There are currently no active, commercial coal-producing mines operating within North Carolina. Historical coal extraction was concentrated primarily in small regional basins, such as the Deep River coal field spanning portions of Chatham, Moore, and Lee counties, where bituminous coal was mined intermittently over the past century and a half. Due to changing economic conditions, depletion of accessible seams, and shifts toward cleaner energy sources, all historical coal mining operations in the state have long since been closed, sealed, and abandoned.