Colombia’s January to September Coal Output Sinks 11.2 Percent

Reuters reported that Colombia’s January to September coal production came to 60 million tonnes, an 11.2-percent decrease from the same period last year, as per the National Mining Agency. The fall is being pinned on strikes faced by the country’s biggest miners as well as guerilla attacks on railways.

As quoted in the market news:

The world’s No. 4 coal exporter has a nationwide target to produce 94 million tonnes of coal this year, up from 89.2 million tonnes for all of last year, but it will now take a surge in output to achieve it in the final quarter of 2013.

Colombia produced a higher 67.6 million tonnes in the first nine months of last year but disruption in the coal sector has been rife this year with strikes at its top two miners, Cerrejon and Drummond, lasting a month and seven weeks respectively.

Click here to read the full Reuters report.