UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):  October 11, 2013 (October 10, 2013)

Arch Coal, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

CityPlace One
One CityPlace Drive, Suite 300
St. Louis, Missouri 63141

(Address, including zip code, of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:  (314) 994-2700

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o           Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o           Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o           Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 7.01              Regulation FD Disclosure.

On October 10, 2013, Arch Coal, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Arch”), issued a press release, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein, announcing the purchase of the Guffy property reserve from Patriot Coal Corporation (“Patriot”) and the settlement of all potential legal disputes with Patriot.

The information contained in Item 7.01 and the exhibits attached hereto shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall they be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01              Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)                                 Exhibits

The following exhibits are attached hereto and filed herewith.

1

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

2

Exhibit Index

3

Exhibit 99.1

Arch Coal Acquires Metallurgical Coal Reserves Adjacent to Leer Mine, Settles Potential Legal Dispute with Patriot Coal

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 10, 2013 — Arch Coal, Inc. (“Arch”) (NYSE: ACI) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Guffy property from Patriot Coal Corporation (“Patriot”) for $16 million in cash. The Guffy reserves are owned in-fee, are contiguous to Arch’s Tygart Valley reserves and the Leer mine, and are of comparable quality to Leer’s high-volatile “A” metallurgical coal reserves. The addition of the Guffy reserves will enable Arch to recover up to an incremental 8 million tons of metallurgical coal at the Leer mine, thereby extending the estimated mine life of Leer by nearly three years.

“The Guffy acquisition represents a valuable, synergistic, bolt-on opportunity for Arch that extends the reserves and mine life at Leer, one of our premier, metallurgical coal operations in Appalachia,” said John W. Eaves, Arch Coal’s president and chief executive officer.

Arch also announced today that it has resolved all pending and potential legal claims with Patriot stemming from Arch’s sale of coal companies to Magnum Coal Company, a subsidiary of ArcLight Capital Partners LLC, in 2005 and the subsequent purchase of those companies by Patriot in 2008. In consideration for this release, Arch will pay $5 million in cash to Patriot upon its exit from bankruptcy. Additionally, the settlement includes the release of a $16 million letter of credit posted by Patriot in Arch’s favor for surety bonds related to the companies sold to Magnum. Under the terms of the agreement, Patriot is required to replace the bonds in their own name or repost an $8 million letter of credit in Arch’s favor by Dec. 31, 2015.

“This comprehensive settlement with Patriot relieves Arch of costly legal expenses, resolves the distraction of litigation claims, and allows Arch’s management team to remain focused on steering the business through current market conditions and preparing for a recovery,” continued Eaves.

Following the settlement with Patriot, Arch remains in active discussions on a potential resolution with the United Mine Workers of America (“UMWA”) on outstanding litigation claims. The U.S. District Court recently dismissed the ERISA claim the UMWA had filed against Arch.

“In the wake of the U.S. District Court decision in favor of Arch, we have put forth a good faith offer to the UMWA for a settlement that would resolve all pending and potential legal claims brought by the UMWA, and we are in discussions with them on a potential resolution,” said Robert G. Jones, Arch Coal’s senior vice president — law, general counsel and secretary.

U.S.-based Arch Coal, Inc. is one of the world’s top coal producers for the global steel and power generation industries, serving customers in 25 countries on five continents. Its network of

mining complexes is the most diversified in the United States, spanning every major coal basin in the nation. The company controls more than 5 billion tons of high-quality metallurgical and thermal coal reserves, with access to all major railroads, inland waterways and a growing number of seaborne trade channels. For more information, visit www.archcoal.com.

# # #

Forward-Looking Statements:  This press release contains “forward-looking statements” — that is, statements related to future, not past, events.  In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” or “will.”  Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain.  For us, particular uncertainties arise from changes in the demand for our coal by the domestic electric generation industry; from legislation and regulations relating to the Clean Air Act and other environmental initiatives; from operational, geological, permit, labor and weather-related factors; from fluctuations in the amount of cash we generate from operations; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature.  These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements.  We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.  For a description of some of the risks and uncertainties that may affect our future results, you should see the risk factors described from time to time in the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

2