Coal production in Colombia, the world’s fifth-largest coal exporter, fell 7.2% in the first quarter because of low prices and coronavirus quarantine measures, Reuters reported. The South American country produced 19.4 million metric tons (mt) of the fuel between January and March, compared with output of 20.9 million mt in the same period in 2019. More than two months of coronavirus lockdown began in March. Though coal mining was exempt from a full shutdown, many mines reduced operations initially.
Colombia produced 82.2 million mt of coal in 2019. Major players in the coal industry include Cerrejon, jointly owned by BHP Group, Anglo American Plc and Glencore Plc, Drummond and Prodeco, which is a unit of Glencore.
