WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia coal production increased again week over week, with NAPP production increasing by almost +24% and output from the CAPP region of the state increasing by +10%. National coal production increased by +11.4% from the previous week. Production from the Appalachian region increased by +11.5%. Production from the entire NAPP thermal region increased by +12.2% and implied national met production increased by just over +10%.
Year to date, West Virginia coal production is off -13.4% from 2020, -4.1% in the NAPP region of the state and -22.4% in the CAPP region. National coal production is off from the same time last year by -11.5%. Production from the Appalachian region is off by -16.7%. Compared to the same time last year, production from the entire NAPP thermal region is down by -15% and implied national met production is off by -17.3%.
Prices for thermal coal increased from the previous week by +3% for NAPP coal (+$1.55) and 3% for CAPP coal (+$1.75). Prices for ILB coal increased slightly by +0.7% (+$0.25). PRB pricing declined by -0.4% (-$0.05). Western bituminous prices declined by -0.3% (-$0.10). Natural gas prices increased slightly week over week, with Henry Hub pricing increasing by +3.27% and average natural gas prices increasing by +4.27%.
Domestic iron and steel production increased from the previous week by +0.3%, with furnace capacity utilization increasing by +0.2%. Year to date, U.S. steel production is off by -7.6% from the same time last year.
U.S. electrical output declined slightly from the previous week by -0.3%. Output from the coal regions declined by -0.15%. Generation in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions increased by +0.38%. Output from the Central Industrial Region decreased by -2.2% from the previous week.
U.S. rail traffic increased by +5.9%. Coal loadings increased by +15.8%. Finished steel and steel raw materials traffic decreased by -4.7%.