Weekly US coal production remains elevated

US coal production for the week ending 23 July fell to 14.97 million short t from the 15.14 million short t high of the week before – but remains well above this year’s average weekly production of 12.46 million short t.

Compared to the same week last year, production was down 17.8%, while US year-to-date production is 26.3% lower year-on-year at 373.8 million short t.

Year-to-date production in Texas, however, is 3.7% higher than the previous year – the only state to show a rise in output. Current production stands at 17.86 million short t to 23 July, compared to production of 17.23 million t over the same period last year.

Wyoming, the largest coal producer in the US, has produced 150.22 million short t this year to date, 27.8% down on the 208.06 million short t over the same period last year. The largest year-on-year fall, however, has been recorded in Colorado, where production is down 45.3% to 6.32 million short t.

Regionally, Appalachia continues to see the steepest yearly fall, down 29.3% to 92.01 million short t. Within Appalachia, eastern Kentucky has seen been hit hardest, down 38.8%, while production in Virginia is down just 20.2%.

Production in the Interior Region is down just 21.5%, while production in the Western Region – which includes the Powder River Basin – is down 26.5%.

Edited by Jonathan Rowland.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/01082016/weekly-us-coal-production-remains-elevated-2016-2121/