US COAL USE HITS 35-YEAR LOW, BUT EXPORTS ARE BOOMING

US COAL USE HITS 35-YEAR LOW, BUT EXPORTS ARE BOOMING

Foreign markets are lining up to purchase American coal by widening amounts as U.S. coal consumption reaches its lowest level in more than three decades. Power plants’ consumption of coal dropped to 298 million short tons in the first half of 2018, a sharp fall from 312 million in the same period last year, according […]

Montana Joins Lawsuit Over State Coal Export Terminals

Montana has joined a lawsuit over Washington state coal export terminals. Montana and five other states have filed an Amicus Brief against Washington state concerning a permit to expand a port facility in the city of Longview for the purpose of exporting coal and coal products, primarily to Asia. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox claims […]

ANALYSTS EXPECT US COAL EXPORTS TO CONTINUE SURGING IN 2018

U.S. coal exports are expected to surge 10 percent in the next year, according to new forecasts by the Energy Department’s statistics arm. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that while coal production will fall one percent in 2018, exports will surge 10 percent above 2017. Coal exports were up 32 percent in the […]

Analysts Expect U.S. Coal to Continue Surging in 2018

U.S. coal exports are expected to surge 10 percent in the next year, according to new forecasts by the Energy Department’s statistics arm. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that while coal production will fall one percent in 2018, exports will surge 10 percent above 2017. Coal exports were up 32 percent in the […]

U.S. Coking Coal Cxports Surge

US coking coal exports rose by 22.6pc year on year to 36.6mn short tonnes (st) (33.2mn metric tonnes) in January-July, in part fuelled by a 133.2pc jump in volumes to India (see table). Overall exports slipped in July on a month on month basis, but were comfortably up by 12.8pc year on year at 4.8mn […]

West Virginia Benefits From Increased Global Demand for Coal

Coal is once again a hot commodity. The Wall Street Journal reports a surge in the international demand for coal to produce electricity, especially in underdeveloped countries that are still trying to bring cheap, reliable power to millions of people. The Energy Information Administration reports that U.S. coal exports doubled in 2017 and are expected […]

Hampton Roads coal exports reach 4-year high

Coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, set a new four-year high in August after slumping the previous three months. The port’s terminals handled 4.29mn short tons (3.89mn metric tonnes) of coal last month, up from 2.89mn st a year earlier, according to the Virginia Maritime Association. The last time the terminals handled more coal […]

U.S. rail volume up on freight demand

Demand for freight transportation continues to drive US railroad volume higher, with shipments up on the year by 4pc, Association of American Railroads (AAR) data show. “The US economy has been improving since the 2016 slowdown,” and railroads are committed to maintaining the economic momentum, AAR senior vice president of policy and economics John Gray […]

Asia continues to lead U.S. thermal coal exports

Asia remained the top destination for US thermal coal for a ninth straight month in July. Steam coal shipments destined for Asia grew to 1.86mn short tons (1.69mn metric tonnes) from 1.39mn st in July 2017, according to figures released today from the US Census Bureau. That accounted for nearly 39pc of total US thermal […]