GILLETTE, Wyo.—Union Pacific says it was more profitable in 2011 than ever before due in part to coal shipments from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin.
The Gillette News Record ( ) reported Tuesday that the Omaha-based railroad signed a contract to ship coal from the basin to unnamed utilities in Wisconsin.
Union Pacific says coal tonnage shipped from the basin last year increased 7 percent mostly because of the new business.
The company exported 5.2 million short tons of coal to foreign markets in 2011, up 1.4 million from last year. That coal came from the Powder River Basin, Utah and Colorado.
The company has warned investors that it doesn’t expect to ship as much coal from Wyoming this year. It says higher-energy coal from Colorado and Utah is more in demand.
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Information from: The Gillette News Record – Gillette,
