OREANDA-NEWS. January 21, 2016. Atlantic Coal, the anthracite coal mining company operating in Pennsylvania, USA announces the implementation of quality management systems at its Stockton anthracite mine ("Stockton"), located near Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

Atlantic Coal is pleased to announce that it has implemented a number of quality management systems at its Stockton mine and is now in the process of applying for ISO 9001: 2015 certification for its entire anthracite mining and production process.

ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally recognised standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system to:

(a) demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements; and

(b) enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

To meet the ISO 9001:2015 requirements, the Company has, among other things:

(1) installed a laboratory at Stockton to test and analyse the chemical and physical characteristics of the anthracite product; and

(2) completed the integration of various systems to facilitate real-time mine planning.

The laboratory will enable the Company to subject its anthracite product to continuous testing, to seek to ensure that Stockton's anthracite specifications continue to be met. The Company has also completed the integration of a 3D mine mapping system with the GPS information from its 2014/15 Komatsu fleet of equipment and its Autocad/Carlsson mine design process in the production of real time mine plans.

John Nelson, General Manager of Coal Contractors (a 100% owned subsidiary of Atlantic Coal) will be leading the ISO application process. In a previous role, John successfully completed the implementation of the ISO standards for TNT Express Worldwide in South Africa. 

As previously announced on 11 January 2016 the cancellation of the admission of Atlantic Coal's ordinary shares to trading on AIM is anticipated to take place at 7.00 a.m. on 21 January 2016. The change of the Company's name to Atlantic Carbon Group plc is anticipated to become effective on or around 24 January 2016.