PCX Patriot Coal Corp.

ST. LOUIS, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE: PCX) announced that it received three awards at West Virginia's Annual State Council Meeting of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association.  Honored with these state-wide awards were:

• Rivers Edge Mine
• Rocklick Matewan Tunnel operation
• Rocklick Reclamation Crew

"We are very pleased to be recognized for outstanding safety performance at these operations.  For two of these units, the Rivers Edge Mine and the Rocklick Matewan Tunnel operation, this is the second consecutive year to have earned this award," stated Patriot Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Charles A. Ebetino, Jr.  "I commend our employees at these operations for keeping safety at the forefront of everything they do."

About Patriot Coal

Patriot Coal Corporation is a leading producer and marketer of coal in the eastern United States, with 14 active mining complexes in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin.  The Company ships to domestic and international electricity generators, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.9 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves.  The Company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PCX.

SOURCE Patriot Coal Corporation