ASHLAND INC
SC 13D/A, 1999-10-05
PETROLEUM REFINING
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                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                SCHEDULE 13D

                 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                             (AMENDMENT NO. 3)



                              Arch Coal, Inc.
                             (Name of Issuer)

                                Common Stock
                       (Title of class of Securities)

                                  039380100
                               (CUSIP Number)

                             David L. Hausrath
                             Vice President and
                              General Counsel
                                Ashland Inc.
                        50 E. RiverCenter Boulevard
                                P.O. Box 391
                          Covington, KY 41012-0391
                               (606) 815-3333
               (Name, address and telephone number of person
             authorized to receive notices and communications)

                               October 5, 1999
          (Date of event which requires filing of this statement)


         If the filing person has previously  filed a statement on Schedule
13G to report the  acquisition  which is the subject of this  Schedule 13D,
and is filing this schedule  because of Rule  13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the
following box ____.


<PAGE>


CUSIP No. 039380100                     13D             Page 2 of 6

1        NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS       Ashland Inc.
         I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS
                  61-0122250

2        CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP     (a)  [  ]
                  N/A                                         (b)  [  ]

3        SEC USE ONLY

4        SOURCE OF FUNDS   00       (See Item 3)

5        CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO
         ITEM 2(d) or 2(e)     [  ]

6        CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
                  Kentucky

    NUMBER OF               7    SOLE VOTING POWER
     SHARES                          22,123,273
  BENEFICIALLY
    OWNED BY                8    SHARED VOTING POWER
      EACH                           0
   REPORTING
  PERSON WITH               9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                                     22,123,273

                           10    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                                     0

11       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
              22,123,273 shares of common stock

12       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES
         CERTAIN SHARES     [  ]

13       PERCENT OF CLASS  REPRESENTED  BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
              57.9% of the shares of common stock

14       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
                             CO

<PAGE>
                                                          Page 3 of 6

                       Securities and Exchange Commission
                           Washington, D.C. 20549
                                Schedule 13D


Item 1.  Security and Issuer
- ------   -------------------
    	Ashland Inc. ("Ashland") currently owns 22,123,273 shares of common
stock ("common stock"), par value $.01 per share, of Arch Coal, Inc. ("Arch
Coal").
    	Arch Coal is a Delaware corporation with its principal executive offices
located at City Place One, Suite 300, Creve Coeur, Missouri 63141.

Item 2.  Identity and Background
- ------   -----------------------
     (a), (b) and (c) Ashland is a Kentucky corporation with its principal
executive offices located at 50 E. RiverCenter Blvd., P. O. Box 391,
Covington, Kentucky 41012-0391.  Ashland is a diversified company with wholly
owned operations in distribution, specialty chemicals, motor oil and car care
products, and highway construction.  Ashland also has a 38-percent equity
interest in Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC and a 58-percent equity interest in
Arch Coal.
	    The executive officers and directors of Ashland and their principal
occupations are shown on the attached Schedule I.  The business address of
each executive officer is shown on Schedule I.  Each director's business
address is Ashland Inc., c/o Office of the Secretary, 50 E. RiverCenter
Boulevard, P. O. Box 391, Covington, KY  41012-0391.
     (d-e) During the last five years, neither Ashland nor any of the persons
listed in Schedule I hereto, has been (i) convicted in a criminal proceeding
(excluding traffic violations and similar misdemeanors) or (ii) a party to a
civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent
jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a
judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting
or mandating activities subject to, Federal or state securities laws or
finding any violation with respect to such laws.
      (f) Each executive officer and director is a U.S. citizen.

Item 3.  Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration
- ------   -------------------------------------------------
    	Not applicable.

<PAGE>

                                                            Page 4 of 6
Item 4.  Purpose of Transaction
- ------   ----------------------
    	On June 22, 1999, Ashland, as a shareholder of Arch Coal, announced that
it had retained the investment banking firm of Goldman Sachs to help
Ashland explore strategic alternatives for its investment in Arch Coal.  On
October 5, 1999, Ashland announced that it was making progress on its
study to explore strategic alternatives for its investment in Arch Coal
and that, at this point, a tax-free spin-off to its shareholders would
seem to be its preferred alternative.  Ashland also announced that it has
submitted a proposal to Arch Coal and has begun discussions with a
special committee of the Arch Coal Board of Directors regarding such a
spin-off transaction.  Such a spin-off would be subject, among other things,
to a negotiated agreement with the special committee of the Arch Coal
Board of Directors, approval by the Arch Coal shareholders, a favorable
ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, and approval by Ashland's
Board of Directors. There can be no assurance that an agreement with the
special committee of the Arch Coal Board of Directors will be reached
or that the necessary approvals of the Arch Coal shareholders and the
Ashland Board of Directors will be obtained or that a favorable ruling
from the Internal Reveue Service will be obtained.  Even if an agreement
is reached and such conditions are met, Ashland anticipates that it will
be several months before a spin-off could be consummated.
    	Any strategic alternatives, including a spin-off, may result in (a) the
acquisition by any person of additional securities of Arch Coal, or the
disposition of securities of Arch Coal; (b) an extraordinary corporate
transaction, such as a merger, reorganization or liquidation, involving Arch
Coal or any of its subsidiaries; (c) a sale or transfer of a material amount
of assets of Arch Coal or any of its subsidiaries; (d) a change in the present
board of directors or management of Arch Coal, including any plans or
proposals to change the number or term of directors or to fill any existing
vacancies on the board; (e) a material change in the present capitalization or
dividend policy of Arch Coal; (f) a material change in Arch Coal's business or
corporate structure; (g) changes in Arch Coal's charter, bylaws or instruments
corresponding thereto or other actions which may impede the acquisition of
control of Arch Coal by any person; (h) a class of securities of Arch Coal to
be delisted from a national securities exchange or ceasing to be authorized to
be quoted in an inter-dealer quotation system of a registered national
securities association; (i) the common stock of Arch Coal becoming eligible
for termination of registration pursuant to Section 12(g)(4) of the Securities
Exchange Act; or (j) any action similar to the foregoing.


<PAGE>
                                                         Page 5 of 6
Item 5.  Interest in Securities of the Issuer
- ------   ------------------------------------

I.  Ashland
    -------
        (a) Ashland presently owns 22,123,273 shares of Arch Coal common stock
which represents approximately 57.9% of the total issued and outstanding stock
of Arch Coal.
        (b) Ashland has sole voting power and the sole power to dispose or to
direct the disposition of its shares of Arch Coal common stock.
        (c) Neither Ashland nor the persons listed in Item 2 has effected any
transaction relating to Arch Coal common stock within the last 60 days except
as disclosed on Schedule II.
        (d) Not applicable.
        (e) Not applicable.

II. Executive Officers and Directors of Ashland
    -------------------------------------------
    	The beneficial ownership of the common stock of Arch Coal of certain
executive officers and directors of Ashland Inc. is listed on Schedule II.  If
not listed on Schedule II, the executive officer or director does not
beneficially own Arch Coal common stock.

Item 6.  Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships with Respect
to Securities of the Issuer
- ---------------------------
    	Pursuant to a Stockholders Agreement between Arch Coal, Ashland and
Carboex S.A. ("Carboex"), Arch Coal has agreed to nominate for election as a
director of Arch Coal a person designated by Carboex, and Ashland has agreed,
among other things, to vote its shares of Arch Coal common stock in a manner
sufficient to cause the election of such nominee.

Item 7.  Material to be Filed as Exhibits
         --------------------------------
    	Stockholders Agreement between Arch Coal, Ashland and Carboex S.A. dated
April 4, 1997 (filed as Exhibit 7 to Ashland's Schedule 13D (Amendment No. 2)
dated June 22, 1999, and incorporated herein by reference).


<PAGE>
                                                         Page 6 of 6
                               SIGNATURE

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true,  complete
and correct.

                                                  October 5, 1999
                                            ------------------------------

                                                      (Date)

                                             /s/  David L. Hausrath
                                            ------------------------------
                                            David L. Hausrath
                                            Vice President and General Counsel

<PAGE>




                                 Schedule I
                      DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
                                     OF
                                ASHLAND INC.
                PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS AND BUSINESS ADDRESSES


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                Schedule I
                     DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
                                    OF
                                ASHLAND INC.
               PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS AND BUSINESS ADDRESSES

    DIRECTORS                                  PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION*
- ------------------        ----------------------------------------------------
<S>                      <C>
Samuel C. Butler         Partner of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Attorneys, New York, New York

Frank C. Carlucci        Chairman of the Board of The Carlyle Group, Washington, D.C.

Paul W. Chellgren        Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Ashland Inc.,
                         Covington, Kentucky

Ernest H. Drew           Former CEO of Westinghouse Industries and Technology Group

James B. Farley	         Retired Chairman and Current Trustee of Mutual of New York, New York

Ralph E. Gomory	         President of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, New York, New York

Bernadine P. Healy       President of the American Red Cross, Washington, D.C.

Mannie L. Jackson        Majority owner and Chairman of the Harlem Globetrotters, International

Patrick F. Noonan        Chairman of the Board of The Conservation Fund, Arlington, Virginia

Jane C. Pfeiffer         Management Consultant, Vero Beach, Florida

Michael D. Rose	         Chairman of Midaro Investments, Inc., Memphis, Tennessee

William L. Rouse, Jr.    Investments, Naples, Florida

Theodore M. Solso        Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cummins Engine Company, Inc.,
                         Columbus, Indiana

For business addresses, see Item 2.

<PAGE>
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS                      BUSINESS ADDRESS	                       PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION
- ------------------                      ----------------                        --------------------


<S>                                     <C>                                     <C>
Paul W. Chellgren                       P. O. Box 391                           Chairman of the Board
                                        Covington, KY  41012                    and Chief Executive Officer

James R. Boyd                           P. O. Box 391                           Senior Vice President
                                        Covington, KY  41012                    and Group Operating Officer

David J. D'Antoni                       P. O. Box 2219                          Senior Vice President
                                        Columbus, OH  43216                     and Group Operating
                                                                                Officer

J. Marvin Quin                          P. O. Box 391                           Senior Vice President
                                        Covington, KY  41012                    and Chief Financial Officer

James J. O'Brien                        P. O. Box 1400                          Senior Vice President;
                                        Lexington, KY 40512                     President, The Valvoline
                                                                                Company

Charles F. Potts                        APAC, Inc.                              Senior Vice President;
                                        3340 Peachtree Rd., NE                  President, APAC, Inc.
                                        Tower Place
                                        Atlanta, GA  30326

Kenneth L. Aulen                        P. O. Box 391                           Administrative Vice
                                        Ashland, KY  41114                      President; Controller

Philip W. Block                         P. O. Box 391                           Administrative Vice
                                        Covington, KY  41012                    President

J. Dan Lacy                             P. O. Box 391                           Vice President
                                        Covington, KY  41012

David L. Hausrath                       P. O. Box 391                           Vice President and
                                        Covington, KY  41012                    General Counsel

Richard P. Thomas                       P. O. Box 391                           Vice President and
                                        Covington, KY  41012                    Secretary

Peter M. Bokach                         P. O. Box 2219                          Vice President;
                                        Columbus, OH  43216                     President of Ashland
                                                                                Distribution Company

James A. Duquin                         P. O. Box 2219                          Vice President;
                                        Columbus, OH  43216                     President of Ashland
                                                                                Specialty Chemical Company

Lamar M. Chambers                       P. O. Box 391                           Auditor
                                        Covington, KY  41012


<PAGE>

</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                     SCHEDULE II


EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF		        STOCK TRANSACTIONS EFFECTED		        TOTAL OWNERSHIP
     ASHLAND                      WITHIN PAST 60 DAYS
- ---------------------	       	---------------------------          ---------------

<S>                            <C>                                  <C>
Paul W. Chellgren              34 shares purchased with             8,000 - direct
                               the September 15, 1999
                               dividend through the                 545 - direct -
                               the Arch Coal DRIP                   held in the Arch
                                                                    Coal DRIP

J. Marvin Quin                                                       1,500 - direct

James R. Boyd                                                        5,000 - direct

Philip W. Block                                                      400 - direct
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
                               EXHIBIT INDEX


Stockholders Agreement between Arch Coal, Ashland and Carboex S.A.
dated April 4, 1997 (filed as Exhibit 7 to Ashland's Schedule 13D
(Amendment No. 2) dated June 22, 1999, and incorporated herein by
reference).







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