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):  January 21, 2014 (January 21, 2014)

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 2.02              Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On January 21, 2014, Arch Coal, Inc. (the “Company”) issued the press release attached hereto as exhibit 99.1.

The information contained in Item 2.02 and the exhibit 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, 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.

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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.

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Exhibit Index

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Exhibit 99.1

Arch Coal Comments on Fourth Quarter Production Levels; Schedules Release of Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2013 Results on Feb. 4

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 21, 2014 — Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced that lower-than-planned shipment levels in the Powder River Basin and reduced production levels at the Mountain Laurel complex in Appalachia will impact its fourth quarter 2013 financial results.

In the Powder River Basin (“PRB”), Arch’s fourth quarter 2013 shipment levels decreased by more than 15 percent from third quarter levels due to rail service issues on the Joint Line. Arch’s fourth quarter shipments were impacted as its current mix of sales contracts skews more heavily toward customers utilizing the rail operator with the majority of the shortfall. Arch noted that this shipment shortfall had a predictable increase in fourth quarter unit costs in the region. In addition, the lower-than-expected shipments in the fourth quarter caused thermal volumes for 2013 to be below the company’s previous expectations.

“Although rail disruptions impacted our PRB operations in the fourth quarter, we would expect to make up a majority of those shipments during 2014 as rail service improves throughout the year,” said John W. Eaves, Arch’s president and chief executive officer.

As previously announced, Arch has encountered challenging geologic conditions in the current longwall panel at the Mountain Laurel complex in Appalachia. Due to these conditions, fourth quarter 2013 production at the mine decreased by 40 percent as compared to third quarter levels. As a result, the company’s full year 2013 metallurgical coal sales volumes were slightly below the low end of its previous expectations.

Arch Coal’s fourth quarter 2013 earnings release will be issued before the market opens on Tuesday, Feb. 4, and will be posted to the company’s website at that time. The company also will discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2013 financial results in a conference call that will be broadcast live over the Internet at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. The webcast will be accessible via the “investor” section of the Arch Coal website at http://investor.archcoal.com. Following the live event, a replay and an audio download will be available on the site for approximately one month.

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 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.

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