<ARTICLE> 5 <CIK> 0001022356 <NAME> ANKER COAL GROUP INC. <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR 5-MOS 7-MOS 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996 DEC-31-1996 DEC-31-1996 DEC-31-1997 <PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1996 AUG-01-1996 JAN-01-1996 JAN-01-1997 <PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996 DEC-31-1996 JUL-31-1996 SEP-30-1997 <CASH> 556 0 0 228 <SECURITIES> 0 0 0 0 <RECEIVABLES> 28,526 0 0 32,523 <ALLOWANCES> 0 0 0 0 <INVENTORY> 6,085 0 0 15,213 <CURRENT-ASSETS> 39,149 0 0 54,057 <PP&E> 148,631 0 0 191,084 <DEPRECIATION> 5,685 0 0 14,879 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 259,683 0 0 312,383 <CURRENT-LIABILITIES> 31,739 0 0 44,630 <BONDS> 83,830 0 0 130,736 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 20,775 0 0 22,182 <PREFERRED> 23,000 0 0 23,000 <COMMON> 0 0 0 0 <OTHER-SE> 57,779 0 0 51,098 <TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY> 259,683 0 0 312,383 <SALES> 0 123,246 166,909 240,818 <TOTAL-REVENUES> 0 123,246 166,909 240,818 <CGS> 0 110,215 149,364 217,520 <TOTAL-COSTS> 0 120,390 161,042 237,215 <OTHER-EXPENSES> 0 (373) 1,862 (1,064) <LOSS-PROVISION> 0 0 0 0 <INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0 2,090 2,796 6,646 <INCOME-PRETAX> 0 1,139 1,209 (1,979) <INCOME-TAX> 0 485 (134) (554) <INCOME-CONTINUING> 0 654 1,343 (1,425) <DISCONTINUED> 0 0 0 0 <EXTRAORDINARY> 0 0 0 (3,849) <CHANGES> 0 0 0 0 <NET-INCOME> 0 654 1,343 (5,274) <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 0 0 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0 0 0 0