Coal traders returned to their posts on Wednesday, snapping the streak of low volume sessions in the US over-the-counter thermal coal market since the Christmas holiday.
Central Appalachian barge and rail (CSX) contracts, as well as Powder River Basin 8,800-Btu/lb physical and swap products were seen or heard trading in the session.
In the East, CAPP coal prices were assessed mostly lower, as the NYMEX February natural gas futures settled at a more than three-month low.
CSX physical February was heard to have traded at $61.35/st, and at $61.50/st, each for one train. Platts assessed the price at $61.50/st, down 20 cents/st.
In the swap market, CSX financial Q2 2013 traded at $64/st for 10,000 st twice, at $63.90/st for 10,000 st and 5,000 st, and at $63.85/st for 20,000 st. The physical price was assessed at $63.90/st, down 90 cents/st.
CSX financial back-half 2013 traded at $67.75/st for 5,000 st, at $67.60/st for 10,000 st, and at $67.50/st for 5,000 st. The Q3 2013 physical price was assessed 75 cents/st lower to $66.55/st, and the Q4 2013 physical price was assessed at $68.75/st, down 95 cents/st.
CSX financial Cal 2014 traded at $72.50/st for 5,000 st. The front year physical contract was assessed at $72.40/st, down 75 cents/st.
CSX financial Cal 2015 traded at $78.25/st for 5,000 st.
In CAPP barge, February traded at $58/st for 10 barges, at $58.20/st for 20 barges, at $58.40/st for five barges, and at $58.50/st for five barges. The front month contract was assessed 45 cents higher to $58.50/st.
March traded at $58/st for 10 barges, at $58.75/st for 10 barges and 20 barges. March was assessed 30 cents/st lower to $58.75/st.
Q2 2013 traded at $61.30.st for five barges. The price was assessed the same, down 65 cents/st.
Q3 2013 traded at $64/st for five barges.
In the West, PRB 8,800 physical February traded at $10.20/st for one train. The February contract was heard to have printed at the same price for one train. The price was assessed at $10.20/st, up 10 cents/st.
February-March physical was seen with a bid-ask of $10.15-$10.25/st early in the session.
PRB 8,800 Q2 2013 traded at $10/st for 15,000 st, at $9.95/st for 15,000 st, and at $9.85/st for 75,000 st and 30,000 st. The physical price was assessed unchanged at $10.05/st.
On the IntercontinentalExchange, PRB 8800 February futures were seen with a bid-ask of $10-$10.30/st, each for 5,000 st.
US Gulf Coast Eastern-origin (6,000 kcal/kg NAR 3% sulfur) was assessed unchanged at $54.75/mt.
US East Coast thermal coal (6,500 kcal/kg NAR 1% sulfur) was assessed down 75 cents/mt to $89.25/mt.
US Gulf Coast Western-origin (5,000 kcal/kg GAR 0.5% sulfur) was assessed unchanged at $39.25/mt.
FOB Canada/US West Coast Western-origin (5,000 kcal/kg GAR 0.5% sulfur) was assessed unchanged at $60.25/mt.
