Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 14.49 million st in the week that Saturday, up 0.2% from the prior week and 18.5% from the year-ago week, US Energy Information Administration data showed Thursday.
Coal production surged at the start of the year, peaking at 17.02 million st in the week that ended February 4. But it has since tapered off, as weekly production estimates have come in below 15 million st for four straight weeks.
Some utilities have reportedly cut back to minimum coal deliveries based on weak power demand, and stockpiles remain relatively flat. Platts Analytics' Bentek Energy estimates stockpiles stood at 160.1 million st as of Thursday, down 0.3% from the prior week and 17.8% from the year-ago week.
Platts Analytics estimates coal consumption for the week ended Thursday totaled 16.6 million st, up 20.2% from the year-ago week and up 16.1% from the five-year average for the week. Year-to-date coal consumption slid 5.6% compared with the same period a year ago.
For the recently concluded week, coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which primarily comprises coal from the Powder River Basin, was an estimated 6.15 million st, down 1.3% compared with last week, but up 19.4% from the year-ago week.
On an annualized basis, coal production in Wyoming and Montana would total 339 million st, up 2.7% from last year.
In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.5 million st, up 0.3% from last week, but up 9.4% from last year. Annualized 2017 production would total 82.9 million st, up 7.6% from last year.
In Northern Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2.2 million st, up 2.4% from last week and up 27.3% from the year-ago week. Annualized production would total 121 million st, up 16.2% from last year.
In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2 million st, up 0.5% from last week and 13.2% from last year. Annualized production would total 113.3 million st, up 11.9% from 2016.
Based on the most recent EIA estimates, US coal production in 2017 on an annualized basis would total 807 million st, up 9.2% from last year.
