Macarthur Coal Ltd., the world's biggest exporter of pulverized coal, said fourth-quarter sales rose 10 percent after the line of vessels outside Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal fell, allowing it to ship more coal.

Sales gained to 1.2 million metric tons in the three months ended June 30, from 1.1 million tons a year earlier, Brisbane- based Macarthur said today in a statement. A ``significant fall in the queue of vessels'' allowed more shipments, Macarthur said.

Prices for steelmaking coal jumped threefold to a record $300 a metric ton this year as floods in Australia and bottlenecks in port and rail infrastructure constrained supplies. Profit rose as much as 35 percent in the 2008 fiscal year on increased shipments and the sale of a mine, Macarthur said July 10.

``There continues to be strong growth in the steel market,'' Macarthur said. ``This, in conjunction with continued supply shortages due to limited infrastructure and the flooding event in Queensland last quarter, are keeping the demand for metallurgical coal tight.''

Macarthur, 19.9 percent owned by the world's largest steel producer ArcelorMittal, rose as much as 2.2 percent to A$15.08. It traded at A$15.08 at 11:36 a.m. Sydney time on the Australian stock exchange.

Production fell 4.1 percent to 943,000 tons as its Coppabella mine recovers from the flooding, it said. The mine remains under force majeure, a legal clause that allows a company to miss deliveries because of circumstances beyond its control, it said.

``Operations are gradually recovering and the potential for lifting the force majeure situation will be reviewed in the later in the year.''