Coal Mining
Companies in this industry develop coal mine sites, extract coal from surface and underground mines, prepare coal for use, and provide support activities for coal mining. Major companies include Arch Resources and Peabody Energy (both based in the US), as well as Anglo American (UK), BHP Billiton (dually headquartered in the UK and Australia), Coal India Limited (CIL), and ShenHua Group and Yankuang Energy (both in China).
The global production for coal mining companies rose by about 8 billion tons in 2022 and will continue to rise through 2025. Increases in coal consumption are expected to be driven primarily by demand in countries such as China and India, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The largest coal-producing nations in 2022 are China, India, Indonesia, the US, and Australia.
The US coal mining industry includes about 850 mining and support establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $28 billion. About 550 million tons of coal are produced in the US in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency.
Competitive Landscape
Demand comes mainly from generators of electricity. Profitability depends on efficient operations, as coal is a commodity sold on the basis of price. Big companies have significant economies of scale in production and distribution. Small companies can compete if they hold long-term contracts or if they supply local customers. The US industry is fragmented: the top four companies account for about 35% of sales.
Because the US has ample domestic coal reserves and because of the high cost of transporting coal relative to its value, imports account for less than 5% of the US market. Colombia is the leading source of imported coal, followed by Canada. Exports, mainly to India, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands, account for about 35% of US production.
Products, Operations & Technology
Major products of companies engaged in coal mining include bituminous coal accounting for about 70% of revenue, lignite coal for about 10%, and run-of-mine
... plus:
Sales & Marketing
,
Finance & Regulation
,
Regional & International Issues
,
Human Resources
Also includes the following chapters:
Quarterly Industry Update
,
Industry Indicators
,
Business Challenges
,
Trends and Opportunities
,
Call Preparation Questions
,
Financial Information
,
Industry Forecast
,
Industry Websites
,
Glossary of Acronyms