Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 17.23 million st in the week ended November 19, the highest total so far this year, US Energy Information Administration data showed Monday.
Coal production has largely increased since bottoming in early April, with estimates in the last four weeks counting among the highest reported year to date. Sources attribute the increase to stockpile building, as utilities look to accelerate deliveries to meet minimum commitments for the year.
The weekly estimate -- which was issued Monday due to last week's Thanksgiving holiday -- was up 2.8% from the prior week, and up 6.5% from the year-ago week, the fourth straight week the estimate has lapped the year-ago comparison.
The weekly estimate also showed coal production in Central Appalachia, Northern Appalachia and the Illinois Basin totaled year-to-date highs.
For the year, US coal production totaled an estimated 657.48 million st, down 18.8% through the same period last year. On an annualized basis, US coal production in 2016 would total 727.2 million st, down 18.8% from last year.
For the week, coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which is mostly made up of production from the Powder River Basin, totaled an estimated 7.7 million st, up 0.7% from the prior week but down 2.4% from the year-ago week.
Year-to-date coal production in the region totaled an estimated 289.1 million st, down 22.9% from last year, and would total 320.5 million st on an annualized basis, down 23.2% from last year.
In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.7 million st, up 7.9% from the prior week and up 4.8% from the year-ago week.
Year-to-date production in the basin totaled an estimated 70 million st, down 26.7% from last year, and would total 77.4 million st on an annualized basis, down 25.2% from last year.
Weekly coal production in Northern Appalachia totaled an estimated 2.4 million st, up 2.3% from the previous week and up 14.2% from last year.
Year-to-date production totaled an estimated 91.6 million st, down 12.2% from last year, and would total 101 million st on annualized basis, down 13% from last year.
In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2.3 million st, up 4.8% from the prior week and up 11.5% from the year-ago week.
Year-to-date production totaled an estimated 91.8 million st, down 18.6% from last year, and would total 101.4 million st on an annualized basis, down 18.2% from last year.
