BTU and ACI are in the same business and the report bangup numbers. If you read their reports their are several startling things that hit you. For example, the average price per ton of appalachian coal for ACI is over $69/ton. For ARLP, it is a little over $60/ton. Why this $9/ton discrepancy? Why cannot ARLP get the same prices? Spot prices are through the roof and, yet, ARLP's Illinois basin coal selling price did not increase at all. Both ACI's and BTU's went up.
All we get is this lame excuse about synfuel. Hey, I just want them to be able to sell their coal at the same price their competitors do.