US thermal coal exports rise for 2nd month

US thermal coal exports rise for 2nd month

US thermal coal exports rose in June from year-earlier levels for a second month as buyers in the northern hemisphere stocked up ahead of the summer cooling season. Roughly 4.08mn short tons (3.7mn metric tonnes) of thermal coal departed the US during the month, up from 3.4mn st a year earlier, preliminary figures reported today […]

U.S. railroads say heatwave to reignite coal shipments this year

U.S. railroad operators expect heatwaves across the northern hemisphere to reignite coal shipments as people crank up the air conditioning to beat the heat. Grid operators from Texas to California have been relying more on natural gas and renewables to generate power, but the surge in demand could push up natural gas prices and make […]

US railroad NS expects coal exports to rise

Eastern US railroad Norfolk Southern (NS) expects coal volume to rise in the back half of 2023 as strength in export markets offsets weaker utility demand. The railroad expects production at NS-served coal mines to rise to meet export demand, which may increase shipments. But NS forecasts that seaborne coal prices may drop Utility coal […]

EIA lowers US coal burn forecasts

he US Energy Information Administration (EIA) lowered its US coal consumption and generation forecasts for this year and 2024 as natural gas prices have been lower than expected. The agency today revised its forecast for overall coal consumption down to 410.4mn short tons (372.3mn metric tonnes) in 2023 and 397.4mn st in 2024, from 512.6mn […]

US coking coal exports continue to rise in May

US coking coal exports rose by 4.9pc on the year and 18.1pc on the month to 4.3mn t in May, driven by increases in shipments to India, Brazil and China. Exports to India totalled 897,717t in May, up by 27.6pc on the year as stronger demand for finished steel from Europe drove Indian steel exports up […]

Coal transport: Eastern rail rates mixed

Rail rates to US east coast export terminals rose this month as some buyers reentered global markets, while domestic rates dropped as utility demand remained limited. The rate to ship coal from the Pittsburgh Seam and Central Appalachia to export terminals rose by 15¢/short ton to $29.75/st and $35.75/st, respectively, compared with May assessments. Rising […]

BNSF must haul 4.2mn st of Montana coal: STB

US rail regulators have ordered western US railroad BNSF to haul 4.2mn short tons of coal this year from producer Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s (NTEC) mine in Montana to a Canadian export terminal. The delivery of those 4.2mn st (3.8mn metric tonnes) must be spread equally throughout the year at a pace of 23 trains/month, […]

US thermal coal exports resume gains in May

US thermal coal exports resumed year-on-year increases in May despite flagging demand from buyers in Europe. Steam coal shipments climbed to just over 4mn short tons (3.63mn t) from 3.07mn st in May 2022, according to US Commerce Department data released on 6 July. This followed an 11pc decrease in exports in April. May’s year-on-year gain was […]

Appalachian coal output climbed in 1Q

Appalachian coal production increased in the first quarter of 2023 to meet higher demand from seaborne coal markets. Northern and Central Appalachian coal mines produced a combined 38.9mn short tons (35.3mn metric tonnes) in the first quarter, up by 4.3pc from the same quarter in 2022, according to US Mine Safety and Health Administration data. […]

US coal exports, rail volumes at multi-year highs

US coal exports in March rose to the highest in more than four years, helping to boost first-quarter US shipments and volumes at eastern US railroads. US ports in March shipped 9.48mn short tons (8.6mn metric tonnes) of coal, up from 7.31mn st a year earlier and the most since October 2018, according to US […]