US weekly coal output drops 1.9 percent



Source: EIA

U.S., the world’s second largest coal producer, have produced approximately an estimated 14.8 million short tons (mmst) of coal for the week ending March 10, 2018, the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) said in its latest report.

According to EIA’s latest report, this production estimate is 1.9% lower than last week’s estimate and 2.4% higher than the production estimate in the comparable week in 2017.

East of the Mississippi River produced an estimated 6 mmst (down 1.63 percent week over week) and west of the Mississippi River produced an estimated 8.9 mmst (down 1.11 per cent week over week) according to weekly figures released by EIA, on March 15, 2018.

U.S. year-to-date (as of March 10, 2017) coal production totalled an estimated 145.7 mmst, 5.5% lower than the comparable year-to-date coal production in 2017.

EIA forecasts coal production to decline by almost 5% to 736 million short tons (MMst) in 2018 and then increase by 1% to 745 MMst in 2019. Lower expected global demand for U.S. coal exports (down 17% in 2018 and another 5% in 2019) and lower forecasts of coal use in the electric power sector (down 5% in 2018) contribute to the forecast of lower coal production.

U.S. coal exports were 97 MMst in 2017, a 61% increase from the previous year, but they are expected to decrease in both 2018 and 2019. Exports of metallurgical coal, which are used in the steelmaking process, remain at 55 MMst in 2018 and decline to 54 MMst in 2019.  Steam coal exports, which were an estimated 42 MMst in 2017, are expected to decline to 26 MMst and 23 MMst in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Source: EIA