Related Party Transactions

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions

11.  Related Party Transactions

Transitional Support Services

Following the IPO, Rio Tinto affiliates provided certain transitional support services to us pursuant to a transition services agreement.  Costs incurred under this agreement were included in selling, general and administrative expenses and totaled $135,000 and $1.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, $0 and $683,000 in fees Rio Tinto charged us in connection with transitional support of our credit arrangements was included in interest expense.

We began leasing office space from Rio Tinto America during 2007 under an agreement which terminated in August 2010.  Rental expense for this lease was $76,000 and $245,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, there were no transitional support services provided by Rio Tinto.

Coal Sales

Revenues included sales of coal to Venture Fuels Partnership, a coal marketing company in which we own a 50% joint venture interest, of $7.4 million and $17.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively, compared to $11.1 million and $21.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively.