Sept 15 Reuters China39;s August coal output rose 2 from a year earlier, rebounding modestly after tightened safety measures reined in operations at the major mining hubs the month before, although analysts expected the curbs would continue to constrain production.

China, the world39;s biggest coal producer, churned out 382.17 million metric tons of the fossil fuel last month, equivalent to 12.33 million tons per day, data from the National Bureau of Statistics NBS showed on Friday.

That exceeded the previous month39;s 377.54 million tons but was lower than June39;s 390.1 million tons. China launched more stringent safety inspections in July after two accidents.

Some coal mines in the mining hubs that were previously closed are resuming production, but the safety checks have not been relaxed, analysts at China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association said.

We expect the impact of the inspections on coal production will be sustained in the near term, and it could be hard to bring China39;s coal output back to the level seen in the first half of this year.

More than a dozen coal mines in China39;s top mining province Shaanxi were temporarily shut down after a gas explosion at a coal mine in late August killed 11 people.

In the neighbouring Inner Mongolia region, authorities ordered coal mines to carry out selfinspections, putting a cap on production.

Average operating rates at 442 major coal mines in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia fell to 80.6 in early…