Alliance’s Excel Mining Achieves Milestone in Workplace Safety

Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ: ARLP) announced that its independent operating subsidiary Excel Mining, LLC operated for 365 consecutive days without a single Lost Time Accident.

Alliance held an "Excellence in Safety” celebration to honor this accomplishment. Joseph W. Craft, III, President and CEO of Alliance, presented an award to the Excel miners. "Alliance is dedicated to promoting workplace safety,” said Craft. "The miners of Excel have now worked for an entire year, over 900,000 man-hours, without a single Lost Time Accident. The Excel team exemplifies our shared commitment to safety, and we are proud to recognize the Excel team for this important and significant achievement.” Kenny Murray, Vice President of Operations for Alliance, echoed praise for the Excel team. "Each and every miner at Excel should be proud of their individual contribution toward achieving this remarkable milestone,” said Murray. "These dedicated miners have championed the safety process and have developed a culture of safety in the workplace. They are true leaders in the field of coal miners’ health and safety.”

Excel Mining operates Mine #3, which is part of the MC Mining complex located in Pike County, Kentucky. The mining operation employees approximately 230 underground miners. Excel Mining produces and sells approximately 1.5 million tons of steam coal annually.

About Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.

ARLP is a diversified producer and marketer of steam coal to major United States utilities and industrial users. ARLP, the nation's first publicly traded master limited partnership involved in the production and marketing of coal, is currently the fourth largest coal producer in the eastern United States with operations in all major eastern coalfields. ARLP currently operates nine underground mining complexes in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland and West Virginia and is also constructing a new underground mining complex in West Virginia. In addition, ARLP operates a coal loading terminal on the Ohio River at Mount Vernon, Indiana.

News, unit prices and additional information about ARLP, including filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, are available at http://www.arlp.com. For more information, contact the investor relations department of ARLP at 918-295-7674 or via e-mail at investorrelations@arlp.com.