Colombia coal output up to 74.35 mln T in '2010

Sunday, 13 February 2011
Colombia coal production and exports rose 2 percent in 2010 from the previous year but missed government targets, the mining regulator said.Heavy rains and floods hit the world's No. 5 coal exporter last year that hurt production at high-quality thermal coal mines in the northeast at a time when global supplies were tight due to problems in many major exporters.

The Ingeominas regulator said output was 74.35 million tonnes, nearly 6 million tonnes below the government's target last year, but up from 72.8 million tonnes in 2009.Exports rose to 68.14 million tonnes from 66.75 million tonnes in 2009, it said in projections based on royalty payments.Coal exporters in Colombia are still trying to catch up on delayed shipments after rains last year, caused by the La Nina weather phenomenon, which has also done billions of dollars in damages in the country.Colombia's coal industry is dominated by big thermal producers with their own port and rail facilities such as Glencore, Drummond and Cerrejon, which is owned equally by BHP Billiton, Anglo American and Xstrata.Supply disruptions in key exporting countries such as Australia have boosted coal prices. Sharp spikes and falls in the past two months are expected to continue this year although the general trend is for a strengthening market overall.The forecasts for average 2011 coal prices given by 22 analysts and industry players polled by Reuters were $30-37 a tonne higher than predictions given in January last year but only slightly higher than current values.
(source: Reuters)