject to negotiations with DOE, with the final funding amount to be determined through that process.

The announcement represents a step toward testing mineral recovery at pilot scale. It does not establish that commercial extraction is operating or that the final grant has been completed.

CORE has also reported progress in coal-based aerospace materials. Its Touchstone Advanced Composites business announced May 19 that it was supplying structural tooling and certain aircraft parts for Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue autonomous aircraft program.

Touchstone’s CFOAM material, produced from domestic bituminous coal, is used to make molds and tools for manufacturing composite aerospace components. According to CORE, the material offers thermal stability and can be modified as aircraft designs evolve. Touchstone also contributed to the aircraft’s successful autonomous taxi test.

CORE’s Innovations group additionally includes the C-BATT battery-materials joint venture, which the company describes as a potential way to reduce dependence on imported Chinese graphite.

Leadership changes accompany these operating and technology initiatives. On August 19, President Mitesh Thakkar assumed day-to-day responsibility for operations, marketing, logistics and long-term strategy. Nathan Tucker became senior vice president and chief financial officer, while Jimmy Brock remained chairman and CEO.

Earlier, on May 13, CORE promoted Robert Braithwaite to senior vice president and chief commercial officer. His responsibilities include coal sales, marketing, transportation, logistics and market development in U.S. and international markets.