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The decision to transfer the office, headed by Eric Ford, comes just a week after the company’s successful sole acquisition of Macarthur Coal. Ford will lead Peabody’s global operations from the office and has also been named chair of the Macarthur board.
The company said the move reflected the significant and growing contributions of the company's Australian operating platform.
Ford, a 40-year international management veteran, was most recently chief executive officer of Anglo Coal Australia.
Project development group executive Kemal Williamson will be among those reporting to Ford. Also based in Brisbane, he will focus on guiding expansion projects across Peabody Energy’s global platform.
Williamson, with 25 years in mining engineering and operations, was most recently the group vice president of operations and led Peabody's mining operations in the Midwest, southwest and Colorado regions of the US.
“The strategic move of the office of our chief operating officer recognizes the large and growing contributions of the Australia platform to our business,” chairman and chief executive officer Gregory Boyce said.
“Peabody's Australian operations and our acquisition of Macarthur Coal provide us a sizable operating base and a significant pipeline of growth opportunities.”
Boyce, who emphasized the strength of the company’s current portfolio and opportunities for growth, said that Peabody is still continuing to invest organically to meet the world’s rising market demand.
In Australia, he added, three of the company's six ongoing mine expansion projects are expected to add volumes in the fourth quarter.
“The Macarthur acquisition further expands Peabody Energy's global presence, providing access to a large resource base of quality metallurgical product and an extensive growth pipeline serving the world's highest-growth coal markets,” he said.
Peabody projects pro forma production of 45 million to 50 million tons by 2014 to 2015 with the inclusion of Macarthur’s properties.
“If these pro forma volumes were in place today, Peabody would be the second largest metallurgical coal producer in Australia and in the top tier of global met coal producers,” he said.
