Patriot Coal Corp. recorded a $38.3 million fourth-quarter loss that included civil penalties related to the settlement of a selenium pollution lawsuit in West Virginia and restructuring costs.

The Creve Coeur-based coal producer, spun off from Peabody Energy Corp. in 2007, said it was idling its Big Mountain mining complex in West Virginia effective immediately because the company sees the outlook for coal used in power plants to remain  "depressed for an extended period."

Patriot Coal's loss in the fourth quarter equaled 42 cents a share compared with a profit of $7.3 million, or 8 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue rose 14 percent to $604 million on higher coal sales volumes and prices. Patriot sold 7.6 million tons of coal during the fourth quarter.

The company forecast sales of 27 million to 29 million tons of coal in 2012, down from 31.1 million tons last year.

"Headwinds created by low natural gas prices, mild weather and weaker international and domestic economies impacted coal markets during the year, and market weakness continues as we enter 2012," Richard M. Whiting, Patriot Coal's chief executive, said in a statement.

Last month, the company announced plans to cut production of metallurgical coal at two West Virginia mining complexes in response to weaker demand from steelmakers.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Story was updated to correct a rounding error with revenue figure.