Alpha Natural Shares Up 3%; Announce Deal to Exchange 50% Interest in Alpha Shale JV, Will Receive $100M in Cash $200M of Rice Energy Stock

Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ANR ), a leading U.S. coal producer, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to exchange its 50 percent interest in its Alpha Shale Resources Joint Venture with Rice Energy for $200 million of Rice common stock in Rice Energy's planned initial public offering and $100