Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 15.5 million st in the week that ended June 10, up 3.6% from the prior week and up 24.1% from the year-ago week, US Energy Information Administration data showed Thursday.
It was the fifth straight week coal production has increased after bottoming out in the week that ended May 6 at 13.33 million st.
Platts Analytics' Bentek Energy unit estimates US coal consumption totaled 20.6 million st in the week that ended June 8, up 1.7% from the prior week and up 13.3% from the year-ago week. Year-to-date consumption is up 2.2% from last year, according to Platts Analytics.
Platts Analytics also estimates utility coal stockpiles stood at 155.5 million st in the week that ended June 8, down 1.2% from the prior week and down 18.8% from the year-ago week. It was the lowest weekly estimate since the fall of 2015.
In the most recent reporting period, coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which primarily consists of coal from the Powder River Basin, totaled an estimated 6.82 million st, up 5.9% compared with last week and up 32.9% from the year-ago week, according to the EIA.
On an annualized basis, coal production in Wyoming and Montana thus far in 2017 would total 331.9 million st, up 0.4% from last year.
In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.54 million st, down 0.5% from last week but up 6.7% from last year. Annualized 2017 production would total 79.6 million st, up 3.4% from last year.
In Northern Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2.38 million st, up 5% from last week and up 25.4% from the year-ago week. An annualization of production so far in 2017 would total 117.7 million st, up 13.1% from last year.
In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2.1 million st, down 0.8% from last week but up 10.7% from last year. Annualized production would total 108.4 million st, up 7.1% from 2016.
Based on the most recent EIA estimates, US coal production in 2017 on an annualized basis would total 779.6 million st, up 5.5% from last year.
