Amid the global scare of COVID-19 pandemic, many coal producers and miners, even in remote areas, seemingly far from the pandemic, are temporarily halting their production. With the emergency and lockdown measures being adopted by various nations to fight COVID-19, let us analyse the disruptions in mining operations of major coal producing nations.
South Africa:
South Africa which is a major exporter of thermal coal has announced 21 days lockdown starting from 26 March. With this, the commercial mining operations in the country have been stopped in view to contain the spread of coronavirus.
This restriction is going to impact the country’s coal production in the upcoming months and its availability in the exports market especially that of India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Middle east countries.
Indonesia:
The coal mining operations are going uninterrupted in Indonesia amid no lock down or emergency measures in the country. However, COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the global demand for coal thus giving headache to Indonesian miners. The country which is largest thermal coal supplier mainly focuses on China and India for its exports. However, with slow economic activity in China and no demand from India, Indonesian coal demand is taking a big hit.
Colombia:
Colombia, the world’s fourth-largest coal exporter, imposed a 19-day national quarantine until the end of 13 April 2020.
While coal mining operations have been exempted from quarantine, country’s coking coal and metallurgical coke production has fallen after many workers returned to their hometowns amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak in the country. Companies are also facing difficulties transporting coal from the interior of the country to Caribbean and Pacific ports.
Exporters are facing loading delays because vessels coming from abroad are being inspected by maritime authority as a part of sanitary control measures. Colombia’s exports to India have also been affected as berthing and uploading activities have halted at some major ports.
Australia:
In case of Australia, although the mining companies and workers are joined together to come up with a COVID-19 plan to keep mines up and running, border controls have been extended to FIFO (First in First out) mine workers.
Only critical interstate fly-in-fly-out mine workers are being allowed into Queensland to protect remote and regional communities and local mine workforces.
The US-Australian coal company Coronado Resources has shuttered four Appalachian mines and will ship from stocks, although it will maintain operations at its Curragh coking coal mine in Australia. No updates of closure are heard in case of other Australia-based coal miners.
Mozambique:
Mozambique, upcoming coal exporting hub has announced 30 days national state of emergency limiting cross-border movement of people starting from 1 April to contain COVID-19 spread.
The Brazilian mining company Vale, which operates Mozambique’s largest coal mine, at Moatize, in the western province of Tete, has decided to send its Brazilian staff and their families (a total of 250 people) back to Brazil, because of the threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, Indian-owned Jindal Africa said it is continuing to produce coal and that Beira port remains open, with the firm shipping one cargo from the port last week.
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