Warrior Coal operates the Cardinal mine, an underground mining complex located near Madisonville, Ky. The Warrior complex was opened in 1985 and acquired by Alliance Resource Partners in February 2003. The company utilizes continuous mining units employing room-and-pillar mining techniques producing high-sulfur coal. Its preparation plant has a throughput capacity of nearly 600 tons of raw coal an hour. Warrior Coal sells substantially all of its production to Synfuel Solutions Operating for feedstock in the production of coal synfuel. SSO's coal synfuel production facility was moved from Hopkins County Coal to Warrior in April 2003. Warrior's production can be shipped via the Chessie Seaboard Multiplier and phase alternation by line railroads and by truck on United States interstates and state highways. The company is a division of Alliance Resource Partners and employs nearly 130 people. Warrior Coal has a location in Madisonville.