RE: Tecc6 Mar 2024 17:16
Tro,
Sorry about the late reply.
They can't increase production as they are limited by the size of the wash plant and the storage capacity of the site.
The other option would be to ship more to Integrity, their off-take partner, rather than store.
However, they are limited by the number of trains Norfolk Southern provide each month. NS is entirely independent of BC, services multiple mines, and has no interest in increasing the number of trains it provides. Ideally NS send 7 or so trains per month allowing BC to ship up to 70,000/80,000 tons per month. Frequently they dont send as many, and BC have to limit production accordingly.
The whole operation is perfectly viable as long as met-coal prices remain above around $205, but they can't make further savings by scaling up due to storage constraints and ability to ship. Effectively, they are now at peak production, margins only now increase with the price of met.
If met goes below $205 for a sustained period, its likely BC would go bust, so it's a straight play on met coal prices.