Production at the eight coal-producing subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd.(CIL) rose by 7.4 % in the first three quarters of fiscal 2019, although the Maharatna PSU closed December with a marginal 0.9% production drop, according to a regulatory filing.
Output in the nine-month period between April and December 2018 rose by 7.4% over a year ago, to touch 412.5 million tonnes. Asansol–based Eastern Coalfields Ltd., producing some of the best coal grades, clocked the highest growth rate of 17.2%, followed by Western Coal Fields based in Nagpur. However, Bharat Coking Coal Ltd., based in Dhanbad, showed a production decline for these nine months. A 20.2 % decline was seen in December 2018. South Eastern Coalfields in Chhattisgarh also closed the month with a production slowdown.
In respect of coal offtake, a 5.5% growth was reported for the period under review, with a slowdown in December 2018.
A CIL press brief said that the PSU increased its supplies to thermal power stations by 25.5 million tonnes during the nine months. Pithead coal stocks, which were 23.4 million tonnes at end-December, were also slowly building up at CIL-end, according to an official.
