MARKETS

Wesfarmers secures 11% coal price increase

WESFARMERS Resources' Curragh mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin has increased its metallurgical co...

Lou Caruana
Wesfarmers secures 11% coal price increase

For the July 2010 to September 2010 quarter, the weighted average free on board cost US$FOB for new contract prices of Curragh metallurgical coal (hard coking, semi-hard coking and PCI) will increase to $US225 per tonne FOB Queensland.

“The company was satisfied with the result of its negotiations for Curragh’s hard coking coal,” Wesfarmers Resources managing director Stewart Butel said.

Approximately 75% of Curragh’s contracted tonnage has moved to a quarterly pricing mechanism.

Earlier this month BHP Billiton landed a 12.5% quarterly increase in coking coal prices with Japanese steelmakers for the September quarter, according to various reports.

Sources close to the deals told Dow Jones Newswires the unnamed major Japanese steelmakers will pay $US225 a tonne/t for the upcoming quarter.

BHP and Wesfarmers settled June quarterly contracts for the commodity at $200/t, with these prices up 55% from the annual benchmark struck last year.

Quarterly contracts started up in the past few months but not all coal producers are settling on a quarterly basis.

Wesfarmers’ shares were down by 3c to $29.16 in morning trade.

TOPICS:

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2024 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies, highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Digitalisation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations that use digitalisation technology to drive improvements across all areas of mining production