By Olivia Kalb

August 13, 2018 - Weekly US coal production totaled an estimated 15.9 million st in the week that ended Saturday, up 6.2% from the prior week and 0.9% from the year-ago week, according to US Energy Information Administration data, released Thursday.

The most recently concluded week showed a production peak for the year so far, along with a year-high for combined production from Wyoming and Montana.

Coal production in Wyoming and Montana, which is mostly made up of production from the Powder River Basin, was an estimated 7.4 million st, up 7% from last week, but down 2.3% from the year-ago week.

On an annualized basis, production in the two states would total 338.6 million st, down 3.7% from last year.

In Central Appalachia, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 2 million st, up 3.6% from last week and up 17% from last year. Annualized production would total 96.5 million st, up 5.4% from 2017.

Weekly coal production in Northern Appalachia totaled an estimated 2 million st, up 6.8% from last week and 7.9% compared with last year. Annualized production would total 99.5 million st, down 5.3% from last year.

In the Illinois Basin, weekly coal production totaled an estimated 1.7 million st, up 3.8% from last week and 6.1% from last year. Annualized production in the basin would total 103 million st, down 0.3% from 2017

Through the 31 weeks of the year, US coal production totaled an estimated 445 million st, and would total an estimated 747 million st on an annualized basis, down 3.5% from last year.