Coal News - Australia
News Archive 2006
Archived
headlines with precis for selected news items
relating to coal in an Australian context - 2006 ...
This month's news... click here
>>
November 2006 >>
A reality that greenhouse idealists choose to ignore
If coal exports from the proposed Anvil Hill mine do not go ahead, not one molecule less carbon dioxide will be emitted to the atmosphere, because the overseas customers for the coal will simply buy it elsewhere.
Sydney Morning Herald - Thursday 30 November 2006
Law changes won't solve climate change: Campbell
Federal Environment Minister Senator Ian Campbell says a proposed amendment to federal environment laws to reflect a New South Wales Environment Court ruling is not a solution to climate change.
ABC Regional Online - Australia - Tuesday 28 November 2006
Resources back cash flows
Deloitte's annual survey of the industry for the Queensland Resources Council, released last week to coincide with the QRC's annual lunch provides a picture of the 2005-06 boom and its importance to the state.
Courier Mail, Brisbane - Sunday 26 November 2006
Hawaii Taxpayers to Finance Coal Plant
Kauai Ethanol (a.k.a. Maui Ethanol) wants to build a coal plant to make ethanol from molasses. The ethanol would be sold as a green renewable energy. Each gallon of ethanol produced would require 4.18 pounds of imported Australian Coal.
Hawaii Reporter - Sunday 26 November 2006
Trillion pillion: it's riding on the resources boom
This resources boom had better continue - potentially, there's $1.31 trillion depending on it... On the black coal front, KPMG has identified 31 potential new developments with a combined capital cost of $7 billion...
The Australian - Friday 24 November 2006
Aussie help for Bengal mines
Australia is keen to help Bengal in deep mining of coal and share the technologies it uses for safe mining. Australia is a leading coal exporter accounting for 30 per cent of global trade.
Calcutta Telegraph - India - Wednesday 22 November 2006
Coal, gas and renewables will have to fill shortfall
Electricity demand will more than double by 2050 but even if 25 nuclear power stations are built by then, nuclear energy will still only account for about one-third of total national generating capacity.
The Australian - Wednesday 22 November 2006
Adapting for the future
The Federal and Victorian Governments are to be congratulated on their decision to work with industry through the CO2CRC to retrofit the Hazlewood coal-fired power station in Latrobe Valley with carbon capture and storage.
Online Opinion - Lord Oxburgh - Wednesday 22 November 2006
$50 million state grant a win for 'clean' coal
The Victorian Government has pledged $50 million to fund yet another clean coal technology in the Latrobe Valley. This time the grant has been made to HRL, an Australian-owned group spun out of the old State Electricity Commission that has proprietary coal-drying technology.
The Age, Melbourne - Monday 20 November 2006
Globalisation good, PM tells rock stars
Mr Howard went into the APEC meeting where he will advocate the need to address climate change without jeopardising Australia's economic advantage from fossil fuels. He believes technology is the key to dealing with global warming....
The Age, Melbourne - Saturday 18 November 2006
Union calls for investment in clean coal technologies
The Australian Coal Association has welcomed union calls for greater investment in so-called clean coal technology, and called on electricity companies to do the same.
ABC Radio, PM - Thursday 16 November 2006
Australian minerals development programmes reaches new record
Coal mine developments in Queensland and New South Wales are expected to raise coal production capacity by around 35 million tonnes a year in the next two or three years. The combined capital cost of these seventeen projects is $2.4 billion.
Mineweb - South Africa - Wednesday 15 November 2006
PM in greenhouse talks with business
John Howard will today begin talks with business leaders on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Age, Melbourne - Wednesday 15 November 2006
Felix to sell coal mine stake
Australian coal miner, Felix Resources Ltd, has agreed to sell a 49% stake in the Yarrabee mine in Queensland to Coal Resources Corp for A$68 million.
Mining Magazine - London, UK - Tuesday 14 November 2006
PM to set up carbon trade group
Prime Minister John Howard will set up a business-Government group to prepare the ground for Australia's potential participation in a global emissions trading system.
The Age - Melbourne - Tuesday 14 November 2006
Gladstone Mayor brands coal limits regressive
The Mayor of Gladstone in central Queensland has labelled a move by a New South Wales council to limit coal exports out of their city as regressive.
ABC Online - Tuesday 14 November 2006
Harnessing clean coal technology
Experts from Australia, China and the U.S. will deliberate on underground coal gasification (UCG) at a seminar on "Indo-U.S. dialogue: working group on coal and Asia-Pacific partnership: coal mining task force workshop on underground coal gasification."
The Hindu - India - Monday 13 November 2006
PM says he wants to raise climate change and energy at APEC
Prime Minister John Howard said Sunday he wanted to discuss climate change and global energy supplies when he attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi this week.
Planetsave Network - Monday 13 November 2006
G-20 asked to consider deal on commodity supplies
The Australian government said Sunday that it would like the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations to consider an agreement on energy and commodities trading when they meet in Melbourne next weekend.
International Herald Tribune - France - Sunday 12 November 2006
CFRI joins hands with Aussie firm to reduce emission
Dhanbad-based Central Fuel Research Institute (CFRI) is all set to collaborate in a five-year project for post combustion programme of the energy-technology division of CSIRO, Australia.
The Times of India - Sunday 12 November 2006
Business B&B charges into $900m power fund
Babcock and Brown Power (BBP) will become the leading listed power generation company in Australia with assets in every mainland state and the potential to supply 2900MW of electricity to a market it says will soon be in short supply.
The Australian - Saturday 11 November 2006
Solid Energy seeks carbon storage
Solid Energy is surveying underground carbon dioxide storage sites in Otago and Southland as part of a 20-year, $100 million investment programme into clean coal technology.
National Business Review, New Zealand - Friday 10 November 2006
Green jihad a disastrous idea
It used to be that carrying coals to Newcastle was considered the height of idiocy, a wasted effort without the hope of a financial return. The new height of idiocy is to stop coal going from Newcastle.
The Australian - Friday 10 November 2006
Firms fish for chip solution
A protracted legal dispute at the Bunbury Port has ended with an agreement not to export coal through Berth 8 unless a solution to stop possible contamination of existing woodchip exports is found.
The West Australian - Friday 10 November 2006
PM close to Tokyo accord on trade
Australia and Japan are on the verge of forging a historic trade and economic treaty.... A trade pact would cement Japan as Australia's largest trading partner, including the country's largest market for coal, LNG, aluminium and crude petroleum.
The Australian - Friday 10 November 2006
Federal money needed by Xmas for clean coal
Queensland's flagship clean coal technology project could be delayed unless the Howard Government commits funding before Christmas.
The Australian - Thursday 9 November 2006
Qld's coal facilities set to expand
Queensland is set to become home to the world's largest coal export facility with the advancement of two major projects.
The Age, Melbourne - 8 November 2006
ALP warned of risk in hunt for green vote
A split is emerging in the Labor Party over climate-change policy, with a raft of MPs fearing Kim Beazley is turning his back on the coal industry in an election push for the green vote.
The Australian - Wednesday 8 November 2006
China price warning
The Australian mining industry has been warned that China will not continue to pay top dollar for metals and minerals, despite the country's ever-increasing appetite.
Herald Sun, Melbourne - Wednesday 8 November 2006
Indian company provides coal jobs in NSW
There's been a trend of late that's seen Australian banks and other businesses move a lot of their call centre work to India, where wages are cheaper. But there are other Australian-Indian connections which have helped save jobs in Australia. On the New South Wales south coast an Indian company has been buying mines to secure a cheap and regular supply of coal.
ABC Online, Australia - Monday 6 November 2006
Coal mine court challenge begins
A NSW court has begun hearing a landmark legal challenge over a proposed Hunter Valley open-cut coal mine.
The West Australian - Monday 6 November 2006
Coalface not worried about global warming
The coalworkers union's Queensland district acting vice-president Andrew Vickers said members were generally not concerned about a possible downturn in the coal industry..."The union supports a rapid ramping-up in the development of clean coal technology and research into renewable energy as well."
The Australian - Monday 6 November 2006
Sea burial solution to greenhouse gas threat
The Howard Government has championed globally an industry answer to climate change: burying millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in bedrock under the sea.
Sydney Morning Herald - Saturday 4 November 2006
Clean coal energy is 10 years away
Advocates of the clean coal technology that is being trialled in Queensland say it could be approved for use within five years, but it might be another five years before the system is commercially available.
The Australian - Saturday 4 November 2006
Rio Tinto Coal Australia Hunter Valley Operations wins award
Rio Tinto Coal Australia Hunter Valley Operations together with Matrikon Inc. won the "Minerals Process Plant of the Year" Award at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards for Innovation in Coal Prep Plant Control Optimization.
Yahoo Finance - Friday 3 November 2006
Fed Govt complains to UN over greenhouse report
The Federal Government has complained to a United Nations body saying that it has published misleading data about Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.
ABC Online, Australia - Thursday 2 November 2006
Australia to push for "New Kyoto" in Asia
After repeatedly blocking domestic carbon trading, Australia said on Thursday it would now push for Asia-wide emissions trading to combat global warming as part of a planned "new-Kyoto" pact.
Reuters, India - Thursday 2 November 2006
Long term vision needed - AusIMM
Whilst the debate on anthropogenically induced climate change remains unresolved, the mining industry has accepted that as part of its social license to operate it is required to address public concerns over the level of greenhouse gas emissions
Mining Journal Online - Thursday 2 November 2006
The alternatives are too costly
Australia has perhaps the cheapest primary energy in the world available in major quantities... Our advantage is in cheap fossil fuel-based energy.
The Age, Melbourne - Thursday 2 November 2006
Macarthur chief calls for clean coal action
To anyone who's ever handled the stuff, 'clean coal' sounds like a contradiction in terms. But making clean coal a reality with new technology is one of the future developments that could help tackle global warming.
ABC Radio National PM - Wednesday 1 November 2006
No need to do the dirty on coal power stations
For years, Victoria's fertile Latrobe Valley has been the power equivalent of El Dorado, thanks to the seams of cheap brown coal under its green fields that are sufficient to power the state for 500 years.
The Australian - Wednesday 1 November 2006
October 2006 >>
Engineering skills for solving Greenhouse problems
The coal industry has developed the Coal 21 strategy, which brings together all the major stakeholders to help transform coal into a more efficient and clean technology for electricity generation.
Ferret.com.au - Australia - Monday 30 October 2006
Griffin Coal plans to borrow $530 million
The Group is currently investing $400 million in construction of the Bluewaters coal-fired power station at Collie... It is also planning to expand its wholly-owned open-pit coal mining operations at Collie.
WA Business News - Western Australia - Monday 30 October 2006
Climate change forum planned
Brisbane will host a major climate change conference.... $300 million of the $1 billion Queensland Future Growth Fund would be used to support development of clean coal technology.
Courier Mail, Brisbane - Sunday 29 October 2006
Science & nature Solar's fast-track attacked ...
Hysterical solutions to climate change, such as solar power quickly replacing all coal-fired power stations in Australia, are being touted as part of a bidding war for the green vote.
The Australian - Saturday 28 October 2006
Australia launches carbon cut plan
The Australian government, which has so far refused to sign the Kyoto protocol, has launched a major carbon-cutting plan with $500m to be invested in low-carbon technologies...
Environmental Data Interactive - UK - Friday 27 October 2006
Moranbah North team nation's best rescue crew
The rescue team from Moranbah North coal mine has been recognised as the best in the country after winning the Australian Mines Rescue Competition.
Daily Mercury, Queensland - Thursday 26 October 2006
Govt to announce major climate projects
The Federal Government tomorrow is expected to take its biggest step yet in addressing climate change by allocating hundreds of millions of dollars towards clean coal projects and alternative energy technologies.
News.com.au, Australia - Tuesday 24 October 2006
Research looks at clean coal
Collie's coal-fired power stations could become cleaner with the adoption of new Australian technology which could also be applied to a number of other energy sources and processes.
The West Australian - Tuesday 24 October 2006
Babcock Infrastructure to expand coal terminal
Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Ltd, owner of Australia's second-biggest coal export terminal, will invest about A$639mil (US$485mil) to expand the terminal after the project won approval from a regulator.
The Malaysia Star - Tuesday 24 October 2006
Santos bid for QGC puts spotlight on coal seam gas
The ACCC, like the sharemarket, is trying to establish the value and significance of the burgeoning coal seam gas (CSG) sector...
The Age, Melbourne - Monday 23 October 2006
Coal exports tipped to jump
An extra 2.6 billion tonnes of coal will be consumed yearly by 2025, according to a new report released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
The Collie Mail, Western Australia - Thursday 19 October 2006
Nuclear 'unviable till coal price rises'
Nuclear power is too expensive to be developed in Australia and would only become viable through a massive spike in future coal and gas prices or a significant government-imposed impost on carbon emissions.
The Australian - Wednesday 18 October 2006
Study finds Qld may be geo-sequestration leader
A landmark Australian study into storing carbon dioxide deep underground in Bowen Basin coal seams in central Queensland has suggested the state could lead the world in using geo-sequestration.
ABC News Online - Monday 16 October 2006
Labor shortages major constraint on mining growth
A new Australian study warns that labor shortages will prove to be a major constraint on the growth of the mineral sector over the next decade.... an additional 15,785 employees will be needed in Australian coal mining by 2015.
Mineweb - Johannesburg, South Africa - Monday 16 October 2006
Infrastructure shortages could cripple coal boom: ABARE
Infrastructure deficiencies, particularly rail and port infrastructure, could stifle Australia's booming coal chain, the nation's top economic advisors say.... ABARE has called for significant development in coal supply infrastructure capacity to meet a predicted continuing boom in coal demand over the next 20 years.
Australasian Transport News - Monday 16 October 2006
Coal study offers export potential
A study is under way into WA's coal which could open the door for the fullscale export of Collie's ‘‘black gold''. The study will look into the potential for mined coal to spontaneously combust during storage, loading and shipping overseas.
The West Australian - Perth - Sunday 15 October 2006
The future is looking coal -fired
Forget concerns about global warming. Forget the impact of renewables, or nuclear power or energy-saving technologies. The coal market is facing 20 years of solid growth and Australia will be a leading beneficiary, according to the Federal Government's economics adviser.
The Age, Melbourne - Saturday 14 October 2006
Coal miner stands by mining method
The operator of the Austar coal mine near Cessnock has defended the safety of a new mining method, saying it could be implemented across Australia. The New South Wales Government yesterday approved a $57 million upgrade of the underground operation, which will enable an extra three million tonnes of coal to be extracted each year.
ABC News Online - Thursday 5 October 2006
State gas distributor sold to fund coal
The Queensland Government has sold gas distributor Allgas and its 65,000 customers for $521 million... "It will be invested in essential infrastructure such as dams and weirs to support the continued sustainable development of clean coal technology"
Courier Mail, Brisbane - Wednesday 4 October 2006
September 2006 >>
Thermal coal prices to rise in 2007
The prices of thermal coal used in power stations are set to rise through 2007 due to strong' demand growth and supply constraints, said Citigroup Inc., the largest U.S. bank . It says that the prices of steelmaking coal may fall.
India Infoline - Thursday 28 September 2006
$146m uranium ore deal
Korea Resources Corp and SK Corp said on Sunday that they would jointly take a 15 per cent stake in Australian coal miner Cockatoo Coal.
Courier Mail, Brisbane - Wednesday 27 September 2006
Resources boom sags as China curbs buying
The commodities boom is beginning to fray, with Australian coalminers unable to sell everything they dig up as China raises its own production and cuts back on imports.
The Australian - Nation - Tuesday 26 september 2006
Gas/ Coal to Oil
You are going to hear a lot about gas/coal to liquids technology in Australia in coming years and it could very well end up supplanting the likes of ethanol and biodiesel as a source of energy in competition with oil.
ACN Newswire - Monday 25 September 2006
All sides at coal industry forum
A mix of coal industry supporters and opponents will arrive at Gunnedah's Civic Centre today to discuss, encourage and protest against the North West's future as the "new coal frontier".
Northern Daily Leader, Tamworth - Tuesday 19 september 2006
Australian Coal Mine Waste Gas Plant Powers up with GE Energy's...
A new coal mine methane (CMM) power plant, developed and owned by renewable energy developer Envirogen Pty Ltd... has begun operating at one of Australia's largest coal mines, the Oaky Creek Colliery in central Queensland.
Business Wire, Sydney - Tuesday 19 september 2006
Guj NRE Coke plans Rs 700cr ANZ mines spend
Metallurgical coke manufacturer Gujarat NRE Coke today announced plans to spend Rs 600-700 crore over five years in developing coal mines in Australia and New Zealand.
Business Standard, India - Monday 18 September 2006
Peabody increases Excel bid to ward off other buyers
Peabody Energy raised its existing offer to buy Australian coal company Excel Coal in what media reports have indicated is an effort to ward off other bidders.
St Louis Business Journal - Monday 18 September 2006
Resource exports up $22bn
Higher commodity prices helped boost Australia's mineral and energy export earnings by $22 billion last financial year.... export sales of coking coal jumped by 59 per cent to $17.1 billion...
The Age, Melbourne - Thursday 14 September 2006
Gas price hikes boon for coal
With significant rises in gas prices, various industries around the State are turning back to coal. Premier Coal's manager of sales and marketing Bill Moody said the gas price rises were good news for Collie coal.
Collie Mail, Western Australia - Thursday 14 September 2006
Secret to cheap petrol is coal
A $5 billion proposal to turn some of Victoria's abundant brown coal into diesel moved a step closer after the State Government revealed it was about to grant a mining licence to the company behind the project.
The Age, Melbourne - Sunday 10 September 2006
Sewage swap to reclaim city water
A radical water recycling project that will add more than 20 per cent to Melbourne's water supply and largely end the need for restrictions is a step closer.... a $1 billion state government plan to divert 115billion litres of waste water a year from an ocean outfall to the Latrobe Valley has passed a feasibility study.
The Australian - Science & Nature - Saturday 9 September 2006
Australian mining industry desperate for engineers
The mining industry in Australia looks set to experience a severe skills shortage for years to come, particularly in specialist positions. Mine contracting firm Allied Coal Services conducted a nationwide recruitment drive which yielded just 80 mine workers with experience and only 25 of those had specialist skills.
Australian Visa Bureau - Thursday 7 September 2006
Collie coal plan garners mixed response
There has been a mixed response to a Western Australian Government pledge to spend $3 million developing the coal industry in the south-west town of Collie. The money is part of a $10 million industry rescue package announced last year.
ABC News Online - Australia - Thursday 7 September 2006
Despite cooler prices, US coal cos hot on future
Coal industry guru Gerard McCloskey told Reuters in Sydney that increased Australian coal production is helping bring down world prices after they soared last year on surging demand from China to fuel its economic boom.
Reuters - USA - Thursday 7 September 2006
BHP and Rio Tinto hot to trot with India
If investors were to place bets on the fastest-growing market for BHP Billiton's commodities, it seems likely that nearly all would place China at the top of the list.
Sydney Morning Herald - Wednesday 6 September 2006
Big Shot
Macarthur Coal has promoted chief financial officer Nicole Hollows to be deputy to chief executive Ken Talbot as part of the company's long-term succession plan.
The Australian - Business - Tuesday 5 September 2006
Nippon Steel, Nippon Oil to develop Australian coal mine - report
Nippon Steel Corp and Nippon Oil Corp will develop a new mining area at an existing coal mine in Australia jointly with major Swiss mining firm Xstrata PLC and others, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported....
Life Style Extra, UK - Friday 1 September 2006
August 2006 >>
Tough job not a pipe dream
Government-owned corporation SunWater has hit the halfway mark on a 215km water lifeline which will secure supplies for booming Bowen Basin coal mining operations.
Townsville Bulletin, Queensland - Saturday 26 October 2006
Qld's coal seam gas threat to gas project
...The Australian reported that Queensland's coal seam methane resources are likely to surpass gas reserves in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands.
The National, Papua New Guinea - Wednesday 23 August 2006
Energy fears spur quest for liquid fuels from gas, coal
Australia is to consider developing an industry making liquid transport fuels from gas and coal.
The Australian - Business - Tuesday 15 August 2006
Qld water-saving technology cleans up coal
Queensland technology that could save the coal industry millions of litres of water will be developed with the help of a $2 million Australian Government Commercial Ready grant.
Ferret - Australia - Monday 14 August 2006
VAMCAT on the prowl to slash methane emissions
A new CSIRO technology called VAMCAT (Ventilation Air Methane Catalytic Turbine) is poised to take a sizable bite out of methane emissions with a Greenhouse effect equivalent to more than 237 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Ferret - Australia - Monday 14 August 2006
Dalrymple reclaims its capacity to handle coal
The annual capacity of central Queensland's troubled Dalrymple Bay coal terminal will increase by over 5 million tonnes over the next few months as two smaller projects come on line.
The Australian - Business - Thursday 10 August 2006
Australia's Employment Surges 50,700 in July
Australian employment surged 10 times as much as expected in July as miners and retailers expanded and the government hired workers for the nation's five-yearly census.
Bloomberg - USA - Thursday 10 August 2006
Car conversion incentives could ease petrol woes
You've got to look at the resources you've got in the nation. We've got a couple of very big resources - that's gas and coal. Now we know that coal can be turned into a liquid and we know that gas can be liquefied or compressed:
ABC Lateline, Australia- Wednesday 9 August 2006
Mine brake system awarded
BMA's (BHP Mitsubishi Alliance) Blackwater Mine has won a mine safety award for devising a procedure for dynamic brake testing.... Blackwater mine... is the largest coal mine of the BMA group
ABC Online, Australia - Wednesday 9 August 2006
Peeping into the pipelines
The world's four largest mining companies, valued by shareholders at over $300 billion, are close to completing $20 billion worth of projects that will reshape many of the markets they operate in.
Mineweb, South Africa - Wednesday 9 August 2006
Plan for coal research centre
The federal Government is considering putting a $200million coal research centre in Brisbane to fight greenhouse emissions as the states downgrade their plans for a multi-billion-dollar carbon trading scheme.
The Australian - Saturday 5 August 2006
Coal-To-Oil: Linc Energy Aspires To World Leadership
Having been developed in the early twentieth century, coal-to-oil conversion is only now being given close attention by a world reeling from high oil prices and talk of dwindling reserves of crude.
FN Arena News, Sydney - Saturday 5 August 2006
July 2006 >>
Strong, light building material invented
Australian university researchers have developed a strong, lightweight building material they believe might sell well in nations such as China and India.... scientists have developed bricks and building aggregate that can be manufactured entirely from waste fly ash and save on construction costs.
United Press International - Monday 31 July 2006
Coal stokes $1bn link
The State Government has given the go-ahead to a $1 billion rail project that will link Queensland's southern central coalfields with the port of Gladstone.
Courier Mail, Brisbane - Saturday 29 July 2006
Dalrymple Bay's first extension nears completion
Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Group, owner of Australia's second-biggest export terminal for coal, said it was close to completing the initial stage of a $1.2 billion expansion of the port.
The Australian - Saturday 29 July 2006
BHP joins team for emission-free power
BHP Billiton is one of 10 global companies backing an ambitious $US1 billion ($1.33 billion) project to build the world's first near-zero emissions coal-fired power plant in the US.
The West Australian - Thursday 27 July 2006
State government allocates $300m for clean coal
Some $300 million has been earmarked from the Queensland Future Growth Fund to develop clean coal technologies. Premier Peter Beattie today announced a Clean Coal Technology Board to foster the development of and investment in clean coal technologies.
Queensland Business Review - Wednesday 26 July 2006
Origin Energy to invest $114m in Qld Coal Seam Gas
Australian integrated energy company Origin Energy Limited (ORG) today announced they would invest an additional $114 million in its Spring Gully Coal Seam Gas Project....thereby providing further security to Queensland's energy supply.
Egoli, Shaw Stockbroking - Tuesday 25 July 2006
Policy on climate change is mostly hot air
.... Governments can help foster technology development, as the Howard and Bracks governments are doing.... Next year pilot projects will start operating in the Latrobe Valley to squeeze coal dry before burning it, and in the Otway basin to test carbon capture and storage technology.
The Age, Melbourne - Tuesday 25 July 2006
We'll be an energy superpower: PM
John Howard wants Australia to become an "energy superpower", carving out a position as one of the world's biggest exporters of coal, natural gas, uranium and petroleum.
Sydney Morning Herald - Tuesday 18 July 2006
Xstrata inks Japan coal price
After months of haggling, thermal coal leader Xstrata has reached a benchmark pricing agreement with Japanese power utilities, locking in prevailing high prices in a deal that is likely to have an impact on other Australian coal exporters.
The Australian - Business - Monday 10 July 2006
Coal sale won't delay Hunter projects
Excel Coal says none of its Hunter Valley mining expansion projects will be delayed by the company's imminent sale to US mining giant Peabody Energy.
ABC Online, Australia - Friday 7 July 2006
Peabody to buy Australia's Excel Coal
Peabody Energy, the world's largest listed coal company by sales, on Thursday announced plans to more than double its Australian business by paying $1.53bn for Excel Coal...
Financial Times / MSNBC - Thursday 6 July 2006
Dry coal method aims to clean up
A Victorian company is preparing to launch a clean coal technology that could increase the value of the state's brown coal assets five-fold and cut greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power stations by as much as a third.
Herald Sun, Melbourne - Thursday 6 July 2006
Old king coal to reign as fossil fuel continues to fire the future
Even if production of conventional oil were to peak, the oil era would not be over... the future lies with oil, gas and, above all, "old king coal", the fuel with which the industrial revolution began.
The Australian - FT Business - Thursday 6 July 2006
Australia leads world on climate change
....Climate change is a complex issue with no simple solution. Rather than putting all our eggs in one basket, Australia is exploring and investing in a range of technologies, international forums, and policy approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion - Thursday 6 July 2006
Asia Coal - Australian thermal coal up on bottlenecks
Spot Australian thermal coal prices edged higher over the past week, driven by lingering supply shortfalls after Colombian mine strikes and a local port bottleneck caused by railway maintenance and softer production.
Reuters - USA - Wednesday 5 July 2006
Gujarat NRE MD to be on NZ coal company's board soon
....In the last two years, the company has acquired two coalmines in New South Wales apart from interests in other mining and mineral exploration ventures in Australia... The company, whose tag "NRE" stands for `Natural Resources and Environment,' used environment-friendly and pollution-free non-recovery coke-making technology...
MoneyControl.com / Business Line - India - Tuesday 4 July 2006
June 2006 >>
Infrastructure wrapped up in reams of red tape, economist warns
As John Howard returned from China celebrating a $25 billion export deal, one of his former advisers warned that Australia had not done enough to prevent the formation of transport bottlenecks.
The Australian - Business - Friday 30 June 2006
Iron ore underpins mining boom: ABARE
Demand for the raw materials that go into steel production will continue to bolster Australia's booming mining industry, the nation's top forecaster said.
The Age, Melbourne - Monday 26 June 2006
Gastar Exploration Announces Agreement to Acquire Brown Coal ...
Gastar Exploration Ltd....is to acquire up to a 50% interest in rights attaching to brown coal discoveries....in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia. The Latrobe Valley is recognized as one of the world's largest brown coal deposits
Canada Newswire (press release) - Monday 26 June 2006
AGL buys coal seam methane project
The Australian Gas Light Company (AGL) has increased its presence in the Queensland energy market following the acquisition of a 50% share in Australia's largest single producing coal seam methane (CSM) project from BHP Billiton (BHP) for approximately $93 million.
Shaw Online - Wednesday 21 June 2006
Xstrata moves ahead with sale of Australian colliery
Diversified mining major Xstrata has announced that it has signed a Heads of Agreement with Caledon Resources for the partial sale of its Cook colliery for a cash payment of A$45.6 million.
Creamers Mining Weekly Online - Tuesday 20 June 2006
GE to clean up with coal technology
General Electric, the US industrial goods company that is one of the world's biggest makers of electricity generation equipment, plans a tenfold increase in sales from a relatively novel "clean coal" power technology aimed at curbing environmentally harmful gas emissions.
The Australian - FT Business - Tuesday 20 June 2006
Coal industry develops clean technology
.... the coal industry counters that it is developing a new type of clean coal technology that will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Power stations using this non-polluting form of coal technology could come on stream in the next four to five years.
ABC Online - 7.30 Report - Monday 19 June 2006
Uplifting feeling from coal boom
Bob Kennedy was sitting in the study of his home last Saturday week when the coalmine passed right underneath him.
The Australian - Monday 19 June 2006
Think tank: urgency picks up for alternatives
.... alternative fuels are attracting the most interest. According to Dr Fischer, coal can be liquefied at $US40 a barrel, oil sands at $US30 a barrel, and shale oil at $US70-95 a barrel. All can be used to make synthetic petrol or diesel.
The Age, Melbourne - Saturday 17 June 2006
Simulators train future coal miners
As the miner tries to cut coal from the ribs of the mine, he makes a wide turn and bangs his hauler against the wall, injuring a co-worker. .... But this time it's just a simulation.... Immersive Technologies, an Australian producer of coal machinery simulators, says its clients include mine operators in Indonesia.
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA - Friday 16 June 2006
$135m coal briquette plan
A briquette technology to upgrade poor-quality thermal coal is set to be commercialised after White Energy yesterday finalised a five-year, $US100 million ($135 million) sales deal with Indonesian miner Bayan Resources.
The Australian - Business - Thursday 15 June 2006
Coal ship delays expected off Newcastle
.....PWCS general manager Graham Davidson says coal train movements from the valley are being disrupted due to construction of the Australian Rail Track Corporation's fly-over at Sandgate.
ABC Regional Online, Newcastle - Thursday 15 June 2006
Nuclear no threat to coal : Professor
Nuclear power stations will strengthen Australia's coal industry not undermine it, according to the Australian member of the International Nuclear Energy Academy, Professor Lesley Kemeny.
Collie Mail, Western Australia - Thursday 15 June 2006
Second Indian investor buys into Pike River coalmine
A second Indian company has bought into the Pike River Coal mine before its expected float by majority owner New Zealand Oil & Gas... Gujarat will blend Pike River and Australian coal to produce a hard coking coal for sale in India.
New Zealand Herald - Wednesday 14 June 2006
A coal chain by any other name: report
While productivity in supply chains is an issue for industries of all sizes, few industries have to deal with a network as broad and a demand as pressing as the coal industry.
Supply Chain Review, Australia - Tuesday 13 June 2006
Price would be the guide for Vale's expansion
Vale do Rio Doce is open to the idea of buying mining companies to expand its operations in Australia, the world's biggest shipper of coal, iron ore and alumina, but only if the price is right.
International Herald Tribune / Bloomberg - Monday 12 June 2006
Green power for the future
Impressive advances are being made in clean coal technologies, writes Andrew Trounson.
The Australian - Saturday 10 June 2006
Cleaning up a costly problem
Plans are well advanced to invest up to $20 billion to convert ageing power stations into clean coal energy producers, writes Amanda Hodge.
The Australian - Thursday 8 June 2006
Geologist to explore Moorlands coal reserves
The local mining industry is set to expand in the next few years, according to Murraylands Regional Development Board chief executive Brenton Lewis. Geologists are set to explore coal reserves in the Moorlands area....
Murray Valley Standard - Thursday 8 June 2006
Coal sales slowed by ports
Port bottlenecks are still hampering miners from getting coal from Queensland mines to hungry Asian customers.
Courier-Mail, Brisbane - Thursday 8 June 2006
Emission-free power stations by 2012, researcher says
A leading Australian energy research group says the idea that Australia could have zero-emission coal-fired power plants is no longer fanciful.
ABC Online - Wednesday 7 June 2006
Australian Employment Probably Rose 12,500 in May: BN Survey
Australian employment probably rose in May as building companies hired workers for mine and port expansion projects in Asia-Pacific's fifth-largest economy.
Bloomberg - Wednesday 7 June 2006
Coal mining reforms passed
Legislation that safeguards the superannuation entitlements of NSW coal miners and allows them to work beyond 60 years of age has been passed by the state's parliament.
The Australian - Wednesday 7 June 2006
Coal, gas and renewables promote their green credentials
The Prime Minister's call for a debate on nuclear power has prompted other energy industries to try to wrest back the initiative in the electricity public relations war.... But now coal, gas and the renewable power industries are hitting back, selling their green credentials.
ABC Online, The World Today - Tuesday 6 June 2006
Nuclear plan opponents dig in
The States have vowed to fight any move towards nuclear power as industry claimed clean coal technology would soon make the nuclear option obsolete.
Melbourne Herald Sun - Tuesday 6 June 2006
Coal hits back at nuclear power
The coal industry believes power stations that do not produce greenhouse gases could be operating across Australia in the same time it takes to establish nuclear power stations.
The Australian - Tuesday 6 June 2006
Clean coal a smart bet, says US lobbyist
Clean coal is the "smart place" to invest in the effort to tackle climate change, a key lobbyist for the US power industry says.
Ninemsn Australia - Tuesday 6 June 2006
ALC investigate coal , grain + intermodal supply chains
The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has today released a series of supply chain case studies, to aid the development of an infrastructure action agenda.
Supply Chain Review - Tuesday 6 June 2006
Beattie rules out reactor
The Queensland Government would never jeopardise its successful coal industry and support the building of a nuclear power plant in the state, Premier Peter Beattie said today.
The Australian (news.com.au) - Sunday 4 June 2006
Boost to mining narrows trade gap
.....The coal sector still underpins Australia's export performance. For the 10 months to the end of April, exports of coal were $20.4billion - $7 billion, or 54per cent, higher than for the same period in 2004-05.
The Australian - Thursday 1 June 2006
Mining funding boost but skills shortage
The mining industry has welcomed news of over $800 million of infrastructure funding.....Queensland Treasury will allocate the funds for coal port expansion as well as rail infrastructure, including new locomotives and coal wagons.
ABC Tropical North Qld - Thursday 1 June 2006
Babcock & Brown buys South Australian power assets for 317 mln aud
Investment and advisory firm Babcock & Brown Ltd said it has acquired 100 pct of NRG Energy Inc's power assets in the state of South Australia.... include the Leigh Creek Coal mine located 280 kilometers north of Port Augusta...
Forbes USA - Thursday 1 June 2006
May 2006 >>
Spicing up investment
Indian investment in Queensland coal and gas projects is expected to grow as the Subcontinent looks to shore up supply for its power plants.
Courier Mail, Brisbane - Wedesday 31 May 2006
Anglo signs Shell to Latrobe brown coal project
Prospects for the vast brown coal resources in Victoria's Latrobe Valley to host a $5 billion synthetic diesel and electricity project have soared.
Sydney Morning Herald - Tuesday 30 May 2006
Anglo American Teams With Shell On Clean-Coal Conversion
Anglo American PLC (AAUK) and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) on Thursday announced the formation of an alliance to jointly develop projects aimed at converting coal to clean energy.
Cattlenetwork.com, USA - Thursday 25 May 2006
Industry praises lead climate role
The Howard Government has won widespread industry support for its role in leading a fresh round of international climate talks.
The Australian - Saturday 20 May 2006
Boom times for resource projects: ABARE
Australia's resources boom is delivering an unprecedented number of new mining and petroleum developments worth a record $34 billion, official figures show.
The Age, Melbourne - Thursday 18 May 2006
Savings for miners in the pipeline
A New fibreglass pressure piping system is being developed to last four to five times longer than existing steel piping and deliver cost and production savings to underground coal mines.
International Longwall News - Thursday 18 May 2006
ACCC raises competition concern over SA generator
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has raised concerns about a proposed acquisition of South Australian electricity generator NRG Flinders by British-owned International Power.
The Advertiser, Adelaide - Thursday 18 May 2006
Commodity outlook "strong": Treasury
Treasury secretary Ken Henry today said the volatility in commodity prices overnight was only temporary and that the outlook for resource prices was strong.....The effect had driven commodity prices higher, especially for coal and iron ore.
The Australian - Tuesday 16 May 2006
$50b rail project planned
Shane Condon is planning a 60-hour rail journey in 2011 ... and he expects the president of the People's Republic of China to be his travelling companion – while presumably the then Australian prime minister will also tag along.
Courier Mail, Brisbane - Tuesday 16 May 2006
Experts call for carbon tax rebate
Three environmental energy specialists have come up with a simple solution to Australia's problems with ratifying the Kyoto protocol and imposing carbon taxes — simply grant six key industries an export rebate on the carbon taxes they pay.
The Age, Melbourne - Monday 15 May 2006
Alternatives to force oil price down
The rise of alternative fuels will force a dramatic drop in oil prices in the next 50 years, the head of a government research body says.
Tamworth Northern Daily Leader - Sunday 14 may 2006
Australian unemployment rate jumps as companies cut costs
....Full-time jobs rose 10,600 in Queensland, where coal miners including BHP Billiton, Macarthur Coal and Excel Coal are expanding to meet surging demand from Asian steelmakers and power plants.
International Herald tribune - Thursday 1 May 2006
Red tape a killer: Rio
Australian miners had to keep pressure on governments to sort out infrastructure bottlenecks to avoid losing ground to competitors, the head of the world's second biggest miner said.
Herald Sun, Melbourne - Tuesday 9 May 2006
Oil giant urges tax cuts
...Speaking at the APPEA conference yesterday, International Energy Agency director Claude Mandil called on the Australian Government to change its position on carbon pricing in a bid to encourage companies to invest in clean coal technology.
Herald Sun, Melbourne - Tuesday 9 May 2006
Give us a (tax) break
Australian miners could miss out on commodity price booms unless the Federal Government grants an exploration tax break for junior explorers in next week's Budget.
Courier Mail, Australia - Friday 5 May 2006
QLD Minister Talks Energy
Queensland Energy Minister John Mickel has predicted that the Gladstone and central Queensland region would play a central role in developing Queensland's energy sector into the 21st century.
MineBox News - Friday 5 May 2006
Japan to capture CO2 at Australian power plant in world first
A Japanese consortium hopes to capture carbon dioxide emissions at an Australian power plant by 2009 in a world first that would be a major step towards battling greenhouse gases responsible for global warming, a report said.
PhysOrg.com, USA - Thursday 4 May 2006
Back home in the 21st-century's ideal country
When Nick Rowley is asked why he decided to leave a successful career in London, where he had spent two years as a senior policy adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, to return to Australia.....And he believes Australia's future electricity needs will not be supplied by nuclear energy. "There's no need for nuclear power here. We have coal and lots of it. What we need is clean coal...."
The Australian - Business - Thursday 4 May 2006
China teams up with Australia on major power project
The Harbin Power Plant Equipment Group, based in the capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has signed an agreement with the Australian company HRL Ltd to build a coal-gasification power project which is sympathetic to the environment.
Xinhua Online, China - Thursday 4 May 2006
Mastermyne keeps recruits topped up
For one contracting company an overseas recruitment drive is bringing experienced workers into the company, not only injecting new blood into the business but also helping turn "cleanskins" into coal miners.
International Longwall News - Wednesday 3 May 2006
New study supports greenhouse gas reductions
Australia's electricity generators could slash greenhouse gas emissions by 80 million tonnes per year by 2030 and still meet growing consumer demand, according to a new report released today.
Environmental Manager News - Wednesday 3 May 2006
Latest Technology Transfer Could Reduce Chinese Coal Mining Deaths
A revolutionary new drilling technology from Australia may help save Chinese coal miners' lives and also help reduce air pollution by capturing the methane before it spreads into the atmosphere.
InvestorIdeas.com - Tuesday 2 May 2006
Aussie coal still hot in '06
Hunter Valley miner Coal & Allied says it expects demand for Australian coal to remain firm in 2006 with continued growth from Asia and Latin America.
Australian Financial Review - Tuesday 2 May 2006
Market the best carbon trader: Rio
The head of one of the world's biggest coal companies has warned that Australia should not proceed with state-based carbon-trading schemes because they could not solve global climate change.
The Australian - Business - Monday 1 May 2006
April 2006 >>
Waste coal gas proposed for Hunter power station
A development application for an $18 million gas-fired power station on a coal mine in the Upper Hunter has been lodged with Singleton council. Envirogen wants to build a 10 megawatt plant near the Glennies Creek underground mine, which would generate power by burning waste methane.
ABC Newcastle NSW - Wednesday 26 April 2006
Coal price unlikely to fire up earnings
Coalminers are returning to favour thanks to a rebound in coal prices....The spot price for Australian export thermal coal has risen more than 32 per cent, to $US53 a tonne, since the start of the year.
The Sydney Morning Herald - Wednesday 26 April 2006
International Power Applies To Buy NRG Australia Assets
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission expects to say on June 7 whether International Power can buy NRG's assets in Queensland state and South Australia state, the ACCC said on its web site.
Yahoo Finance - Friday 21 April 2006
Pricey petrol should fuel oil alternatives
Australia should start looking at alternative sources of fuel as crude oil prices jump past $US72 ($97) a barrel.... while Australia had abundant natural gas supplies and 500 years of supply of brown coal in Victoria's La Trobe Valley, it should investigate new sources of energy, including technology that converts coal to liquid to run a combustion engine.
The Sydney Morning Herald - Thursday 20 April 2006
SAIL going global; eyes stakes in Australian mine
The Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is close to acquiring equity in coking coal mines in Australia and Russia. The PSU has informed the steel ministry that coal companies from these two countries have offered equities in their mines
The Financial Express, India - Thursday 20 April 2006
Mitsubishi Corp to invest up to 1.8 trln yen for energy projects ...
Mitsubishi Corp will spend 1.5-1.8 trln yen from this year to 2009 to fund existing gas and coal projects..... will use the funds mainly for existing projects.... as well as to boost production at an Australian coal mine
Forbes.com - AFX News Limited - Wednesday 19 April 2006
'Iron Boomerang' pitch to Asia's steel makers may return a winner
A proposed rail link between Western Australia's iron ore and Queensland's coal, feeding blast furnaces at each end, has fired interest overseas, writes China correspondent Rowan Callick
The Australian - Business - Wednesday 19 April 2006
CIL's hunt for overseas mine to end in Australia
Coal India Limited's (CIL) long-drawn quest for an overseas coal mine may ultimately end with the support of an Indian company. According to coal ministry sources, CIL has initiated preliminary discussions with Gujarat-based metallurgical coke and steel company Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd (GNCL) to acquire a minority stake in the latter's coal mines in Australia.
The Financial Express, India - Tuesday 18 April 2006
Methane converted to low emission energy
A new project is underway at a major mine site in China to capture and use waste methane gas from coal mines. The three-year joint project will develop and demonstrate an innovative new Australian technology...
Ferret.com.au - Thursday 13 April 2006
Idemitsu Kosan Mulling Studies For Developing Two Mines
Idemitsu Kosan Co. (IKC.YY) said Wednesday that it will consider studying whether to develop two Australian coal mines in an effort to make up for an expected fall in coal output at its existing operations there.
Yahoo! Finance - Wednesday 12 April 2006
Altona Resources
Altona Resources plc (AIM: ANR) announce an operational update as to the continued progress in the Jacob Consultancy's coal-to-oil feasibility study and the presentation of the Company's Arckaringa development proposals to the South Australian Minister for Mineral Resources Development.
Mineweb, South Africa - Wednesday 12 April 2006
Dust settles at Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal
With an annual loading capacity approaching 60Mt, Queensland's Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal is one of the largest and most efficient coal export facilities in Australia.
Ferret.com.au - Wednesday 12 April 2006
ARTC to Consult Coal Industry Hunter Strategy
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) announce a round of consultations with the coal industry on its updated Hunter Valley Coal Network Capacity Improvement Strategy for the next 5 years.
Supply Chain Review, Australia - Monday 10 April 2006
India may avail of Australian coking coal stock
Australia has invited Indian companies to capitalise on its huge reserves of coking coal, a raw material for steel industry, and forge agreements in this regard.
Hindustan Times - Friday 7 April 2006
ARTC says updated strategy money well spent
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) says while its revised Hunter Valley Coal Network Improvement Strategy will cost $100 million more than originally planned, it will be money well spent.
ABC Online - Friday 7 April 2006
Foreigners really dig our coal mines, says Talbot
Australian coal mines are high on the shopping list of the world's growth economies, such as China, India and Brazil, heralding a foreign investment boom that is likely to surpass the oil-shock-inspired Japanese buying spree of the 1980s.
The Australian, business - Friday 7 April 2006
Aussie expertise exported to make Chinese mines safer
Australia's mine safety practices are to be exported to China under a deal signed in Canberra yesterday.
The Australian - Tuesday 4 April 2006
ANALYSIS - Australian States' Carbon Trading Faces Battle
Australia's states hope to do what their national government won't - cut greenhouse gases by developing a carbon credits market - but disagreements over emissions limits are already threatening to dampen the plan.
Planet Ark - Monday 3 April 2006
Surging China exports push Australian trade deficit to 4-year low
Australia's trade deficit narrowed to its lowest point in almost four years in February.... The trade gap in Australia, the world's largest exporter of coal and iron ore, plunged to 595 million Australian dollars
International Herald Tribune - Monday 3 April 2006
March 2006 >>
Australian company bags order from Singareni Collieries
The Queensland Government's mine safety research organisation, Simtars, has won an order for its Camgas gas monitoring system from the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL).
DeepikaGlobal.com - Monday 27 March 2006
Super justice is welcomed by miners
The coal mine workers union – the CFMEU Mining and Energy – yesterday welcomed the NSW Government's announcement that it will amend legislation to provide mineworkers with superannuation parity with the rest of the workforce.
Lithgow Mercury - Saturday 25 March 2006
Conference hears of coal industry boom time
A miners' union says boom conditions in the coal industry have helped to vastly improve industrial relations in recent years.
ABC News Online - Friday 24 March 2006
Canadian-Australian Joint Venture May Accelerate Coal Bed Methane
China is eager to develop its 35+ trillion cubic feet of methane gas in order to lower air pollution from, and fatalities in, the country's vast coal mines. New Australian drilling technology...offer the technology-hungry country a more successful and economical way of extracting methane gas from its coal mines.
PR Inside - Thursday 23 March 2006
Beijing's bear necessities
Chinese state-owned companies buying Australian resource projects are just the first wave of a coming investment tide....Harbin Power Engineering Co and HRL, the research arm of the former Victorian Government-owned State Electricity Corporation, are developing a power station to pioneer HRL's new clean-coal technology.
The Weekend Australian - Saturday 18 March 2006
Clean coal much closer with $300m fund
A $300 million boost for the development of cutting-edge technology to stop greenhouse gas emissions from coal has been welcomed by the federal government but criticised by environmentalists.
Seven News, Business - Thursday 16 March 2006
Mineral export earnings continue to rise
Australia's export earnings from mineral resources rose to $22 billion in the December quarter 2005.... commodities with the largest increases in export earnings.... were copper, up $395 million, iron ore and pellets, which was up $366 million and coking coal (up $363 million).
WA Business News - Wednesday 15 March 2006
Repair won't erode reputation
The broken loader at BHP Billiton's Hay Point terminal in central Queensland won't be repaired now until mid-April.... But its reputation remains intact as it has managed to fill all its orders through alternative means.
Brisbane Courier Mail - Wednesday 8 March 2006
No uranium turn, says Premier
Premier Peter Beattie has ruled out any policy change allowing uranium mining in Queensland.... "I don't support uranium mining of Queensland's resource because it would undermine the coal industry," the premier said.
Herad Sun, Melbourne - Tuesday 7 March 2006
Gloucestor Finds New Coal Seam
Growth prospects within the Gloucester Coal Limited's basin leases have improved following the discovery of a previously unidentified thick coal intersection below the Weismantel Coal Member.
MineBox Online Portal - Tuesday 7 March 2006
Trade can top $10 bn by 2010
India-Australia trade can cross the $10 billion mark by the turn of this decade... In 2005, the trade between the two countries stood at $7.5 billion... Australian coal was used in more than half the steel produced in India.
Financial Express, India - Tuesday 7 March 2006
Leighton part of $30b bonanza
Leighton Holdings yesterday won a $330 million contract to develop a new coal mine in central Queensland – the latest in a $30 billion list of mining projects driven by the resources boom.
Herald Sun, Melbourne - Friday 3 March 2006
Hunter mines contribute to big Xstrata profit
Mining giant Xstrata says improved efficiencies at two of its Hunter Valley coal mines have contributed to a $1.7 billion profit for 2005, up 60 per cent on the previous year.
ABC News Online - Thursday 2 March 2006
Macarthur top of the coal pile
THE good times are coming to an end for Australia's only wholly owned coal miner Macarthur Coal, with the company expecting a 30 per cent drop in revenue next year after unveiling a profit 240 per cent ahead of last year's.
NEWS.com.au, Australia - Thursday 2 March 2006
Sonoma Coal Project Progresses
Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, announced yesterday that a coal mine expected to generate $200 Million per year in exports has moved a step closer.
MineBox Online Portal - Wednesday 1 March 2006
February 2006 >>
Abare Says Thermal Coal Prices May Fall, Volume Gains
Thermal coal prices are expected to fall steadily in the medium term, as increases in mine production catches up to demand, Australia's government forecaster said Tuesday.
Yahoo Finance - Tuesday 28 February 2006
New technology heralds greener future for coal
Victoria faces a power conundrum. The state has at least 500 years' supply of coal buried in the Latrobe Valley but the fuel's huge greenhouse-gas cost means it is struggling to find a long-term future..... three low-emissions coal technologies aiming to harness that coal resource are now in the development stage.
The Age, Melbourne - Monday 27 February 2006
Investment boom fires growth surge
Australian business is powering through capacity constraints with the biggest investment boost in 20 years.....Major mining projects in development include Xstrata's $291 million developing Queensland's Rolleston open-cut coal mine, while TRU Energy is investing $120million in the Yallourn coal field in Victoria.
The Australian - Friday 24 February 2006
China, Australia to cooperate in clean coal power project
The Harbin Power Equipment Corporation (HPEC), China's leading manufacturer of power generation equipment, will invest in a clean-coal power plant this year in Australia in cooperation with an Australian energy development company.
People's Daily Online, Beijing - Thursday 23 February 2006
Excel gets a wiggle on at North Wambo
Australia's largest “independent” coal miner, Excel Coal, is pushing ahead with its planned $97m capex development, or about $43/t, of the North Wambo mine in the New South Wales Hunter Valley.
Ferret, Australia - Thursday 23 February 2006
New Estimate for Elimatta
Northern Energy Corporation has announced an initial JORC Compliant Inferred open cut Resource of 130 million tonnes at its low sulphur Elimatta thermal coal project, near Wandoan in southern Queensland
MineBox Online Portal - Thursday 23 February 2006
Tatas close to coal deal
Tata Steel is planning fresh acquisition of coking coal mines in Australia. The company could acquire two to three coal mines Down Under, managing director B.Muthuraman told The Telegraph.
The Telegraph, Calcutta India - Wednesday 22 February 2006
BHP beats Xstrata to Gunnedah coal
BHP Billiton has celebrated another victory over Xstrata, winning the right to explore for coal in a large section of northern NSW near Gunnedah.
The Sydney Morning Herald - Saturday 18 February 2006
BHP coal deal fuels talk of new rail tunnel
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) says BHP Billiton's search for coal in north-west New South Wales is the strongest indicator yet that the Murrurundi rail tunnel could be viable.
ABC News Online - Saturday 18 February 2006
Analyst predicts demand for Australian coal to stay strong
A market analyst says demand for coal from China and India is likely to remain strong over the next few years.
ABC News Online -Friday 17 February 2006
Exports in a heap as coal prices cool
Further signs emerged yesterday that record coking coal exports will decrease this year after Gloucester Coal fell into line with BHP Billiton's lower prices for the 2006-07 Japanese financial year.
The Australian - Wednesday 15 February 2006
S Korea Posco, Suppliers Agree To Lower Coal Prices
South Korea's Posco (005490.SE) said Wednesday that it has agreed to pay a lower coal price for the year ending March 2007.
Yahoo Finance - Wednesday 15 February 2006
ESI to acquire Asia Pacific Coal and Steel
Burswood-based waste management company Environmental Solutions International Ltd has emerged from more than a year in suspension from the share market to acquire Asia Pacific Coal and Steel Pty Ltd.... the acquisition would secure Asia Pacific's patented dewatering technology, which enables highly efficient dewatering of sewage waste and brown coal, providing a stable, transportable, exportable high energy feedstock for power generation.
WA Business News, Perth WA - Monday 13 February 2006
BHP Billiton and Queensland expanding coal port capacity
BHP Billiton, Mitsubishi Corp, Babcock & Brown Infrastructure Group and the Queensland government are spending A$1.2bn ($893mn) to expand port capacity to enable the Australian state to export more coal.
The Gulf Times, Qatar - Sunday 12 February 2006
Australian Thermal Coal Producers May Settle Near US$50
Australian thermal coal producers look like settling prices at close to US$50 a ton for next Japanese fiscal year, a mining industry source said, after a rapid gain in spot prices this year has highlighted a lack of supply of the fuel.
TMCnet, USA - Thursday 10 February 2006
Costello sets sights on state regulators
Peter Costello has challenged the premiers to abolish as many as eight state regulators and sign on to a single national regulator for ports and other critical export infrastructure.
The Australian - Thursday 10 February 2006
Deal to get states shipshape for export
Disputes over access to key export facilities such as ports and railways will have to be resolved within six months under a national regulation system to be unveiled at today's meeting of premiers and the Prime Minister.
Sydney Morning Herald - Thursday 10 February 2006
Tunnel campaign could be rejuvenated
A renewed campaign is expected to be launched today for a rail tunnel through the Liverpool Ranges near Murrurundi....Today's meeting is expected to be told the future of a rail tunnel at Ardglen may hinge on the development of coal reserves near Werris Creek.
ABC Regional Online - Thursday 10 February 2006
Aqua Dyne Acquires North American Market Rights
Water purification specialist Aqua Dyne Inc, (AQDY.OB) publicly traded on the US Bulletin board, announces the acquisition of an exclusive licence to market the COMENERGY Hybrid Coal and Gas Turbine (HCGT) technology throughout North America.
PR Newswire - Monday 6 February 2005
Pilot project probes brown coal booster
A process that could improve the efficiency of Victoria's Latrobe Valley coals -- already one of Australia's cheapest energy sources -- is to be investigated in a new project funded by industry and government.
The Australian - Monday 6 February 2005
Overnight market: Suddenly mine safety manufacturers overwhelmed
...But there's only one company in all the world making the kind of lifesaving wireless communication devices that became mandatory for West Virginia miners last week..... Only one wireless communicator and one tracking device has MSHA's stamp. They're both made by the Australian company Mine Site Technologies Pty. Ltd., based in Artarmon, New South Wales.
TMCnet, USA - Sunday 5 February 2006
Australian trade deficit narrows
A jump in commodity exports slashed Australia's trade deficit in December by more than one billion dollars to 881.5 million US dollars... Exports of coal rose 62 percent...
Today Online - Friday 3 February 2005
Coal -cleaning funding announced
The Federal Government will put $2.2 million towards the development of a coal-cleaning technology.
The Australian - Friday 3 February 2005
Rio Studying $9 Bln of Iron, Coal Mine Expansions (Update2)
Rio Tinto Group, the world's third- largest miner, is studying new projects and expansion of mines that may cost as much as $9 billion to meet demand led by China.
Bloomberg, USA - Friday 3 February 2005
Union backs power station approval
A major coal union says the Western Australian Government has made a brave decision by approving another coal-fired power station in Collie, in the state's south-west, given the environmental pressures it is under.
ABC Online, Australia - Thursday 2 February 2006
Rio Tinto wins part of $700m coal deal
Mining giant Rio Tinto has won part of a $700 million deal to deliver over eight million tonnes of thermal coal to the Mexican Federal Electricity Commission.
The Age, Melbourne - Wednesday 1 February 2006
BHP Billiton's Coking Coal Settlement A Key Sign - Access
Acceptance by global mining giant BHP Billiton (BHP) of a fall in a contract price for high quality coking coal could mark a key turning point in the global commodity price cycle, Chris Richardson, a director of Australian consultancy Access Economics Pty. Ltd., said Thursday.
Yahoo finance, Singapore - Wednesday 1 February 2006
India seeks Aussie investment in mines
“The government has so far approved about 75 FDI proposals in non-coal mining with an investment of about $1 billion,” Mr Rao told a meeting of India-Australia Coal and Mining Forum. “We are taking measures to simplify procedures for investment approvals.”
The Statesman, India - Wednesday 1 February 2006
First Aust-India Coal Forum
Just days after his appointment, Bob Baldwin, the new Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Tourism and Resources, will lead a 70-member delegation of Australian industry, research, and state and federal government officials to attend the first India-Australia Coal and Mining Forum in New Delhi.
MineBox Online Portal - Wednesday 1 February 2006
Newstan problems weigh on Centennial
Centennial Coal added two mines in the last year, but only managed December quarter sales gains of 4 per cent due to production problems at its large Newstan mine.
The Sydney Morning Herald - Wednesday 1 February 2006
January 2006 >>
CSIRO supports coal friendly projects
Australia's primary scientific organisation has come out in support of the federal government's coal-friendly technologies, moving away from renewable energy research.
The Age, Melbourne - Tuesday 31 January 2006
Coal prices to fall across all grades - report
Prices are likely to fall across all coal grades after last year's surge, said a report from Goldman Sachs, with negotiations between Japanese steelmakers and global coal suppliers already seeing cuts.
Stuff.co New Zealand - Saturday 28 January 2006
Excel says coking coal demand high
NSW miner Excel Coal says global demand for coking coal remains strong but it expects the price of weaker grades of coking coal to decline next year.
Australian Financial Review - Wednesday 25 January 2006
Industry strikes pay-dirt
The ship that docked at the Mackay Harbour late Monday afternoon and unloaded a 6000 tonne dragline carried plenty of good news for Mackay.
The Daily Mercury, Mackay - Wednesday 25 January 2006
Coal miner boosts Dalrymple exports
Bowen Basin miner Macarthur Coal has been given extra capacity to export its coal through the troubled Dalrymple Bay coal terminal.
The Australian - Tuesday 24 January 2006
Better safety regulations wanted in US coal mining industry...
Better safety regulations in the coal mining industry are being demanded after the latest tragedy in the United States.... but there are calls for an Australian industry standard to be adopted which involves setting up oxygen stations with three days' supply of oxygen.
TCMnet On the Web - Sunday 22 January 2006
Coal back in favour for power generation
The international focus is returning to coal as the preferred fuel for electricity generation, according to a report in The Australian this week.
The Lithgow Mercury - Saturday, 21 January 2006
Costello talks up mineral boom
Treasurer Peter Costello is predicting China's love affair with Australian minerals will continue well into the future to underpin the national economy.
The Australian - Friday 20 January 2006
Govt [India] may simplify mining policy
Responding to concerns expressed by the Australian High Commissioner to India, John McCarthy, on the existing mining policy, Dua said there was a need to address governance issues with "increased transparency, accountability and promptness in dealing with business concerns".
Sify, India - Friday 20 January 2006
Aussies tackle global warming
Amid exploding energy demand from Asia-Pacific countries, resource-rich Australia has emerged as a leader of planned energy supply and use into the foreseeable future.
The Japan Times - Thursday 19 January 2006
SK Corp. wins coal deal in Australia
SK Corp., the country's largest oil refiner, and state-run Korea Resources Corp. won approval for coal exploration in the Australian state of Queensland, the government said yesterday.
The Korea Herald - Wednesday 18 January 2006
Japan thermal coal prices poised for 20 pct fall
Japanese power firms are set to pay at least 20 percent less for their thermal coal this year after a key importer set a sharply lower benchmark with a small order in late 2005, analysts and industry officials say.
Reuters, South Africa - Tuesday 17 January 2006
This Year's Hope In The Coal Mine Is Hard Coking
While the major contract negotiations between Japanese steel mills and Australian coal suppliers have not been completed, most brokers have already conceded coal prices are likely to be lower this year than in 2005.
Australian Investment Review - Monday 16 January 2006
CSIRO Offers Technological Solutions
CSIRO's Chief of Energy Technology, Dr David Brockway, said yesterday that a variety of technological advances being developed by CSIRO can dramatically reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.
MineBox - Friday 13 January 2006
Howard at odds with State Leaders
Australian Prime Minister John Howard told the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate meeting yesterday that it was unrealistic to expect nations to sacrifice economic growth in order to halt global climate change.
MineBox - Friday 13 January 2006
New ABARE Report offers Hope
ABARE, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, released the results of a new study at the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate Meeting in Sydney yesterday.
MineBox - Friday 13 January 2006
VISA Steel to import coal from Australia
VISA Steel Ltd. is all set to import 5 lakh tonne of coal from its recently acquired coal mine in Australia. This will enable the company to make stainless steel at the lowest cost in the country.
Business Standard, India - Friday 13 January 2006
Climate: $170m committed to 'clean up'
Australia and the United States together will spend about $170 million developing environmentally friendly projects aimed at slashing pollution levels. Australia will contribute $100 million over five years, while the US will chip in an initial $US52 million ($69 million) next year.
Australian Financial Review - Thursday 12 January 2006
Mining giants back clean- coal push
Australia's coal industry is racing to establish a clean-coal technology fund before the end of March, in time to support applications to tap into the Federal Government's $500million low-emissions technology fund.
The Australian - Thursday 12 January 2006
Collision sparks coal port scramble
BHP Billiton is rushing to negotiate extra coal port access in Queensland following a collision between one of its coal loaders and a ship at its Hay Point terminal that will cut capacity at the terminal by 30 per cent for two months.
The Australian - Thursday 12 January 2006
Security Tight for Inaugural Climate Talks
Security is tight in Sydney ahead of the first Asia-Pacific climate meeting today. Ministers from Japan, the United States, South Korea, China, India and Australia will meet to discuss the climate partnership for the first time since the pact was announced in July.
ABC News Online - Wednesday 11 January 2006
First meeting for 'Kyoto rival'
The first ministerial meeting of a controversial alliance promising economic growth with low carbon emissions has opened in Sydney. The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate aims to develop and promote technologies such as "clean coal", nuclear and renewables.
BBC News, UK Edition - Wednesday 11 January 2006
Climate summit challenges Kyoto's approach
The inaugural two-day summit of what many see as an American-led alternative to the Kyoto climate treaty convenes Wednesday in Sydney. Formed this past July, the new bloc brings together the US, China, India, Australia, South Korea, and Japan.
The Christian Science Monitor - Tuesday 10 January 2006
NZ participates in Aussie project to lock CO2 underground
State-owned coal producer Solid Energy says it is participating with several Australian coal, oil and gas companies in a trial project to store unwanted carbon dioxide underground. The trial of carbon dioxide sequestration technology is being led by Australia's Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies.
Stuff.co New Zealand - Tuesday 10 January 2006
Resources rule, but is king coal in it for the long haul?
Some predict the boom could turn into a super-cycle but others are preaching caution...
The Sydney Morning herald - Friday 6 January 2006
Chinese demand to boost coal port
The port of Newcastle in NSW - the world's largest coal-export harbour - is forecasting a 9.6 per cent rise in shipments this year amid continuing demand from Asia.
The Australian, Business - Thursday 5 January 2006
Australian Mining Industry Cannot Fill Mining Vacancies
According to a recent report by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the resources industry in Australia is currently facing a skills shortage....
OpenPR - Thursday 5 January 2006
Initial Seismic Program Finished At Dingo
Cockatoo Coal Limited has successfully completed an initial seismic survey program at its Dingo project. The Dingo project is made up of EPCs 862 and 863 which have a combined surface ar | 
