Annual Review and Forecast of Utah Coal Production and Distribution — 2008

Book excerpt: Utah’s coal industry remained steady in 2008 with production totaling 24.3 million short tons for the second straight year. Production losses resulting from the closure of UtahAmerican’s deep Aberdeen mine and difficult mining conditions at the company’s West Ridge operation were made up for by increased production at Canyon Fuel’s Dugout Canyon, Skyline, and SUFCO mines. With the economy running strong for much of the year, employment averages increased 4.5%, mostly on the anticipation of full-scale longwall mining at Hiawatha Company’s Bear Canyon mine. The strong economy also helped the average price for a ton of Utah coal reach a 25-year high of $27.78. Distribution of Utah coal remained nearly steady in 2008 at 24.8 million tons, while outof- state coal imports increased by 68%, with most coal going to the Bonanza power plant in eastern Utah.