Coal

Xavier Prevost, XMP Consulting, South Africa, provides a brief overview of the McCloskey Coal Conference 2011, which took place in Cape Town.

The Colombian Government has hinted that its suspension of new requests for mining concessions may last longer than the initial six months.

Funding for small-scale solar, biomass and other carbon reduction projects in the UK could rise significantly if consistent reporting guidelines for these schemes can be agreed, a study from BRE Trust, owner of the UK’s leading building research body BRE showed.

Rio Tinto profits rose to US$ 14.3 billion in 2010 on the back of rising commodity prices and strong growth in developing markets. Of that, the energy group, which includes coal and uranium, increased its underlying earnings to US$ 1.187 billion, a 2% increase on the previous year.

Paul Bright, SRK (UK) Ltd, UK, provides an introduction to the Colombian coal industry.

A state mining company will be established in South Africa by the end of this month, although much of its work will be contracted out to private companies.

The South African Chamber of Mines has hit back after Eskom, the country’s state-owned utility, criticised coal quality and supplies, accusing the miners of chasing higher profits by favouring exports.

The disruption to coal production in Australia is prompting power producers to seek elsewhere for their coal supplies.

ExxonMobil’s energy outlook shows rising global energy demand, shift toward natural gas and energy efficiency gains.

Peabody Energy believes the world is in the early stages of a long-term supercycle for coal driven by increasing energy use in China, India and other emerging markets, global growth in steel consumption and a lack of alternative supplies with the cost and scale required.

The board of Riversdale Mining Ltd, including the representative from Tata Steel Ltd (TSL), has unanimously recommended that Riversdale shareholders accept the offer by Rio Tinto to purchase all Riversdale shares for $16.00 cash/share.

WestSide Corp. Ltd, the operator of the Meridian SeamGas CSG gas fields in the Bowen basin, Queensland, Australia, has advised that drilling of a pilot production well commenced on 22 January 2011. The well will be drilled to a depth of 550 m.

Thiess has been awarded a major coal seam gas upstream infrastructure contract in the Surat basin, Queensland, Australia.

Riversdale Mining has surprised the coal industry by planning longer-term price negotiations with its customers for coking and thermal coals.

Coal of Africa Ltd has announced that it has lodged a new order mining right application with the Department of Mineral Resources in the Limpopo Province of South Africa for its Makhado coking coal project.