Platts launches new US thermal coal export assessments

S&P Global Platts has launched three new assessments to reflect the value of US thermal coal for export from three terminals along the West Coast of the US and Canada, from October 18.

The assessments will be published daily with the following specifications:

• FOB Long Beach, 6,000 kcal/kg NAR, 0.5% sulfur;
• FOB Oakland, 6,000 kcal/kg NAR, 0.5% sulfur;
• FOB Vancouver, 5,000 kcal/kg NAR, 0.5% sulfur;

The assessments will be based on trades, bids, offers and indications of market value. In the absence of transactional data, Platts will consider the economics of transportation and transloading, paired with Platts' existing assessments for US thermal coal in the Rockies and a new Powder River Basin assessment.

For FOB Long Beach, Platts will consider its existing Colorado 11,300 Btu/lb GAR, 0.8 lb SO2/MMBtu, weekly prompt quarter assessment (CUAQ001), converted to kcal/kg NAR and adjusted for heat content, plus rail transportation and transloading costs, converted to $/mt.

For FOB Oakland, Platts will consider its existing Utah 11,500 Btu/lb GAR, 0.8 lb SO2/MMBtu, weekly prompt quarter assessment (CUDQ001), converted to kcal/kg NAR and adjusted for heat content, plus rail transportation and transloading costs, converted to $/mt.

For FOB Vancouver, Platts will consider its new PRB 9,400 Btu/lb GAR, 0.8 lb SO2/MMBtu, weekly prompt quarter assessment, converted to kcal/kg NAR and adjusted for heat content, plus rail transportation and transloading costs, converted to $/mt.

Conversions from Btu/lb GAR to kcal/kg NAR will be applied using the factor of 1.798794372272 Btu/lb to 1 kcal/kg, with the subtraction of 470 Btu/lb to compensate for the loss of heat content from GAR to NAR. The full formula will be Btu/lb GAR value minus 470 Btu/lb divided by 1.798794372272. Heat adjustments will be made on a linear basis. Rail transportation costs will be provided on a quarterly basis by Escalation Consultants, and transloading costs at each port will be assessed weekly by Platts.

Platts originally proposed a factor of 1.8 when considering the conversion of Btu/lb to Kcal/kg but has decided to use 1.798794372272 to reflect the more accurate value.

The assessments will be published in Coal Trader, Coal Trader International and Global Coal Alert Page 360 from October 18.

Please address any questions or comments to coal@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing. Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.