By Olivia Kalb

February 2, 2021 - Powder River Basin coal production totaled over 42.1 million st in the fourth quarter of 2020, down 29.6% from the previous quarter and down 41.7% from the year-ago quarter, Mine Safety and Health Administration data said Feb. 1.

Full-year production in 2020 was 230 million st, down 21.8% from 2019.

Peabody Energy's North Antelope Rochelle mine was 16.2 million st in Q4, down 11.6% from the previous quarter and down 24% year on year. Full-year output was 66.1 million st, down 22.5% from the previous year.

Fourth quarter output from Arch Resources' Black Thunder mine totaled about 12.7 million st, down 7.2% from Q3 and down 27.7% from the year-ago quarter. Black Thunder produced 50.2 million st throughout the year, down 30.3% year on year.

Antelope mine, owned by Navajo Transitional Energy Company, produced over 4.5 million st in the fourth quarter, down 16.7% from the quarter before and down 27.6% from the year-ago quarter. Full-year output from the mine was 19.8 million st, down 14.8% from 2019.

Production from PRB 8,800 Btu/lb mines totaled 17.2 million st in Q4, down 54% from the previous quarter and down 61.9% from the year-ago quarter, while full-year output dropped 24.6% to 136 million st.

PRB 8,400 Btu/lb coal had output of over 19.6 million st, up 10.6% from Q3 and down 6.7% from Q4 2019, and full-year 2020 production was 73.6 million st, down 16.6% year on year. Production from mines with 8,000 Btu/lb coal was 1.8 million st, up 7% quarter on quarter and down 36.8% year on year, while full-year output was 7.7 million st, down 22% from 2019.

Full-year 2020 output from Kiewit Mining Group's Buckskin mine decline the most year on year by 45% to 9.7 million st.

Western Fuel Association's Dry Fork mine followed, down 35.7% to 5.3 million st, and Westmoreland Coal's Absaloka mine came third with output of 2.1 million st, down 33.4% from 2019.