According to U.S. Energy Information Administration quarterly report published on January 3, 2023, the Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides detailed quarterly data on U.S. coal production, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, quality, and stocks as well as on refined coal. The report also provides data on U.S. coke production, consumption, stocks, imports, and exports. All data for 2021 and previous years are final. All data for 2022 are preliminary.
Highlights for the third quarter of 2022
- U.S. coal production during the third quarter of 2022 totaled 154.3 million short tons (MMst), which was 5.9% higher than the previous quarter and 4.0% higher than the third quarter of 2021. Production in the Western region, which represented about 58.0% of total U.S. coal production in the third quarter of 2022, totaled about 89.5 MMst (0.5% higher than the third quarter of 2021).
- U.S. coal exports for the third quarter of 2022 (20.7 MMst) decreased 9.8% from the second quarter of 2022. The average price of U.S. coal exports during the third quarter of 2022 was $205.71 per short ton.
- The United States continued to import coal primarily from Colombia (64.6%), Canada (28.6%), and Indonesia (0.9%). No imports from Australia were recorded for the third quarter of 2022. U.S. coal imports in the third quarter of 2022 totaled 2.0 MMst. The average price of U.S. coal imports during the third quarter of 2022 was $134.59 per short ton.
- Steam coal exports totaled 9.2 MMst (7.9% lower than the second quarter of 2022). Metallurgical coal exports totaled 11.6 MMst (11.3% lower than the second quarter of 2022).
- U.S. coal consumption totaled 145.1 MMst in the third quarter of 2022, which was 23.1% higher than the 117.9 MMst reported in the second quarter of 2022 and 13.5% lower than the 167.9 MMst reported in the third quarter of 2021. The electric power sector accounted for about 92.8% of total U.S. coal consumption in the third quarter of 2022.
- In the third quarter of 2022, coal stocks dropped to 102.0 MMst from 112.5 MMst at the end of the second quarter of 2022 (a 9.3% decrease). Stocks in the electric power sector decreased to 80.2 MMst from 87.4 MMst at the end of the second quarter of 2022.
