WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia coal production has increased steadily since the last week of December, with production from the NAPP region of the state increasing by +23.8% and CAPP production increasing by almost +23% in the first two weeks of January. Total W.Va. production increased by +23.4%.
U.S. coal production followed a similar trend, increasing by just over +28% in the first two weeks of the new year. Production from the entire Appalachian region rose by +25.6%, in the Interior region by almost +28% and in the Western region by 29% from the last week of 2020.
Thermal coal prices increased across all the basins / regions from the last week of December (CAPP +1.4%, NAPP +1.6%, ILB +0.4%, WBIT +5.2%) except for the PRB region which decreased by -1.3%. U.S. Natural gas prices, which were static (as reported by EIA) through the last week of December into the first week of January at an average of $3.62 /MMBtu, decreased last week by -23% or $0.84 MMBtu.
U.S. iron and steel production increased +6.8% from the last week of 2020, with capacity utilization increasing by +4.2%.
Electric generation was up across all the regions from the last week of December, with total output increasing by +2.2%.
U.S. Rail traffic also rebounded after the holidays. Total carloads increased almost +30%, with coal loadings going up 19.7%, finished steel and steel raw materials increased from the last week of December by 28.7%.
