PCX Patriot Coal Corp.

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE:PCX) today announced that it received two Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards at the 35th Annual West Virginia Mining Symposium. The company's Federal No. 2 mine and its Big Mountain preparation plant were each honored for their safe working environments. The Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards are presented each year to mining operations that have demonstrated a commitment to operational safety. Inspectors for the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety & Training nominate facilities based on numerous criteria, including below average injury incidence rates and an effective, comprehensive safety program. "These awards reflect Patriot's ongoing commitment to the safety of our miners, with an equal dedication by our miners to work safely. Safety is our highest operational priority, and we strive to be incident-free every day. Our safety achievements at Federal and the Big Mountain preparation plant are a direct result of our strong safety culture. The past year was a significant one for our Federal No. 2 workforce, as they recorded the best safety performance in the mine's forty-year history. It was also a notable year for the Big Mountain prep plant, which had a zero incidence rate in 2007," noted Patriot President and Chief Executive Officer Richard M. Whiting. "We commend our employees at Federal No. 2 and the Big Mountain preparation plant for a job well done." As a result of the company's strong emphasis on safety, 2007 was the safest year in Patriot's history. With an incidence rate of 4.0 per 200,000 hours worked, a 50 percent reduction over the past five years, Patriot's rate was significantly lower than the national average for underground coal producers in the U.S. About Patriot Coal Patriot Coal Corporation is a leading producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, with ten company-operated mines and numerous contractor-operated mines in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin. The company ships to electric utilities, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.2 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. The company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PCX. DATASOURCE: Patriot Coal Corporation CONTACT: Janine Orf, +1-314-275-3680, for Patriot Coal Corporation Web site: http://www.patriotcoal.com/

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