ST. LOUIS, Aug. 8, 2012 -- Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced that Gary L. Bennett has been promoted to vice president of operations support, reporting to Arch Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Paul A. Lang.

"As a longstanding member of Arch's operations management team, Gary has demonstrated strong leadership and management capabilities in a range of different positions," said Lang.  "I am confident he will be successful in applying these same skills – as well as his dedication to cost control and continuous improvement – to his new role as head of Arch's operations support team."

Bennett will have senior responsibility for corporate purchasing, process improvement and corporate maintenance.  Most recently, he served as a group president of Arch's eastern operations.

Bennett joined Arch as a senior engineer in 1990.  During his 22-year tenure with Arch, he has held various engineering and operating positions in West Virginia and St. Louis.  Bennett is a 1980 graduate of West Virginia University Institute of Technology with a bachelor of science degree in mining engineering.

Bennett will relocate to the St. Louis corporate office.

U.S.-based Arch Coal is a top five global coal producer and marketer.  Arch is the most diversified American coal company, with mining complexes across every major U.S. coal supply basin.  Its core business is supplying cleaner-burning, low-sulfur thermal and metallurgical coal to power generators and steel manufacturers on five continents.