US coal supplies fall 1.1 pct from last wk-Genscape

HOUSTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Coal supplies at U.S. power plants fell 1.1 percent this week from last week and were 7.9 percent greater than the same week of 2007, Genscape said Tuesday.

Electric companies had 162.3 million short tons of coal stockpiled, compared with 164.1 million tons reported last Tuesday and 150.5 million tons the same week of last year.

U.S. generators had 58 days of average coal burn on hand, one less than last week but still "hefty," Genscape said. They had four more days of supply than the same week last year, Genscape said.

Cold weather and transport disruptions in the West ended two weeks of contra-cyclical increases in stockpiles, cutting 2 million tons off utilities' coal reserves, Genscape said.

Frigid weather over the weekend could cause a further draw next week, but previously short Atlantic Coast stockpiles appear to be gaining from the decline in U.S. exports.

"The prospects for rebuilding stocks in the Mid and South Atlantic areas look solid," Genscape said.

Coal stockpiles usually shrink as winter sets in across the country and demand for electric heating grows.

Exports mainly to Europe had cut Eastern utilities ability to build stockpiles as usual during the fall, but the world economic slump is slowing the U.S. export boom.

Mathematical rounding sometimes affects the results, overstating some changes and understating others, Genscape has said. (Reporting by Bruce Nichols; Editing by Marguerita Choy)