Weekly US coal production rise 4.3% on week, 17.7% on year: EIA

Houston — Weekly US coal production rose to a four-week high 11.19 million st in the week that ended April 10, up 4.3% from 10.73 million st a week earlier and 17.7% higher than the year-ago week, according to an April 15 US Energy Information Administration report.

It was the second time this year that all four major basins saw weekly and yearly increases. However, the latest week was 8.3% lower than the five-year average for the corresponding week.

Along with the increase in production, utility stockpiles remain higher on a days of burn basis, as bituminous stocks were at a record-high 150 days cover at the end of January, while subbituminous stocks were also at a record-high 139 days, up 8.7% and 14.9% year over year, respectively, according to the latest EIA data.

For the latest week, estimated coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which is primarily made up of production from the Powder River Basin, rose to 5.12 million st, up 4% from the prior week and 17.9% higher than the year-ago week.

Since Jan. 1, the states have produced 71.21 million st, down 2.9% from the same period in 2020. However, annualized production in the two states would total 258.34 million st, up 5.5% from a year ago.

In Central Appalachia, estimated weekly coal production increased to 1.21 million st, up 3.5% from a week earlier and 7.6% higher than the year-ago week.

Year-to-date production in Central Appalachia is down 13.1% year on year at 17.14 million st, while on an annualized basis, CAPP production would total 62.09 million st, up 3% from a year ago.

Coal production in Northern Appalachia rose to 1.5 million st, up 3.3% from the prior week and 19.6% higher than the year-ago week.

Year-to-date Northern Appalachian production is 8.8% lower than a year ago at 20.85 million st, while annualized NAPP production would total 75.61 million st, down 0.2% from last year.

In the Illinois Basin, estimated weekly coal production was at 1.32 million st, up 3.3% from the previous week and 11.4% higher than the year-ago week. Cumulative production is at 18.25 million st, down 15.1% on year, while annualized production in the Illinois Basin would total 66.12 million st, down 2.4% from 2020 totals.

Through the first 15 weeks of the year, US coal production totaled an estimated 154.54 million st, down 5.4% year on year, while production on an annualized basis is expected around 560.05 million st, which would be up 4.8% from last year.