US coal production falls 5.5% on week: EIA

Weekly US coal production fell 5.5% on the week to 11.3 million st in the week ended March 12, according to Energy Information Administration data released March 17.

With shoulder season approaching, all major basins decreased production compared with the previous week, with Central Appalachia and Illinois Basin coal regions dropping by the most significant margins nationwide. On an annualized basis, total production was 593.7 million st, up 0.7% from 2021.

IB output fell 8.1% week on week to 1.5 million st, down 13.5% on the year. IB trailed the nation in year-on-year production in part due to the idling of one of its largest mines, Foresight Energy's Sugar Camp, because of an underground fire last August. Year-to-date IB production was 16 million st, down 0.1% from 2021. Illinois Basin was the only major coal-producing region to post a year-on-year production deficit in the latest week on a year-to-date basis. Annualized IB production rose 7.6% from 2021 to 81 million st.

Central Appalachia output fell 8.1% on the week to 1.3 million st, down 6.2% on the year. Year-to-date CAPP production was 13.3 million st, up 2.2% from the same period in 2021. On an annualized basis, CAPP production was 67.2 million st, up 4.7% from 2021.

After CAPP and IB, Northern Appalachia coal production decreased by the most significant margin. NAPP output was 1.9 million st, down 4.6% on the week and 4.5% on the year. Year to date, NAPP production was 20.5 million st, up 9.2% from the 2021 period. Annualized NAPP production was 104 million st, up 13.7% from 2021.

The Powder River Basin decreased coal production by 3.4% compared with the previous week with 5.1 million st produced. On a year-to-date basis, PRB output was 51.7 million st, up 10.9% on the year and the largest increase of any major coal-producing region. Annualized PRB production was 263.2 million st, up 0.1% from 2021.