Coal production in the Powder River Basin totaled over about 13.4 million st in the second quarter, down 13.4% from the previous quarter and down 11% from the year-ago period, Mine Health and Safety Administration data showed.
Peabody Energy's North Antelope Rochelle mine, the basin's largest mine, produced 17.5 million st, down 18% from Q4 2019 and down 13.7% year on year.
The basin's second largest mine, Arch Coal's Black Thunder mine, produced 13.7 million st in the most recent quarter, down 22.1% from the quarter before and down 16.8% from Q1 2019.
Four mines during the first quarter rose from the previous quarter, including Peabody's Caballo mine, Blackjewel's Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr's mines, Cloud Peak's Spring Creek mine and Lighthouse Resources' Decker mine.
Caballo output was 3.3 million st, up 1% quarter on quarter and up 25% from the year-ago quarter. Eagle Butte rose 23% to 2.8 million st, although it dropped 36.4% from Q1 2019, while Belle Ayr jumped 58.2% quarter on quarter and fell 26.4% on year.
Spring Creek and Decker increased 16.2% and 17.7% from the previous quarter to 2.8 million st and 1 million st, respectively, while year on year Spring Creek's output rose 20.1% and Decker's increased 168%.
The combined output of North Antelope Rochelle, Black Thunder and Cloud Peak's Antelope mines, the three mines which produce 8,800 Btu/lb coal in the basin, totaled 36.6 million st, or 64.5% of PRB production. From the previous quarter production the mines output declined 18.9% and from the year-ago quarter production dropped 11.7%.
PRB 8,400 Btu/lb production was 20.2 million st in Q1, down 4.2% from the previous quarter and down 15.9% from the year-ago production.
On a state basis, production from Montana mines, which include Spring Creek mine, Westmoreland's Rosebud and Absaloka mines, and Decker mine, totaled 6 million st in Q1, down 0.7% quarter on quarter and up 3.1% from the year-ago quarter.
Output from the Wyoming mines, excluding the three 8,800 Btu/lb mines, totaled 26 million st, down 4.2% from Q4 and down 10% from the year-ago quarter.
Source: Platts |
