Coal prices were mixed in the week, with most prices largely flat, but with lower-sulfur Eastern and Midwestern coals moving slightly higher in some cases as SO_2 allowances passed the 1,000 dollars mark. The coal industry spent the week watching a slew of third-quarter financial reports from utilities and coal companies detailing a still-tight and high-priced US coal market that companies have had varying success in taking advantage of. Third-quarter results at coal companies were dominated by high pricing, not only for the coal the companies are selling, but also for the products they use. Cost control, always closely watched at commodity companies, has been difficult because of soaring petroleum and rubber costs, and coal company results have been impacted by their inability to hold down production costs.
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