US coal stockpiles dipped to 139 million st during the week ending Thursday, as flat production and higher consumption likely mean spring's inventory rebuild has peaked well-below average levels, Bentek Energy said Friday.
Bentek, a unit of Platts, forecasts US stockpiles will continue to decline in the next two weeks as warmer summer temperatures lead to higher coal burn as baseload generation increases.
Despite reaching a peak of 141 million st in early June, US coal stockpiles for the week that ended Thursday are down roughly 18% compared with both 2013 and the minimum range for the last five years, according to Bentek.
Bentek's weekly forecast of current US coal stockpiles is based on data from the US Energy Information Administration and regional ISOs.
