May 18, 2012

India the next China? Don’t bet on it, says BHP

Michael Pascoe, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, hits on a little-reported theme gleaned from remarks by BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser this week in Sydney.

May 18, 2012

China is developing a grid better for coal than renewables: report

China won’t meet its carbon and energy intensity targets unless dramatic changes to its electricity grid are applied, says a study by U.S.-based Energy Transition Research Institute.

May 18, 2012

One step closer to a better US permitting process

Yesterday, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 4402, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012. The bill, offered by Rep. Amodei (R-Nev.), received strong support…

May 17, 2012

Mongolia legislates caps on foreign investment

Mongolia is capping foreign investment in certain industries, including mining, in an attempt to keep profits inside the mineral-rich nation's borders.

May 17, 2012

Expat execs in Africa: Without ‘danger pay’ how does the money stack up now?

Africa's economic indicators are all pointing up, but executive pay packages and living arrangements for expatriates are changing too.

May 17, 2012

Coal miners rally against Biden in Ohio

Vice President Joe Biden, campaigning in Ohio, got a frosty reception from a group of coal miners opposed to the Obama Administration's anti-coal stance.

May 17, 2012

Underground Coal to Liquids (UCTL) update – significant progress

Preliminary results suggest that Stanford University has achieved the primary objective of coal liquefaction using specifications of UCTL. Qualitative demonstration of liquid hydrocarbon products being formed from coal using near-critical…

May 16, 2012

In stunning turnaround, coal will grab electricity market share from natural gas next year

While stricter environmental regulation is leading to plant closures the US has not stopped building coal-fired power plants.

May 16, 2012

BC mining industry earned extra $2 billion in 2011 on strength of coal, silver

The mining industry in British Columbia produced some healthy numbers in 2011, buoyed by high commodity prices and continued growth in mineral exploration, according to PwC’s annual BC Mining Survey.

May 16, 2012

Falling off the supercycle: BHP puts the brakes on capex, stock hits 3-year low

“Where the industry previously lacked investment opportunities and choice, it now has more projects than cash flows. All of us in the industry are having to make choices.”