News

US coal exports drop for first time in 2 years

US coal exports fell for the first time in two years in November, dragged down by a drop in thermal bituminous shipments. Volumes declined to a 10-month low of 8.87mn short tons (8.05mn metric tonnes) from 9.05mn st in November 2017. Thermal coal exports dropped to 4.45mn st from 4.76mn st a year earlier. The […]

Vancouver coal export project permit canceled

Vancouver, British Columbia, port officials have revoked a permit to allow a local terminal to build a 4mn metric tonnes/year coal export facility that would have primarily handled US Powder River basin (PRB) coal. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority on 30 January canceled a 2014 permit that would have allowed Fraser Surrey Docks (FSD) to […]

Hampton Roads coal exports climbed in January

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, started out the year strongly, rising 18pc in January compared with a year earlier. Shipments last month climbed to 3.43mn short tons (3.11mn metric tonnes) from 2.91mn st in January 2018, according to data from the Virginia Maritime Association. That was the highest level since 3.71mn st were […]

U.S. Coal Exports Take Record Share of Production

U.S. coal exports last year made up the largest share of production in 60 years, amid diminishing domestic consumption and growing Asian demand, the CEO of Doyle Trading Consultants (DTC) told Montel. “The percent of U.S. coal going to the export market is essentially at an all-time high – it’s the highest level since the […]

Marine fuel rules will challenge US coal exports

Coal traders will face higher freight costs starting later this year, as shippers gear up for tighter marine fuel standards in 2020, participants said at an industry conference. The International Maritime Organization’s changes, which will cut sulfur limits in marine fuel to 0.5pc from the current 3.5pc starting on 1 January 2020, will push shippers’ […]

Wyoming To Sue Washington State Over Coal Terminal Block

Saying numerous environmental requirements and hurdles have been cleared, Wyoming legislators are now accusing Washington state of playing politics. Media sources in Wyoming and here report money is being set aside for them to sue Washington state over blocking construction of a coal export terminal on the WA coast. And, they say it’s political–that WA […]

US exports to continue to shift to Asia: Update

Asia’s influence over the US coal export market will continue to grow as demand from traditional international customers fades, industry members said at a conference today. “We all expect that demand in the Atlantic market is going to be down, or flat at best,” Jack Porco, president of US producer and trader Xcoal, said at […]

Coal’s return depends on new plants: Officials

President Donald Trump administration’s effort to ease the regulatory burden on the coal industry has not been enough to stem the sector’s slide in the US. What is needed now is more support to build new, more efficient coal plants to replace lost capacity, industry executives said at the US Energy Association’s 15th Annual State […]

Tight coal supply limits Norfolk Southern rail hauls

Eastern US railroad Norfolk Southern (NS) expects export and domestic utility coal shipments to remain constrained in the first quarter, despite strong demand. NS chief marketing officer Alan Shaw said in an earnings call yesterday that utilities are “screaming for coal at this point.” Stockpiles at generators have fallen by 17 days over the past […]

Virginia coal exports rose in 2018, but future uncertain

The three coal terminals in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region saw double-digit increases in exports last year, but a global economy that shows signs of slowing worries some analysts. The Virginian-Pilot reports that the biggest coal-exporting port in North America finished 2018 at nearly 43 million tons (39 million metric tons), a 22-percent rise from 2017 and […]