Hampton Roads coal exports total 2.5 million st in May, hitting 15-month high: VMA

Coal exports out of the Hampton Roads terminals in Virginia totaled over 2.5 million st in May, up 1.7% from April and up 19.7% from the year-ago month, Virginia Maritime Association data showed June 23.

May exports hit a 15-month high, and through five months of the year, shipments through the terminals totaled nearly 11.5 million st, down 9.5% year on year.

The VMA reported exports of 998,604 st from the Norfolk-based Lamberts Point, owned and operated by Norfolk Southern, up 23.6% month on month and up 6.8% from the year-ago month. Shipments also reached a seven-month high at the terminal.

Over five months, Lambert's Point exports were down 23.8% to 4.2 million st compared with the same period last year.

Exports from Kinder Morgan's Pier IX totaled 265,018 st, down 42.4% from the previous month and up 10% from the year-ago month. Exports at Pier IX hit a five-month low.

Compared with the year-ago period, Pier IX exports through May were 1.9 million st, down 3.9%.

The Newport News-based Dominion Terminal Associates, which is owned by Arch Resources and Contura Energy and serve by CSX, exported nearly 1.3 million st, up 4% from April and up 35.2% year on year. Additionally, monthly DTA exports hit an 18-month high.

Over five months, DTA exports totaled approximately 5.4 million st, up 3.6% year on year.

In May, 28 vessels arrived at Hampton Roads and 35 departed, compared with 25 and 23 in the year-ago month, respectively. Over five months, the terminals had 148 arrivals and 161 departures, compared with 191 and 199, respectively, from the year-ago period.

FOB Hampton Roads 6,000 kcal/kg coal averaged $88.07/mt throughout May, compared with $86.71/mt in April and $63.90/mt in the year-ago month, while CIF ARA averaged $86.57/mt, compared with $72.24/mt in the previous month and $45.33/mt in May 2020.