Colombia exported 6.79 million mt of thermal coal in April, climbing 20% year on year and also up 20% from March's 11-month low as shipments increased to Turkey and India, data from Colombian shipping agent Deep Blue showed Tuesday.
During the first four months of 2016, thermal coal exports increased 2% on the year to 27.05 million mt.
The leading destination in April was India, which took 1.33 million mt of Colombian thermal coal, making up 20% of total exports. This was only the second month that any Colombian coal was sent to India with the volume more than doubling from March's 651,708 mt.
The exports were split between 985,050 mt from Drummond in six shipments and 348,978 mt from Prodeco in two vessels.
Since the arbitrage for Colombian coal to India opened earlier this year, 12 Capesize vessels containing a combined 1.99 million mt have been exported to the country.
The second largest destination in April was Turkey, close behind at 1.31 million mt. The volume was more than double the 642,620 mt shipped a year ago and almost four times the 330,429 mt sent in March, which had been the lowest volume since Platts record began at the beginning of 2014.
Thermal coal exports to Europe continued to dwindle in April, with shipments to the Netherlands falling 64% on the year to 639,821 mt, which was also down 21% from the previous month and at the lowest monthly volume since February 2014.
Exports to Spain also fell 47% on the year to 214,548 mt, but recovered 29% from March's 14-month low, while no material was shipped to the UK for the fourth straight month.
PUERTO BOLIVAR SHIPMENTS FALL ON-YEAR
During April, thermal coal shipments from the country's largest miner Cerrejon's Puerto Bolivar terminal fell 7% year on year to 2.52 million mt, although the volume was 16% higher than March.
Puerto Drummond exports jumped 27% on the year in April to 2.5 million mt, also up 14% on the previous month.
Puerto Nuevo, owned by Glencore unit Prodeco, shipped 1.37 million mt, increasing 95% from April 2015 and gaining 35% on the month.
Shipments from third-party port Carbosan-Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta rose 34% on-year to 319,648 mt, also up 25% on the month.
The monthly April average for Platts FOB Colombia 6,000 kcal/kg NAR thermal coal price was $43.12/mt, compared to $43.84/mt in March.
