Coal exports from major east coast ports reportedly increased on the year in May despite lower April volumes at several facilities.
Year-to-date through May, six major east coast terminals exported 29.8 million tons of coal, up 12% from the year-ago period, according to Argus.
Chesapeake Bay Terminals in Baltimore was a key conduit for Northern Appalachia exports, handling 1.33Mt of coal last month.
The report found volumes also rose for the year at Kinder Morgan’s Pier IX at Hampton Roads, Virginia where exports reached 1.12Mt of coal in May, though this figure was down from April’s 1.54Mt.
Argus said coal exports through nearby Dominion Terminal Associates dropped from April to 1.09Mt but were still up from 1.02Mt.
DTA is jointly owned by Alpha Natural Resources, Arch Coal and Peabody Energy.
Virginia’s Lamberts Point terminal exported 1.59Mt of coal last month, down from 2.18Mt in April and showing a shift to more steam tons this year though still predominantly used for shipping metallurgical coal.
