(LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia coal production decreased from the previous week by -3.5%. Production from the state’s NAPP region decreased by -5.1% and by -1.4% from the CAPP region of the state. Compared to the same 22 weeks of 2021, year to date statewide coal production is up +4.5%. +4.8% in the NAPP region of the state and +4.2% in the state’s CAPP region.
National coal production also decreased week over week by -2.5%. -4.7% in the Appalachian region, -1.7% in the Interior coal region and -1.7% from the Western coal region. Compared to the same time last year, U.S. coal production is up +3%. +3.2% in the Appalachian region and +4.7% in the Western coal region. Production is off -2.8% compared to same time last year in the Interior coal region.
EIA reported spot prices for domestic Appalachian thermal coal increased 3.1% week over week, CAPP +$0.85 and NAPP +$3.00 / ton. Prices for Illinois Basin coal were unchanged week over week. Powder River Basin thermal coal prices decreased by -0.3% (-$0.05) and Western Bituminous pricing decreased by -0.04% (-$0.15). Compared to the same week in 2021, prices for CAPP thermal coal are up +110.6%, NAPP +95.1%, Illinois Basin +258.9%, Powder River Basin +28.7% and Western Bituminous thermal coal are up +22.8%. Average U.S. natural gas prices increased from the previous week by +12.5%. Compared to the same week last year, average U.S. natural gas prices are up +221.9%.
According to date reported by West Virginia’s two Class One railroad systems, the number of unit coal trains in the entire Northern Appalachian and Central Appalachian coal regions holding per day increased +10.2%. Coal carloads from the NAPP and CAPP region increased week over week by +9.7%. River barge loadings of West Virginia coal decreased week over week by -7.9%.
Domestic iron and steel production increased week over week by +0.5% with furnace capacity utilization increasing by +0.4% from the previous week. Compared to the same 21 weeks of 2021, year to date U.S. iron and steel production is off -1.5%. Cumulative furnace capacity utilization is up +2.4% compared to the same time last year.
U.S. electric generation decreased week over week by -5.7%. Generation in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions decreased -4.4% week over week. Output in the Central Industrial region decreased -6.5% from the previous week. Compared to the same time last year, U.S. electric generation is up +3.6%. +1.9% in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions and +2.6% in the Central Industrial region.
U.S. rail traffic increased from the previous week by +1.4%. Coal carloads decreased by -2.5%, steel raw materials and finished steel traffic decreased -2.5% and auto parts and finished auto carloads decreased by -0.8%. Compared to the same 22 weeks of 2021 year to date U.S. railroad traffic is off -3.5%. Coal carloads are up +5.4%, steel making traffic is off -6.4% and auto making traffic is off -3.6% from last year.
