ST. LOUIS (October 4, 2006) – Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) today announced that Lawrence "Larry" Metzroth will join the company on October 16 as Vice President of Analysis and Strategy, and will report to C. Henry Besten, senior vice president of Strategic Development.

Metzroth will be responsible for providing Arch Coal with global economic and energy market intelligence, analyses and insights. Reporting to Metzroth will be Arch Coal Sales' Vice President of Market Research Andy Blumenfeld. Under Metzroth's direction, the company plans to add additional resources to the analysis and strategy function in the near future.

"Larry will bring an extremely high level of expertise in analyzing our business, and in helping Arch Coal achieve a new level of competitiveness in both domestic and international markets," said John W. Eaves, Arch's president and chief operating officer. "Larry and his team will be key contributors in developing and influencing Arch's marketing, trading and business development strategies."

Metzroth brings more than two decades of experience in strategic analysis for the energy industry, most recently serving as Vice President of Fuels Advisory Services for Global Energy Decisions. He previously held the positions of Principal Administrator for a division of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Principal and Senior Economist for Resource Data International (RDI). Early in his career Metzroth spent four years in market research and two years in strategic planning for Arch Mineral, a predecessor company to Arch Coal.

Metzroth earned a Master of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Bradley University. He also completed the NARUC Rate Base Utility Economics Program at Michigan State University.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal is the nation's second largest coal producer. The company's core business is providing U.S. power generators with clean-burning, low-sulfur coal for electric generation. Through its national network of mines, Arch supplies the fuel for approximately 6 percent of the electricity generated in the United States.