Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 11.5 million st in the week that ended Saturday, down 1.3% from the prior week's estimate but off 23.4% from the year-ago week, US Energy Information Administration data showed Thursday.
Low demand continues to negatively affect coal production, as low natural gas prices have resulted in higher-than-normal coal stockpiles at US utilities. Year-to-date coal production totals an estimated 256.7 million st, down 32.2% compared with the same period a year ago.
Based on production estimates for the 22 weeks reported so far this year, coal production on an annualized basis would total just 606.8 million st this year, down 32.2% from 2015.
For the week, coal production in Wyoming and Montana, mostly made up of Powder River Basin production, totaled an estimated 5.4 million st, down 1.7% from the prior week and 20% from the year-ago week.
Year-to-date coal production in Wyoming and Montana totals an estimated 121.2 million st, down 29.9% from last year.
In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.3 million st, down 1.9% from the prior week and down 34.8% from the year-ago week.
Year-to-date production in the basin totals an estimated 28.8 million st, down 39.4% from last year.
Weekly coal production in the Northern Appalachia region totaled an estimated 1.5 million st, down 1.9% from the previous week and 24.3% from last year.
Year-to-date production totals an estimated 32.7 million st, down 34.4% from last year.
In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.6 million st, down 2.2% from last week and 25.4% from the year-ago week.
Year-to-date production totals an estimated 37.3 million st, down 32.6% from last year.
