Coal mines and railroads in Queensland are continuing to shut down as the flood situation in the Australian state continues. The coal supply shortfall in the global market is currently picked up by US coal producers.
The latest miner to stop coal production in the state is New Hope Corporation. The company shutdown its thermal coalmines in the south east of Queensland after they were hit by the substantial rainfall in the region.
The continuous heavy rains that have been lashing the state have affected the full coal chain from mines to railways to shipping. Queensland Rail said that the extent of damage to the railway caused by landslides on the Toowoomba Range on Monday cannot be assessed right away.
At Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal only 60 % of its normal volume of coal exports has been shipped out in the month of January. 1.5 million tonnes of coal has left the port in January as compared to a normal volume of 2.5 million tonnes. Stockpiles in inland miles are also running out and smaller mines are cancelling trains scheduled to haul coal from the mine to the ports.
About $2 billion worth of coal production is being lost thanks to the heavy rains and flooding. Analysts say that even after the rains stop it will take two to three months for mines to get back to full production. The companies will also struggle to meet their production guidance for the year.