Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 15.46 million st in the week that ended March 24, up 1.6% from the prior week and up 7.2% from the year-ago week, US Energy Information Administration data showed Thursday.
The Appalachian and Powder River basins saw slight increases in production, although these rises were somewhat offset by decreases in other basins. It was the third highest production estimate so far in 2018.
S&P Global Platts Analytics estimates utility stockpiles in the week that ended March 22 totaled 111.27 million st, up 0.8% from the week prior but down 32.5% compared with the same point in 2017.
Based on EIA estimates through the first 12 weeks of the year, annualized US coal production in 2018 would total 770.7 million st, flat compared with last year.
In the most recently concluded reporting week, coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which primarily consists of coal from the Powder River Basin, totaled an estimated 7.1 million st, up 3.4% compared with last week and 8.9% compared with the year-ago week.
On an annualized basis, coal production in Wyoming and Montana would total 346.1 million st, down 2.1% from last year.
In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.9 million st, down 1.6% from last week, but up 14.8% from last year. Annualized 2018 production would total 96.9 million st, up 8.1% from last year.
In Northern Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2.1 million st, up 1.1% from last week and 4.5% from the year-ago week. Annualized production would total 104.7 million st, up 0.4% from last year.
In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2.1 million st, down 0.7% from last week but up 2.8% from last year. Annualized production would total 105.2 million st, up 1.7% from 2018.
