The price of Australian steel-making coal has jumped up 15 percent has producers have problems in the lingering after effects of Cyclone Debbie.

Queensland provides about 60 percent of the world's coking coal, but the storm caused damage to the rail lines that mark its first step to the rest of the world.  And the bank UBS says flooding in QLD is blocking around five percent of global supplies from reaching the world export market  Rail freight operator Aurizon says it could take several weeks to get its operations back to normal on the Goonyella rail corridor.  The Blackwater, Newland, and Moura rail systems are also impacted.

Peabody Energy said the impact of the cyclone has cut shipments from mine to port.  Glencore acknowledges that exports "will be significantly impacted until flood waters recede and repairs to the rail systems are completed".  BHP Billiton is resuming operations in Queensland's Bowen Basin and will continue to monitor impacts to production - the company donated $250,000 to the Salvation Army to support those affected by Cyclone Debbie.

QCoal and YanCoal Australia have declared "force majeure", a fancy term businesses use to say that circumstances beyond their control will prevent them from meeting the terms of a contract.