US Gulf coal loadings resume after Francine: Update

Market: Coal, Coking coal, Petroleum coke
18/09/24

Updates status of United Bulk Terminals in paragraph 4

Some coal terminals on the US Gulf Coast have resumed operations this week after power was restored following Hurricane Francine.

SunCoke Energy said today that the Convent Marine Terminal in Louisiana returned to full operations on 15 September. The company said last week that the terminal was not damaged but did lose electricity after the hurricane made landfall in the state on 11 September.

Other terminals in the area that handle coal also experienced some power outages from Francine. Kinder Morgan's International Marine Terminals is "currently ramping back up after working through some power and post-storm issues," the company said today. Kinder Morgan also said all of its other terminals are fully operational.

However, a market source on 17 September said that T Parker Host's United Bulk Terminals (UBT) in Davant, Louisiana, is still under force majeure because a barge reportedly sank and blocked the facility's barge terminal after Francine had passed through Louisiana. Prior to the barge incident, the company had expected the terminal to return to full staff on 13 September. T Parker Host did not respond for requests for comment.

Impala Terminals also has not responded to requests on the status of the Burnside terminal in Louisiana.

Vessel tracking information from analytics firm Kpler show operations from all four terminals have at least partially resumed. A total of five oceangoing vessels arrived at Burnside, UBT and Convent between 13 September and today and all but one of them had already been loaded with coal and departed by today.

By Anna Harmon

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

News

07/04/25

Flooding on US rivers mires barge transit

Houston, 7 April (Argus) — Barge transit slowed across the Arkansas, Ohio and lower Mississippi rivers over the weekend because of flooding, which prompted the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to close locks and issue transit restrictions along the waterways. The Corps advised all small craft to limit or halt transit on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MCKARNS) in Arkansas because flows reached above 200,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), nearly three times the high-water flow. The heavy flow is expected to persist throughout the week, posing risks to those transiting the river system, said the Corps. Some barges have halted movement on the river, temporarily miring fertilizer resupply efforts in Arkansas and Oklahoma in the middle of the urea application season. The Corps forecasts high flows to continue into Friday, and the National Weather Service predicts several locations along the MCKARNS will maintain a moderate to minor flood stage into Friday as well. Both the Arthur V Ormond Lock and the Toad Suck Ferry Lock, upriver from Little Rock, Arkansas, shut on 6 April because of the high flows. Flows along the Little Rock Corps district reached 271,600cfs on 7 April. The Corps forecasts high flows to continue into Friday. Ohio and lower Mississippi rivers The Corps restricted barge transit between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cairo, Illinois, on the Ohio River to mitigate barge transportation risks, with the Corps closing two locks on the Ohio River on 6 April and potentially four more in the coming days. Major barge carrier American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) anticipates dock and fleeting operations will be suspended at certain locations along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers as a result of the flooding. NWS forecasters anticipate major flooding levels to persist through the following week. Barge carriers also expect a backlog of up to two weeks in the region. To alleviate flooding at Cairo, Illinois, where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet, the Corps increased water releases at the Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River and the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River. The Markland Lock, downriver from Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Newburgh lock near Owensboro, Kentucky, closed on 6 April. The Corps expects the full closure to remain until each location reaches its crest of nearly 57ft, which could occur on 8 or 9 April, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Around 50 vessels or more are waiting to transit each lock, according to the Lock Status Report published by the Corps on 7 April. The Corps also shut a chamber at both Cannelton and McAlpine locks. The John T Myers and Smithland locks may close on 7 April as well, the Corps said. The Olmsted Lock, the final lock before the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, will require a 3mph limit for any traffic passing through. The NWS expects roughly 10-15 inches of precipitation fell along the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys earlier this month, inducing severe flooding across the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. A preliminary estimate from AccuWeather stated an estimated loss of $80-90bn in damages from the extreme flooding. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Find out more

News

Funding cuts could delay US river lock renovations

03/04/25

News

03/04/25

Funding cuts could delay US river lock renovations

Houston, 3 April (Argus) — The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will have to choose between various lock reconstruction and waterway projects for its annual construction plan after its funding was cut earlier this year. Last year Congress allowed the Corps to use $800mn from unspent infrastructure funds for other waterways projects. But when Congress passed a continuing resolutions for this year's budget they effectively removed that $800mn from what was a $2.6bn annual budget for lock reconstruction and waterways projects. This means a construction plan that must be sent to Congress by 14 May can only include $1.8bn in spending. No specific projects were allocated funding by Congress, allowing the Corps the final say on what projects it pursues under the new budget. River industry trade group Waterways Council said its top priority is for the Corps to provide a combined $205mn for work at the Montgomery lock in Pennsylvania on the Ohio River and Chickamauga lock in Tennesee on the Tennessee River since they are the nearest to completion and could become more expensive if further delayed. There are seven active navigation construction projects expected to take precedent, including the following: the Chickamauga and Kentucky Locks on the Tennessee River; Locks 2-4 on the Monongahela River; the Three Rivers project on the Arkansas River; the LaGrange Lock and Lock 25 on the Illinois River; and the Montgomery Lock on the Ohio River. There are three other locks in Texas, Pennsylvania and Illinois that are in the active design phase (see map) . By Meghan Yoyotte Corps active construction projects 2025 Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Trump to 'stand firm' on tariffs as markets crash

03/04/25

News

03/04/25

Trump to 'stand firm' on tariffs as markets crash

Washington, 3 April (Argus) — President Donald Trump does not intend to back down from his plan for sweeping import tariffs that have already caused a sell-off in global equity markets and some commodities, administration officials say. The tariffs — which will start at 10pc for most imports on 5 April before steeper country-specific tariffs take effect on 9 April, with exceptions for some energy and mineral imports — have caused key stock indexes to drop by as much as 5pc, with even larger declines in crude futures, as investors brace for lower growth and a higher chance of a recession. Trump earlier today defended the tariffs, as he prepared to leave the White House for a dinner tonight at a golf tournament at one of his resorts in Florida. "THE OPERATION IS OVER! THE PATIENT LIVED, AND IS HEALING," Trump wrote in a social media post before major stock markets opened. Trump's cabinet has downplayed the short-term price effect of the tariffs, which they say will boost economic growth in the US and cause a resurgence in domestic manufacturing. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said he does not think there is "any chance" that Trump will rescind the tariffs, and said Trump will only begin to work on new trade deals once a country has "really, really changed their ways" on trade practices. "Trump is going to stand firm because he is reordering global trade," Lutnick said today in an interview with CNN. "Make no mistake about it, America has been exploited, and he is done allowing America to be exploited." Other administration officials have suggested a greater potential for lower tariffs in the near-term. US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has encouraged world leaders to "take a deep breath" and not to "panic" because the tariff rates that Trump announced were a "ceiling" that might come down, so long as there was no retaliation. "Don't immediately retaliate, let's see where this goes, because if you retaliate, that's how we get escalation," Bessent said on 2 April during interview on Fox News. The tariffs have caused bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill, but so far legislative action has been symbolic and unlikely to become law. The US Senate, in a bipartisan vote on 2 April, approved a joint resolution that would end the justification Trump has used to put tariffs on Canada. US senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) introduced a bill today to eliminate most new presidential tariffs after 60 days without approval by the US Congress. Democrats say the tariffs will force consumers to pay far more on everyday goods, with revenue offsetting Republican plans to provide more than $5 trillion in tax cuts. "Donald Trump is using tariffs in the dumbest way imaginable. In fact, Donald Trump slapped tariffs on penguins and not on Putin," US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said today, in reference to Trump's decision to put a 10pc tariff on an island populated only with penguins. Trump has claimed his country-specific tariffs are "reciprocal" even though they have no relation to the tariffs each country charges on US imports. Instead, Trump's tariffs were calculated based on a universal equation that is set at half of the country's trade deficit with the US, divided by the country's imports from the US, with a minimum tariff rate of 10pc. Major US trading partners are preparing for retaliatory tariffs. Canada's prime minister Mark Carney said he would respond to Trump's tariffs on automobiles, which took effect today, by "matching the US approach" and imposing a 25pc tariff on auto imports that do not comply with the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. China said it was preparing unspecified countermeasures to US tariffs that would be set at 54pc. Trump's cabinet today dismissed the market reaction to the tariffs. Stock markets are going through a "short-term adjustment" but the tariffs will ultimately result in more growth and additional investments, US Small Business Administration administrator Kelly Loeffler said today in an interview on Fox News "The gravy train is over for the globalist elites," said Loeffler, who previously was a top executive at US exchange operator ICE. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

India allocates coke import quotas for FY2025-26

03/04/25

News

03/04/25

India allocates coke import quotas for FY2025-26

Singapore, 3 April (Argus) — India has allocated more import quotas of calcined petroleum coke (CPC) from a year earlier for the April 2025-March 2026 fiscal year, while allocations of green petroleum coke (GPC) quota to calciners are marginally lower on the year. India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which is part of the commerce and industry ministry, allocated a CPC import quota of 775,000t in a meeting last month, according to minutes reviewed by Argus . This was up from 500,000t in 2024-25. The DGFT allocated about 1.87mn t of GPC quota for 2025-26, marginally below the 1.9mn t granted for previous year. This quota was distributed among 25 calciners, with Rain CII Carbon securing the highest allocation of 462,589t for 2025-26, while fellow calciner Sanvira was granted permission to import 374,477t. Goa Carbon was granted a quota of 274,354t, while Paradip Calciner received a quota of 106,993t. Petro Carbon was given a quota of 83,583t, while Neo Carbons got an approval for imports of 66,871t. Brahmaputra Carbon and Guwahati Carbon secured 50,000t each. India Carbon (West Bengal) was granted a quantity of 49,563t, while India Carbon (Guwahati) received 43,828t. The remaining quota was distributed among 15 other calciners. The DGFT made the allocations in proportion to calciners' production capacity. In cases where calciners sought less than they were eligible for, the surplus was proportionately distributed among all the applicants. But in most of these cases, the allocated quantity was down from last year. The 775,000t CPC quota for 2025-26 was made to four aluminium smelters — Vedanta, Bharat Aluminium, Hindalco Industries, and state-controlled producer Nalco. Vedanta received 336,608t, Hindalco 262,126t, Bharat Aluminium 116,265t, and Nalco 60,000t. The GPC quota for calciners was hiked by 500,000 t/yr to 1.9mn t/yr from the 2024-25 fiscal year onwards, following a February 2024 order by the Commission for Air Quality Management. The order also raised the CPC quota to 800,000 t/yr with effect from the 2025-26 fiscal year, from 500,000 t/yr previously. Calciners and smelters are expected to purchase seaborne GPC and CPC based on these quotas and complete imports before 31 March 2026. Companies that are unable to fully utilise the approved quota must inform the DGFT by 31 October so that the unused quota is redistributed among other companies. Higher domestic supplies limit CPC imports A sharp increase in domestic CPC output and supplies in the last fiscal year, because of higher GPC import quotas and a price advantage compared to the seaborne market, limited smelters' imports of CPC. Most smelters were not able to use the allocated import quotas last year, said a market participant. It is unlikely that smelters would be able to entirely utilise the increased quota this year, he added. A higher CPC supply is already reducing India's demand for CPC imports from regions like China and the Mideast Gulf. Indian smelters are also finding themselves in a stronger position to negotiate domestic purchases and imported cargoes, with companies choosing domestic supply over imports from China. "This is an unusual situation as imported cargoes have been historically cheaper," one said. Meanwhile, domestic calciners are expected to continue to be aggressive in their pricing because of increased capacity use and higher economies of scale. Most imports will be done on a case-to-case basis when it offers a quality or price advantage, said another participant. Smelters received 350,800t of CPC over April 2024-February 2025, according to data from shipbroker Interocean. This was down from 491,000t a year earlier and well below the quota of 500,000t for the year ended 31 March. March data was not yet available but the total for 2024-25 should still be well below the quota. By Ajay Modi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Mexico manufacturing extends contraction in March

02/04/25

News

02/04/25

Mexico manufacturing extends contraction in March

Mexico City, 2 April (Argus) — Mexico's manufacturing sector contracted for a 12th consecutive month in March, with production and employment both deepening their slides, according to a survey released today. The manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) ticked up to 47.2 in March from 47.1 in February, but remained below the 50-point threshold between contraction and expansion, according to the latest PMI survey from the finance executive association IMEF. Manufacturing, which accounts for about a fifth of Mexico's economy, is led by the auto sector, contributing about 18pc of manufacturing GDP. Within the manufacturing PMI, the new orders index rose by 1.3 points to 45.3, still deep in contraction. Meanwhile, production fell by 0.6 points to 44.6. The employment index also declined 0.6 points to 46.4 in March, now in contraction for 14 consecutive months. Meanwhile, the non-manufacturing PMI — covering services and commerce — declined 0.8 points to 48.8 in March from 49.6 in February, holding in contraction for a fourth consecutive month. Within the non-manufacturing PMI, new orders fell 1.5 points to 48.2 and production declined 1 point to 47.5 with employment down a point as well in March to 47.5, as all three pushed deeper into contraction. In contrast, the inventories component rose 3.5 points to 50.6 into expansion territory in March. But this may be the result of company strategies to stockpile inventories ahead of US tariffs and the reciprocal measures Mexico is set to announce on 3 April, IMEF technical advisory board member Sergio Luna said. PMI data show that the economic stagnation that began in late 2024 persisted through March, with results from January and February pointing to a sharp slowdown in the first quarter, IMEF said. This follows annualized GDP growth of 0.5pc in the fourth quarter of 2024, slowing from 1.7pc in the third quarter, according to national statistics agency data. Luna said concerns over US tariffs continue to drive much of the uncertainty reflected in the PMI data. Internal factors — such as reduced government spending to contain the fiscal deficit and investor unease over judicial reforms passed last year — are also weighing on activity, Luna added. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more