Coronado halts Australian coal mine on roof collapse

Market: Coal, Coking coal
05/01/26

US-Australian coal producer Coronado has paused underground mining operations at its mostly coking-coal producing Curragh complex in Queensland because of a fatal roof collapse on 2 January.

Queensland regulator Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) has issued several directives to the mine to mitigate potential further risk to workers, RSHQ's chief executive Rob Djukic told Argus on 5 January. RSHQ investigators are also currently on site, Djukic added.

Coronado's open-pit mines at Curragh are operating normally, the company told investors.

Coronado has faced safety challenges before. The company suspended operations at its Lower War Eagle coal mine in West Virginia because of a fatal incident on 18 December 2025. But it has since restarted the mine, a Coronado spokesperson told Argus today.

West Virginia's Office of Miners' Health, Safety, and Training is conducting a full investigation into the incident, the state's governor Patrick Morrisey said.

Coronado's recent safety issues come alongside existing financial challenges. Australian state-owned electricity generator Stanwell finalised a long-term support package for the coal producer on 27 November 2025. The deal includes a mix of prepayment arrangements, loan facilities, and flexibility around existing coal supply contracts, Coronado said on 28 October 2025.

Stanwell previously agreed to support Coronado's Curragh complex through a $150mn coal prepayment deal on 10 June 2025.

But Coronado's financial challenges did not substantially impact production at Curragh in 2025. The company commissioned a continuous mining unit at the complex's underground mine in late-June 2025 and ramped up production at the site in July-September. It produced 3.1mn t of coal at Curragh over the quarter, up by 35pc on the year.

By Avinash Govind

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06/01/26

Viewpoint: Tighter supply may lift PRB coal prices

New York, 6 January (Argus) — Powder River Basin (PRB) coal prices could rise further in 2026 as producers face constraints on boosting output and demand holds steady. The year is starting with some US coal-fired units running longer than anticipated — some by utility choice, others under Department of Energy (DOE) emergency orders aimed at preserving grid reliability. A number of these plants consume PRB coal. TransAlta's Centralia plant in Washington consumed 1.83mn short tons (st) (1.66mn metric tonnes) of PRB coal in January-October 2025, US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data show. Consumers Energy's JH Campbell plant in Michigan used 3.7mn st over the same period, while Xcel Energy's Comanche unit 2 consumed 877,391st. All three facilities were scheduled to be retired in 2025, but will remain in operation through at least early 2026. However, the response from coal producers to any improvement in demand could be uneven, which could in turn constrict competition and boost prices. The EIA projected in December that western US coal production would decrease to 274mn st in 2026 from an estimated 284mn st in 2025. More than 80pc of western US coal output comes from the PRB. PRB coal production rose in most of 2025 after two years of declines, but annual output may still have been below 2023 levels. EIA estimated mines in Montana and Wyoming, which primarily yield PRB coal, produced 228.2mn st from 1 January through 27 December 2025, up by 5.9pc from the same period in 2024. In comparison, mines in those states produced 266.3mn st in all of 2023. While larger producers in the basin appear optimistic about market conditions for this year, the two biggest PRB producers — Peabody Energy and Core Natural Resources — said in October they had nearly all of their expected 2026 production already under contract to sell. "Are we confident about running at max capacity for the next couple of years?" asked Malcolm Roberts, Peabody's chief commercial officer, on 30 October. "The answer is definitely yes in the PRB." However, "adding on capacity is not something you do for one year; it is going to need customer commitments, and then we'll be looking for the price signals," Peabody chief executive officer Jim Grech said. "We'll see what the market does in terms of price signals to bring those additional tons on. I think that's the best way to look at it." Producers are uncertain that 2025's uptick in coal-fired generation and coal demand as well as delays in power plant retirements will continue beyond the next few years. Some market participants expect smaller producers with higher-cost operations to eventually be forced out of business as major banks continue to pull back on lending to coal mining companies. In the near term, PRB coal producers are diversifying their client portfolios, which may leave some larger utilities unable to secure all the coal they have requested. This supply tightness has already lifted prices for additional tons sought for prompt quarter deliveries. PRB 8,800 Btu/lb coal prompt quarter shipments were assessed at $14.95/st in the week ended 2 January, well above the $13.10/st and $13.95/st in the same weeks of 2025 and 2024, respectively. Additionally, some sellers are adding extra charges — or ‘adders' — to contracts for coal shipments that might be postponed from 2026 to 2027. PRB mine employment and operating hours continued on a downward trend for most of 2025. The basin's mines employed an average 4,226 people in the first nine months of the year, according to the US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the fewest employees since January-September 2004. The number of hours each miner worked in January-September 2025 was the lowest since the first nine months of 2005. Average employment at PRB mines in January-September decreased by 6.9pc from the same nine months of 2024, with miners' hours down by 3.7pc in the same period, MSHA data show. The declines in employment and hours worked took place even as coal-fired generation in PRB-consuming regions of the US such as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) topped year-earlier levels. EIA projected in December that coal power in MISO, ERCOT and the Southwest Power Pool would slip in 2026. Some of its forecast likely was based on power plant retirements, including the closures of some facilities that have since been postponed or are likely to be postponed. For example, the agency's generator inventory data for November had unit 2 of Xcel Energy's Comanche coal plant in Colorado retiring by the end of 2025, but Colorado regulators in December approved a plan to keep the Comanche unit 2 open for another year. Most US generators that have spoken with Argus anticipate coal burn in 2026 will remain largely in line with 2025 levels, while some project a slight uptick. Even utilities considering coal unit retirements are negotiating additional tons, asking PRB producers to accommodate incremental needs if their units are required to run longer. Rising demand pushed PRB mine productivity for January-September 2025 to a three-year high of 25.9 st/hour, Argus calculations of MSHA data show. More recent information from the US Labor Department and EIA suggest employment and production may have lagged behind year-earlier levels in the final months of 2025. That further sets the PRB up for tight supply in 2026. By Elena Vasilyeva Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Coal barging halted on Indonesia's Lalan river

06/01/26

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06/01/26

Coal barging halted on Indonesia's Lalan river

Singapore, 6 January (Argus) — Coal barging on the Lalan river in south Sumatra, Indonesia has been temporarily halted since 1 January. A coal barge collided with the Karang Agung bridge in the Lalan sub-district of the Musi Banyuasin region in August 2024, leading to debris obstructions, although coal barging had continued to take place after the incident. Vessels navigating the Lalan river have now been requested not to pass under the bridge — also known as the P.6 Lalan bridge — according to a local government announcement issued on 31 December. The closure came into force on 1 January. It is not clear when coal barges will be able to resume navigating the river. The halt to barging on the Lalan river is the latest in a series of transport infrastructure issues to impact coal logistics in Sumatra. The province issued a regulation to ban coal trucks from public roads in August 2025, with the embargo taking effect on 1 January 2026. Coal mining companies were directed to use either private coal hauling roads or river barges to transport their coal from their mines to seaports. The number of dedicated coal hauling roads in the region is inadequate to serve the transportation needs of the coal mining industry in the province, the Indonesian Coal Mining Association said last month. There are efforts to build coal roads but these are significant endeavours that will take time to complete, even if coal companies have the financial capacity to do so, it added. A number of coal producers in the region have reduced production as a result of the disruptions to barging and the road hauling ban although it is difficult to determine exact volumes, said a Singapore-based trader. Supply out of the affected region is likely to be heavily impacted and very few January-loading cargoes are available, another trader said. But delays to producers' receiving approvals for their work plans and budgets (RKABs) and a lack of clarity surrounding Indonesia's plans to introduce a coal export tax are also deterring producers from offering cargoes, the trader added. The ESDM said in 2025 that it was revising the validity period for RKABs back to one year from three years previously, which it said will help the government to better control the production and sales of minerals and coal. The RKAB is a document submitted by Indonesian mining companies outlining their production targets for the year. It is subject to approval by the ESDM, but some producers have faced delays in obtaining 2026 quotas. Jakarta has also previously announced plans to introduce a 1-5pc tax on coal exports from 1 January 2026, although this has been delayed . Indonesia is the world's largest thermal coal exporter and south Sumatra is one of the major coal producing regions in the country, accounting for almost 14pc of total output. Indonesia is considering setting a coal production target under 700mn t for 2026, down from its near 740mn t target for 2025, due to expectations of weaker demand from key markets China and India. By Andrew Jones Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Mexico factory contraction extends into Dec

05/01/26

News

05/01/26

Mexico factory contraction extends into Dec

Mexico City, 5 January (Argus) — Mexico's manufacturing sector contracted for a 21st consecutive month in December, though at a slower pace, according to the Mexican finance executives association IMEF purchasing managers' survey. Remaining below the 50-point expansion threshold, the manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose last month to 46.2 from a revised 45.8 in November, reflecting a slowing contraction on the month though it was still deeper in contraction than the 47.0 recorded for the PMI in October. IMEF said the "marginal improvement … failed to translate into a reversal of the cycle, reflecting a lack of solid fundamentals for a sustained recovery." Within the manufacturing PMI, sub-indexes for new orders and production fell in December from November,with new orders down by 0.6 points to 43.9 and production falling 0.2 points to 44.6, both in their 21st month of contraction. In contraction just as long, the inventories sub-index rose 2.3 points to 45.8 in December. Victor Herrera, director of economic studies at IMEF, told Argus this is due to stockpiling of imported Asian goods "in anticipation of new Mexican tariffs starting 1 January on imports from that region." And while employment edged 0.8 points higher to 44.9 in December, this extended its contraction to 23 consecutive months. IMEF's non-manufacturing PMI, which includes services, resumed contraction after two months in expansion territory, declining 0.8 points to 49.5. IMEF said the "December data reveal a cooling in non-manufacturing sector activity, which, after briefly exceeding the expansion threshold, is once again showing signs of operational fragility and loss of momentum." Within the non-manufacturing PMI, new orders fell 2.3 points to 48.9, while production slipped further into contraction, falling by 0.7 points to 48.7 in December. Employment declined 1.8 points, marking an 18th consecutive month of contraction. "Overall, the results [with both PMIs] point to an economy that is closing the year without clear momentum, in a context of structural fragility in both industry and services," said IMEF. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Viewpoint: US uses delays against 'green' policies

02/01/26

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02/01/26

Viewpoint: US uses delays against 'green' policies

Washington, 2 January (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration has increasingly used regulatory delays to impede the growth of renewable energy projects, while giving fossil fuel companies years of additional time to comply with existing regulations. The delay tactics have proven to be a potent tool for the administration assault on what Trump calls the "Green New Scam", in some cases without having to complete time-consuming rulemakings that take months to finalize. And even when delays have failed to hold up in court, such as a judge's ruling in September lifting a "stop work" order against a $4bn offshore wind project called Revolution Wind, the administration has been able to effectively revive the order months later by citing "classified" national security concerns. Trump began freezing regulations issued under former president Joe Biden hours into his second term on 20 January 2025, and he has ramped up delays in recent months. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December delayed methane restrictions for oil and gas producers by 18 months and gave coal-fired power plants an extra five years to meet new wastewater standards. The US Interior Department recently issued guidance and directives providing one-year compliance delays for flaring rules and increased minimum bonds to cover decommissioning costs. The Interior Department throughout 2025 repeatedly targeted offshore wind projects that were under construction with "stop work" orders, some of which were later reversed by courts or rescinded in response to concessions related to pipelines . US interior secretary Doug Burgum subsequently issued an across-the-board pause on all five major offshore wind projects last week, citing national security. And in July, Burgum began requiring his personal approval for 69 different categories of reviews for wind and solar, with delays trickling down even for projects located on private land. "We now really have a question about whether American companies can go to a private piece of property and build something," American Clean Power Association chief executive Jason Grumet said in October. The delay tactics have echoes of a strategy deployed under former president Joe Biden, who imposed a year-long "pause" on issuing new LNG export licenses and repeatedly held up federal oil and gas lease sales. Oil and gas officials say they want permitting to be more durable for all types of energy resources but noted a lack of outcry from the renewable energy sector in the four years when Biden was delaying fossil fuel projects. "I didn't see a lot of clean energy lobbyists out there saying that, you know, we should get the Keystone XL pipeline built, or the Constitution pipeline built, or the Mountain Valley pipeline built," American Petroleum Institute chief executive Mike Sommers said on a podcast hosted by POLITICO in September. Democrats are hoping to extract a political price against Trump for delaying renewable energy. They say the administration's blockade against many wind and solar projects are partly to blame for rising electrical bills. Last week, Senate Democrats threatened to abandon bipartisan negotiations on permitting legislation in retaliation for Burgum's directive blocking construction on offshore wind development. "The illegal attacks on fully permitted renewable energy projects must be reversed if there is to be any chance that permitting talks resume," US senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) said on 22 December. The Trump administration plans to continue delays in coming months. EPA plans to propose in "early 2026" a two-year delay of Biden-era air pollution restrictions for cars and trucks sold starting in model year 2027, EPA's top air official Aaron Szabo wrote in an opinion piece published on 19 December in The Hill. The Biden-era vehicle rule was "infeasible" and "unrealistic", Szabo said. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Viewpoint: Indonesian coal policy clouds market outlook

30/12/25

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30/12/25

Viewpoint: Indonesian coal policy clouds market outlook

Singapore, 30 December (Argus) — Indonesia, the world's largest thermal coal exporter, is weighing production cuts and policy changes that is fuelling fresh uncertainty in the global seaborne market heading into the new year. Jakarta is considering setting coal production target under 700mn t for the next year down from its nearly 740mn t target for 2025. The actual production volume can vary, but a broad government guidance signals an intent to cut the production quotas, or the RKAB, for coal producers which could weigh on overall exports. The move to tighten supplies comes as demand from key coal importing markets — China and India — has remained subdued this year. And the outlook for next year is not very encouraging. Coal producers have realigned operations in response to weak demand with Indonesia's annual coal exports likely to decline for the first time since 2020. Most suppliers are treading cautiously because of a slew of planned policy measures — such as an export tax on coal — that could be implemented as soon as January 2026. The drop in coal prices from their highs seen over the last five years have also depleted Indonesian coffers with its finance ministry eyeing additional streams of revenue by taxing coal exports , on top of the royalty and other indirect taxes and levies producers already pay. Argus assessed the widely traded GAR 4,200 kcal/kg coal for Supramax vessels at $44.99/t fob Kalimantan on 24 December, down 71pc from its all-time high of $154.21/t on 21 October 2021. Prices hit a more than four-year low of $39.40/t in June this year and have since hovered in a narrow range that some producers say barely covers costs. The Indonesian government has also taken other measures in 2025 to tighten supply as it believes that the ongoing surplus has kept prices under pressure. Some of these steps include withholding export sales proceeds in onshore bank accounts, tweaking domestic coal reference prices, or the HBA, rolling out mandatory biofuel blending norms, banning coal hauling in parts of South Sumatra, imposing export tax on coal and reverting to annual RKAB appraisals with increased compliance on mine reclamation. Such measures need careful, calibrated implementation, considering Indonesia's strategic domestic coal requirements, particularly for power generation, as well as export opportunities in a softer global market, Gita Mahyarani, executive director at the Indonesia Coal Mining Association told Argus . The lack of clarity, especially around the measures involving production cuts and export tax, add further complexity, directly affecting cost structures and investment decisions, Mahyarani added. The uncertainty over policy moves and the announced measures could result in a slowdown in coal mining and prompt producers to focus on efficiencies across the value chain and market diversification. Some coal companies are unable to plan business for the first quarter of 2026 even though there could be a January-March grace period linked to the previous three-year RKAB regime, a coal producer said. The suppliers are also not able to estimate volume and sales realisation due to lack of details on the proposed export duty. There is also ambiguity over the new production quotas, a coal trader said, adding that the market has pencilled in a drop in production and exports in the new year, as prices are expected to remain sluggish. Hundreds of small companies sitting over non-producing mines face potential sanctions with authorities directing them to comply with RKAB application norms, even as the large miners await fresh quotas. A few producers have sought flat-to-high production quotas for 2026 from a year earlier hoping to achieve scale in terms of volume to offset the decline in revenue in a weak price and demand environment. Demand trajectory Weak demand from China and India — the world's top two coal importers — is weighing on the overall seaborne market. The two countries are sitting on a huge pile of domestic reserves and suppliers from South Africa and Australia are competing for their market share in these demand centres. Indonesian sellers are also finding the Southeast Asian region — a key market that is expected to grow even though it's smaller than both India and China — highly competitive. In China — the world's biggest coal importer — economic growth is expected to slow to 4.4pc in 2026 from an estimated 4.9pc in 2025, according to World Bank projections. China is also gradually increasing the share of renewable energy in its power generation mix putting further pressure on overall coal demand. Similarly, coal burn in India has largely remained lacklustre following an extended monsoon spell in 2025 and increase in renewable power generation. The sharp depreciation of the Indian rupee in 2025 has also weighed on imports. The demand downturn in the two countries prompted several producers to change their sales strategies, with some raising shipments to Indonesian smelters in recent months. But it is not clear if these sales will account for the compulsory domestic market obligation that Indonesian miners need to adhere to where they must sell at least a quarter of their production locally, a producer said. Sellers have also adjusted sales as key buyers in Asia are focusing more on spot or short-term fixed price and index-linked contracts given the looming uncertainties, another trader said. The Indonesian coal industry is witnessing a situation of falling output chasing weaker demand with some traders facing liquidity issues. In this context, regulatory clarity and consistency remain critical, Mahyarani added, pointing to Jakarta's steps to rebalance the coal market through policy moves. "As the industry closes 2025 amid weaker demand and escalating cost pressures, 2026 will be shaped by careful policy calibration and strengthened operational discipline," she added. By Saurabh Chaturvedi Indonesia's thermal coal exports (mn, t) India, China thermal coal imports (mn, t) Indonesian thermal coal prices ($/t) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Coronado halts Australian coal mine on roof collapse

Related news posts

Viewpoint: Tighter supply may lift PRB coal prices

Viewpoint: Tighter supply may lift PRB coal prices

Coal barging halted on Indonesia's Lalan river

Coal barging halted on Indonesia's Lalan river

Mexico factory contraction extends into Dec

Mexico factory contraction extends into Dec

Viewpoint: US uses delays against 'green' policies

Viewpoint: US uses delays against 'green' policies

Viewpoint: Indonesian coal policy clouds market outlook

Viewpoint: Indonesian coal policy clouds market outlook

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