October 19, 2020 - Weekly US coal production jumped to a six-week high of 11 million st in the week ended Oct. 10, up 6.3% from a week earlier but 14.7% lower from the year-ago week, according to the US Energy Information Administration report on Oct. 15.

The latest week was the third highest weekly total in the last seven months and was the 10th time in the last 19 weeks that all four major basins saw weekly increases.

However, the total for week 41 was the lowest total for the corresponding week in over 10 years and was also 27.1% lower than the five-year average.

Despite the lower production, utility stockpiles remained higher on an aggregate basis, totaling an estimated 116.29 million st, as of Oct. 8, up roughly 2.4% from a year earlier, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics.

For the latest week, estimated coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which is primarily made up of production from the Powder River Basin, rose to 5.15 million st, up 5.6% from the prior week but 14% lower than the year-ago week.

Since Jan. 1, the states have produced 190 million st, down 21.9% from the same period in 2019. Annualized production in the two states would total 243.86 million st, down 21.5% from a year ago.

In Central Appalachia, estimated weekly coal production climbed to 1.24 million st, up 4.8% from a week earlier but 15.4% lower than the year-ago week.

Year-to-date production in Central Appalachia is down 30% year on year at 49.45 million st, while on an annualized basis, CAPP production would total 63.53 million st, down 26.3% from a year ago.

Coal production in Northern Appalachia rose to 1.55 million st, up 7.2% from the prior week but 19.7% below the year-ago week.

Year-to-date production is 29.6% lower than a year ago at 57.69 million st, while annualized NAPP production would total 74.17 million st, down 28.3% last year.

In the Illinois Basin, estimated weekly coal production was at 1.31 million st, up 4.7% from the previous week but 20.2% from the year-ago week. Cumulative production is at 52.97 million st, down 34.6% on year, while annualized production in the IB basin would total 68.06 million st, down 31.7% from 2019 totals.

Through the first 41 weeks of the year, US coal production totals an estimated 415.27 million st, down 25.9% year on year, while production on an annualized basis is expected around 533.08 million st, which would be down 24.2% from last year.