Exhibit 5.1

August 25, 2010

Peabody Energy Corporation
701 Market Street
St. Louis, Missouri 63103

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as counsel to Peabody Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), the Delaware subsidiaries of the Company named on Schedule I hereto (each, a “Delaware Guarantor,” and, collectively, the “Delaware Guarantors”) and the non-Delaware subsidiaries of the Company named on Schedule II hereto (each, a “Non-Delaware Guarantor,” and collectively, the “Non-Delaware Guarantors,” and taken together with the Delaware Guarantors, the “Guarantors”), in connection with the offer and sale of $650,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.500% Senior Notes due 2020 (the “Notes”) of the Company, unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantors, pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-161179) (the “Initial Registration Statement”) and Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 thereto (together with the Initial Registration Statement, the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company and the Guarantors with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Notes have been issued pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, dated as of August

11, 2010 among the Company, the Guarantors and the Underwriters named in Schedule II thereto.

     The Notes and the related guarantees (the “Guarantees”) have been issued under an Indenture (the “Base Indenture”), dated as of March 19, 2004 among the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the Thirty-third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 25, 2010, relating to the Notes (the “Supplemental Indenture” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”).

     We have examined the Registration Statement and the Base Indenture, which has been filed with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and the global certficate representing the Notes. We also have examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such corporate and other records, agreements, documents and other instruments and have made such other investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions hereinafter set forth. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company and the Guarantors.

     In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We also have assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legally binding obligation of the Trustee.

     We have assumed further that (1) each Non-Delaware Guarantor has duly authorized, executed and delivered the Indenture and the issuance and performance of the Guarantees in accordance with the law of its jurisdiction of organization and (2) the execution, delivery and performance by each Non-Delaware Guarantor of the Indenture, and the issuance and performance by the Non-Delaware Guarantors of the Guarantees do not and will not violate the law of its jurisdiction of organization or any other applicable laws (excepting the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States).

     Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that:

	1.		The Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and are valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
	2.		The Guarantees are valid and legally binding obligations of the Guarantors enforceable against the Guarantors in accordance with their terms.

     Our opinions set forth above are subject to the effects of (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, (ii) general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and (iii) an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

     We do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York, the federal law of the United States, the Delaware General Corporation Law and the Delaware Limited Liability Act (including the statutory provisions, all applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Delaware Limited Liability Act).

     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5 to the Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed on or about the date hereof and to the use of our name therein and under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus Supplement included in the Registration Statement.

Very truly yours,

/s/ SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT LLP

SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT LLP

Schedule I

Delaware Guarantors

American Land Development, LLC

American Land Holdings of Colorado, LLC

American Land Holdings of Illinois, LLC

American Land Holdings of Indiana, LLC

American Land Holdings of Kentucky, LLC

American Land Holdings of West Virginia, LLC

Arid Operations Inc.

Big Sky Coal Company

BTU Empire Company, LLC

BTU Western Resources, Inc.

Caballo Coal, LLC

Caballo Grande, LLC

Caseyville Dock Company, LLC

Central States Coal Reserves of Illinois, LLC

Central States Coal Reserves of Indiana, LLC

Coal Reserves Holding Limited Liability Company No. 1

COALSALES II, LLC

Colorado Yampa Coal Company

Conservancy Resources, LLC

Cottonwood Land Company

Cyprus Creek Land Company

Cyprus Creek Land Resources, LLC

Dyson Creek Coal Company, LLC

Dyson Creek Mining Company, LLC

El Segundo Coal Company, LLC

Elkland Holdings, LLC

Gallo Finance Company

Gold Fields Chile, LLC

Gold Fields Mining, LLC

Gold Fields Ortiz, LLC

Hayden Gulch Terminal, LLC

Highwall Mining Services Company

Hillside Recreational Lands, LLC

HMC Mining, LLC

Independence Material Handling, LLC

James River Coal Terminal, LLC

Juniper Coal Company

Kayenta Mobile Home Park, Inc.

Kentucky Syngas, LLC

Lively Grove Energy, LLC

Lively Grove Energy Partners, LLC

Marigold Electricity, LLC

Midwest Coal Acquisition Corp.

Midwest Coal Reserves of Illinois, LLC

Midwest Coal Reserves of Indiana, LLC

Mustang Energy Company, LLC

New Mexico Coal Resources, LLC

Peabody America, Inc.

Peabody Archveyor, LLC

Peabody Bear Run Mining, LLC

Peabody Bear Run Services, LLC

Peabody Cardinal Gasification, LLC

Peabody COALSALES, LLC

Peabody COALTRADE International (CTI), LLC

Peabody COALTRADE, LLC

Peabody Colorado Operations, LLC

Peabody Colorado Services, LLC

Peabody Coulterville Mining, LLC

Peabody Development Company, LLC

Peabody Electricity, LLC

Peabody Employment Services, LLC

Peabody Energy Generation Holding Company

Peabody Energy Investments, Inc.

Peabody Energy Solutions, Inc.

Peabody Gateway North Mining, LLC

Peabody Gateway Services, LLC

Peabody Holding Company, LLC

Peabody Illinois Services, LLC

Peabody Indiana Services, LLC

Peabody International Investments, Inc.

Peabody International Services, Inc.

Peabody Investments Corp.

Peabody Midwest Management Services, LLC

Peabody Midwest Operations, LLC

Peabody Midwest Services, LLC

Peabody Natural Gas, LLC

Peabody Natural Resources Company

Peabody New Mexico Services, LLC

Peabody Operations Holding, LLC

Peabody Powder River Operations, LLC

Peabody Powder River Services, LLC

Peabody PowerTree Investments, LLC

Peabody Recreational Lands, LLC

Peabody Rocky Mountain Management Services, LLC

Peabody Rocky Mountain Services, LLC

Peabody Services Holding, LLC

Peabody Southwest, LLC

Peabody Southwestern Coal Company

Peabody Terminal Holding Company, Inc.

Peabody Terminals, LLC

Peabody Twentymile Mining, LLC

Peabody Venezuela Coal Corp.

Peabody Venture Fund, LLC

Peabody-Waterside Development, LLC

Peabody Western Coal Company

Peabody Wild Boar Mining, LLC

Peabody Wild Boar Services, LLC

Peabody Wyoming Services, LLC

PEC Equipment Company, LLC

Point Pleasant Dock Company, LLC

Pond River Land Company

Porcupine Production, LLC

Porcupine Transportation, LLC

Powder River Coal, LLC

Riverview Terminal Company

Sage Creek Coal Company, LLC

Sage Creek Holdings, LLC

School Creek Coal Company, LLC

School Creek Coal Resources, LLC

Seneca Coal Company, LLC

Shoshone Coal Corporation

Star Lake Energy Company, L.L.C.

Thoroughbred Generating Company, LLC

Thoroughbred Mining Company, LLC

Twentymile Coal, LLC

West Roundup Resources, LLC

Williams Fork Coal Company, LLC

Wyoming Natural Gas, LLC

Schedule II

Non-Delaware Guarantors		Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization
Big Ridge, Inc.		Illinois
Black Hills Mining Company, LLC		Illinois
Century Mineral Resources, Inc.		Illinois
Illinois Land Holdings, LLC		Illinois
Midco Supply and Equipment Company		Illinois
Falcon Coal Company, LLC		Indiana
Peabody Arclar Mining, LLC		Indiana
Peabody Midwest Mining, LLC		Indiana
Sugar Camp Properties, LLC		Indiana