Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 16.7 million st in
the week ended August 26, down 1.7% from the prior week but up 9.6%
from the year-ago week, Energy Information Administration data
showed Thursday.
It was the third highest weekly estimate this year, just below last
week's year-to-date high of 17.02 million st.
Coal production continues to trend higher as natural gas prices
hover near $3/MMBtu and utility stockpiles continue to decline.
For the recently-concluded week, coal production in Wyoming and
Montana, which primarily consists of coal from the Powder River
Basin, totaled an estimated 8 million st, down 0.1% compared with
last week but up 6% from the year-ago week. It was the highest
weekly estimate reported so far this year.
On an annualized basis, coal production in Wyoming and Montana
would total 351.6 million st, up 6.6% from last year.
In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated
1.62 million st, down 3.6% from last week but up 13.5% from last
year. Annualized 2017 production would total 83.6 million st, up
9.3% from last year.
In Northern Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated
2.37 million st, down 2.7% from last week but up 15.6% from the
year-ago week. Annualized production would total 114.2 million st,
up 12.1% from last year.
In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated
2.06 million st, down 3.9% from last week but up 10.4% from last
year. Annualized production would total 107.1 million st, up 8.8%
from 2016.
Based on the most recent EIA estimates and first quarter revisions,
US coal
production in 2017 on an annualized basis would total 786.8 million
st, up 8% from last year.
--Andrew Moore,
andrew.moore@spglobal.com
--Edited by Derek Sands,
derek.sands@spglobal.com
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