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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Quarterly coal report, October--December 1987

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7105214
For the US coal industry, 1987 was a noteworthy year. Both production and consumption reached record levels. The hot dry summer of 1987 was in large part reponsible for record coal consumption at electric utilities. Increased consumption in this sector accounted for almost the entire rise in total US coal consumption. The year ended with the highest third and fourth- quarter consumption totals ever recorded. Significant statistics for the year include the following: (1) Annual coal production rose to a record 916.9 million short tons, compared with 890.3 million short tons in 1986. (2) Coal receipts totaled 841.0 million short tons, including 721.1 million short tons received at electric utilities. (3) Coal consumption increased to 836.9 million short tons, surpassing 1986 consumption levels by more than 32 million short tons. (4) Producer and distributor stocks declined in each quarter of 1987, reaching 28.3 million short tons by year's end. The consumer stocks of 185.5 million short tons were over 10 million short tons higher than at the end of 1986, and over 20 million short tons higher than at the end of the third quarter. Consumpton rose at electric plants, but prices did not. By the fourth quarter of 1987, the average price of coal received at electric utilities was $31.16--the lowest average quarterly price since 1981. Coke imports nearly tripled in 1987 (compared with 1986) from 329 thousand short tons to 922 thousand short tons. Simultaneously, exports fell from 1.0 million short tons to nearly half as much--574 thousand short tons. (5) Coal exports dropped to the lowest level since 1983 (79.6 million tons in 1987), and imports were also down--1.7 million tons in 1987 compared with 2.2 million tons in 1986. 13 figs., 70 tabs.
Research Organization:
USDOE Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC. Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels
OSTI ID:
7105214
Report Number(s):
DOE/EIA-0121(87/4Q); ON: DE88010468
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English