ASHLAND INC
SC 13D/A, 2000-01-24
PETROLEUM REFINING
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                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                SCHEDULE 13D

                 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                             (AMENDMENT NO. 4)



                              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)

                              January 24, 2000
          (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>                                                      Page 2 of 6


CUSIP No.           039380100               13D


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)
           58.0% of the shares of common stock

14       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
                             CO

                                   2
<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.

                                   3

<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 that point, a tax-free spin-off to its shareholders would seem
to be  its  preferred  alternative.  Ashland  also  announced  that  it had
submitted a proposal to Arch Coal and had 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  Revenue
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 tax-free spin-off could be consummated.
     On January 24,  2000,  Ashland  announced  that it continues to pursue
spin-off  alternatives  for its  investment  in Arch Coal,  including  both
tax-free and taxable distributions.
         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

                                   4
<PAGE>                                                      Page 5 of 6

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.


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  58.0%  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).

                                   5
<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.

                                                        January 24, 2000
                                                        ----------------
                                                             (Date)

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

                                   6
<PAGE>



                                 Schedule I
                                 ----------
                      DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
                                     OF
                                ASHLAND INC.
                PRINCIPAL OCCUPATIONS AND BUSINESS ADDRESSES
                --------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

    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                       Private Investor and Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mutual Life Insurance
                                      Company of New York, New York (now known as The MONY Group)

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 and Chief Executive Officer 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.
</TABLE>

<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


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
</TABLE>
                                        2
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<S>                                     <C>                                     <C>
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


</TABLE>
                                        3
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


                                SCHEDULE II


                                                 Stock Transactions
                                                 ------------------
                                                  effected within
                                                  ---------------
     Executive Officer of Ashland                   past 60 days                     Total Ownership
     ----------------------------                   ------------                     ---------------
    <S>                                     <C>                                       <C>
    Paul W. Chellgren                       53 shares purchased with                  8,000 - direct
                                            the December 15, 1999
                                            dividend through the Arch                 598 - direct - held in
                                            Coal DRIP                                 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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