Weekly US coal carrier departures total 32, down five on week: cFlow

Weekly US coal ship departures totaled 32 in the week ended May 16, down five from the previous week and flat from the year-ago week, data from cFlow, Platts trade flow software, showed May 25.

Departures hit a five-week low, and the departing laden and part-laden ships carried 1.9 million dwt, down 23.8% from the week before.

Gulf Coast departures totaled 12, dropping to a 10-week low and falling nine week on week. From the year-ago week, they declined three.

The departing coal carriers held 706,985 dwt, down 43.4% from the previous week.

From the gulf, five carriers left to Central America, while two each departed to North Africa and the North Atlantic. One ship each headed toward the ARA region, Southeast Asia and one unknown destination.

Seven coal carriers left from the West Coast, flat from the week before and up three from the year-ago week.

In the most recent week, the departing ships carried 248,091 dwt, down 28.5% from the previous week.

Four carriers departed to Central America, two to North Asia and one to Brazil.

Departures off the Atlantic Coast rose four week on week to 13. Compared to the year-ago week, they were flat.

The ships carried 967,453 million dwt, up 4.3% week on week.

Four carriers were directed toward Brazil, three to the North Atlantic, and two to the UK and Continent. One carrier each departed to the ARA, the Black and Caspian seas, Canada and Central America.

Baltimore departures

Six coal-laden ships departed from Baltimore in the most recent week, up one week on week.

Five of the departing ships are laden, leaving one unladen, and the total dead-weight tonnage of the departures was 559,030 dwt, down 17.9% from the prior week, according to the data.

Two of the coal carriers went to Gibraltar, reaching the region on May 17 and May 19, and another two reached the ARA May 20 and May 22. One carrier reached Santos, Brazil May 20, and another reached Punta Catalina in the Dominican Republic on May 21.

Over the next week, only two coal ships were expected in Baltimore, arriving May 24.

Both of the expected coal carriers were unladen.

S&P Global Platts assessed FOB Baltimore 6,900 kcal/kg NAR 3% sulfur coal, for 15-60 day loading, at $71.90/mt on May 25, up $1.25/mt cents from the previous week.