Tagged: metallurgical coal

Rising natural gas prices could mean good news for the country's coal industry...but there are still likely cuts to come in Central Appalachia. That's the gist of an article from SNL Finanacial.

An analysis out from the West Virginia Center and Policy--a nonpartisan think tank in Charleston--predicts that even while coal production in Central Appalachia declines, employment will rise.

This may sound counterintuitive. But the analysis by Sean O'Leary says that could happen, due to falling productivity. In that case, it would take the same number of miners to mine less coal.

CONSOL Energy has decided to temporarily idle two coal mines, the Buchanan Mine in southwest Virginia and the Amonate Mining Complex in southern West Virginia.

This doesn't stand out as particularly surprising news--after all, demand for coal is dropping, and factors like low natural gas prices, an unseasonably warm winter and upcoming environmental regulations have made it a tough year for the industry.