Weekly coal production rises with spring slowdown likely over: US EIA

21 May 2018

Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 14.28 million st in the week that ended May 12, up 5.2% from the prior week and up 7.5% from same week a year-ago week, Energy Information Administration data showed Thursday.

Coal production is likely to tick up in the coming weeks as maintenance season winds down and recent warm weather, coupled with low stockpiles, spur fuel buyers to increase deliveries.

Utility stockpiles remain low on an aggregate basis, totaling an estimated 119 million st as of May 10, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics. That total would be down roughly 29% from the five-year average for May.

For the recently concluded week, coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which is mostly made up of production from the Powder River Basin, totaled an estimated 6.34 million st, up 5.6% from last week and up 11.7% compared with the year-ago week.

On an annualized basis, production in the two states would total 337.9 million st, down 4.4% from last year.

In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.93 million st, up 6.2% from last week and up 11.6% from last year. Annualized production would total 96.8 million st, up 8.1% from 2017.

Weekly coal production in Northern Appalachia totaled an estimated 1.86 million st, up 2.9% from last week, but down 1.1% from last year. Annualized production would total 101.7 million st, down 2.5% from last year.

In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.67 million st, up 5.2% from last week and up 1.3% from last year. Annualized production in the basin would total 103 million st, down 0.4% from 2017.

Through the first 19 weeks of the year, US coal production totals an estimated 275.9 million st, and would total an estimated 755 million st on an annualized basis, down 2% from last year.

Source: PLATTS