US coal production drops 3.4% on week: EIA

Total US thermal and metallurgical coal production dropped 3.4% on the week to 11.66 million st in the week ended Sept. 4, Energy Information Administration data released Sept. 9 showed.

Powder River Basin coal production dropped by the steepest margin of any major US coal basin, while also producing the most tonnage. Mostly comprised of Wyoming and Montana, the basin produced 5.33 million st in week 36, down 2.6% on the week but up 6.8% from the year-ago period. Year-to-date PRB coal production through Sept. 4 totaled 174.81 million st, 6.1% higher than the same period in 2020.

After the Powder River Basin, the Northern Appalachia coal region produced the most weekly tonnage at 1.83 million st, down 1.1% on the week but up 20.1% on the year. Year-on-year coal production increased by a larger percentage in the NAPP region than any other basin in week 36.

Rounding out the top three, the Illinois Basin produced 1.48 million st in the week ended Sept. 4, down 1.5% on the week but 10.8% higher on the year. Year-to-date IB production stood at 52.33 million st, 13.3% higher than the same period in 2020.

The Central Appalachia region was the only major US coal basin to increase week-on-week production in week 36. The CAPP region produced 1.23 million st of coal, up 0.1% on the week and 9.8% on the year, but the lowest tonnage of any major US basin.