The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released its Annual Coal Report 2020, which provides a closer look at the country’s coal industry. Coal production last year dropped 24.2%, according to the report, to 535.4 million short tons.
The number of producing mines also decreased to 552 from 669 mines in 2019. Coal production in basins east of the Mississippi River decreased 29.4% while production declined 20.4% in basins west of the Mississippi River.
Disposition of coal during 2020 totaled 540.1 MMst, of which 484.6 MMst was marketed as thermal coal and 55.5 MMst as metallurgical coal. Of the metallurgical coal dispositions, the report noted 42.0 MMst were exported, and 12.7 MMst were sold to domestic customers.
The total productive capacity of U.S. coal mines in 2020 was 933 MMst, a decrease of 7.6% from the 2019 level. However, U.S. coal mining productivity, as measured by average production per employee hour, increased 3.0% from the 2019 level to 6.12 short tons per employee hour.
The full Annual Coal Report 2020 can be viewed here.