Coal exports from terminals in Virginia's Hampton Roads region totaled 1.93 million st in October, down 1.9% from September and down 29.1% on the year, according to figures released Tuesday by the Virginia Maritime Association.
While the association does not comment on its monthly figures, weak seaborne pricing is largely to blame. Platts on Monday assessed low-vol hard coking coal FOB US East Coast at $78.5/mt, down 30.4% year on year, and CIF ARA thermal coal at $54.80/st, down 25.7% on the year.
Lambert's Point, also known as Pier 6, in Norfolk, Virginia, exported 757,000 st in October, down 3% from September and 18.2% lower year on year.
The terminal, which is owned and operated by Norfolk Southern, has exported 9.5 million st so far this year, down 33.9% from the same period last year.
Kinder Morgan's Pier IX, based in Newport News, Virginia, exported 37,000 st in October, the lowest monthly total since at least 2009.
The terminal's October exports were down 86.9% from September, and down 94.2% from October 2014. For the year, Pier IX coal exports total 4.71 million st, down 50.1% year on year.
Dominion Terminal Associates, also based in Newport News and owned by Arch Coal, Peabody Energy and Alpha Natural Resources, exported 1.14 million st in October, up 25.7% from September but down 1.9% on the year.
For the year, the terminal has exported 8.94 million st, down 23.5% from the same period last year.
The terminals have exported a combined 23.16 million st in January-October, down 34.8% from the same period last year.
