St. Louis - November 29, 2000 - Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) announced today that Robert J. Messey, 54, has been named senior vice president and chief financial officer of the corporation, effective December 1, 2000. Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer.

"Bob has tremendous leadership experience in a wide range of disciplines, including corporate and public accounting, finance, treasury, and risk management," said Steven F. Leer, Arch Coal's president and chief executive officer. "He is an excellent addition to the Arch senior management team, and we look forward to working with him to position Arch for a strong and successful future."

Before joining Arch, Messey served as vice president of financial services of Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., one of the world's leading firms in engineering, architecture, construction, maintenance, operations and scientific/technical services. Messey joined Jacobs in January 1999 when it merged with Sverdrup Corporation, where he served as senior vice president and chief financial officer, with responsibilities for accounting, finance, treasury and information services. He also served as a member of the Sverdrup executive committee and board of directors, and acted as chairman of the pension and savings committees.

Prior to joining Sverdrup, Messey served as an audit partner for 11 years with Ernst & Young in the firm's St. Louis office. He also spent three years at E&Y as regional director of personnel in Dallas. Messey earned a B.S. in business administration at Washington University in St. Louis and is a certified public accountant. He serves on the board of Baldor Electric Company in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer, with subsidiary operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. Through these operations, Arch Coal provides the fuel for approximately 6% of the electricity generated in the United States.