Arctic Coal Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Coal mining |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Founder | John Munro Longyear, Frederick Ayer |
| Defunct | 1916 |
| Fate | Sold to Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway |
Key people | William D. Munroe (general manager) |
| Products | Coal |
Arctic Coal Company was a coal extraction enterprise that operated mining activities in Longyearbyen (formerly known as Longyear City) located in Svalbard, Norway, from 1906 until 1916.
The American entrepreneur John Munro Longyear explored Spitsbergen in 1901, where he encountered an expedition focused on coal exploration. Upon his return in 1903, Longyear collaborated with Henrik B. Næss in Adventfjorden, who supplied coal samples and geological information. Together with his partner Frederick Ayer, Longyear purchased Norwegian claims on the western side of Adventfjorden, appointed William D. Munroe as the general manager, and expanded their property the following year. In 1906, the Arctic Coal Company, based in Boston and chiefly owned by Ayer and Longyear, began operations at Mine 1a after establishing docks and residential facilities. The company was managed by Americans but employed predominantly Norwegian workers, naming the settlement Longyear City. Coal transportation from the mine to the harbor was facilitated by an aerial tramway installed by the German company Adolf Bleichert & Co. from Leipzig. Development work on Mine 2a started in 1913. Due to financial strains during the First World War, the enterprise was sold to Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani, which was founded in Oslo on 30 November 1916.