Coal exports from Virginia's Hampton Roads region totaled nearly 3 million st in August, up 1.1% from the prior month but down 27.2% from the year-ago month, the Virginia Maritime Association said Monday.
The August total is only slightly better than July's numbers, which were the lowest total since July 2011. While neither the association nor the individual terminals comment on monthly export data, the decline is attributed to weak overseas pricing for both metallurgical and thermal coal.
For thermal pricing, Platts on Monday assessed coal delivered to the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp (CIF ARA) at $76/mt (or $68.95/st), down 8.7% from the start of the year.
Platts assessed US low volatile matter hard coking coal FOB East Coast at $112.75/mt (or $102.29/st) on Monday, down 13.3% from the start of the year and down 17% from a year-ago.
With seaborne prices low, year-to-date exports from Hampton Roads total 29.6 million st, down 14.6% compared with last year.
Lambert's Point, which is owned and operated by Norfolk, Virginia-based Norfolk Southern, exported 1.4 million st in August, up 1.4% from July but down 17.6% from last year. Year-to-date exports total 12.2 million st, down 15.6% compared with last year.
Pier IX, owned and operated by Houston-based Kinder Morgan, exported 702,581 st in August, down 2.4% from last month and down 36.6% compared with the year-ago month. Year-to-date exports total 7.7 million st, down 18.5% from 2013.
Dominion Terminal Associates, which is owned by Arch Coal, Peabody Energy and Alpha Natural Resources, exported 903,083 st in August, up 3.4% from July but down 31.4% from the year-ago month. Year-to-date exports total 9.7 million st, down 9.7% from 2013.
Coastwise coal shipments to domestic US locations from the terminals in August totaled 40,369 st, down 10.7% from July and down 31.4% from last year. For the year, coastwise coal shipments total 817,038 st, down 19%.
