US power sector stockpiles reach near 3-year high, total 140 mil st in Feb: EIA

Houston — US power sector coal stockpiles totaled 140 million st in February, up 4.4% from January, US Energy Information Administration data showed Friday.

From the year-ago month stockpiles were up 41.8% and were at their highest since November 2017.

From the five-year average for the month of February, which was 143 million st, stocks were at a deficit of 2.3%.

Bituminous stockpiles totaled 58 million st in February, up 3.2% from January and up 39.2% year on year.

Bituminous stocks were also at a 2.9% deficit from the five-year average of 59.8 million st for February.

Days of burn, according to EIA data, were 134 in February, down three from January and up from 91 in the year-ago month. Additionally bituminous stockpiles reached its peak since S&P Global Platts began reporting 2009.

The five-year average for February is 93 days.

February subbituminous stockpiles totaled 78.8 million st, up 5.6% from the month before and up 45% from the year-ago month.

From the five-year average of 79.6 million st, subbituminous stocks were at a deficit of 1.1%.

Days of burn for subbituminous coal were 121 days, up one from January and up 31 from the year-ago month. The five-year average for the month is 96 days.

Lignite stocks totaled 3.2 million st in February, down 2.2% from the previous month and up 18.2% from the year-ago month.