US coal stockpiles totaled an estimated 165.6 million st for the week ended April 30, up 1.6% from the prior week and 29.2% from a year ago, Platts unit Bentek Energy said Friday. Utility coal consumption totaled 13.4 million st as it increased 2% with gains in the MISO and ERCOT regions, Bentek said. While recent coal consumption has been increasing, consumption is still 7% off from the same period last year. Coal production gains outweighed the increased consumption totaling 17.9 million st for the week, an increase of 6% from the prior week, Bentek said. Coal production is still down 5% on a year-to-date basis. –Jeffrey McDonald, [email protected] –Edited by Richard Rubin, [email protected] Platts Coal Trader provides the latest prices for key benchmark coals, as well as: Daily pricing for tons and allowances for SO2 and NOx emissions The exclusive Platts OTC Broker Index, a market assessment compiled […]