Thu Feb 9, 2012
SYDNEY Feb 9 (Reuters) - BHP Billiton's Bowen Basin coal workers will strike for seven days next week in the latest chapter of a months-long battle with the world's biggest miner, the miners' union said on Thursday.
"Workers at the Goonyella Riverside, Broadmeadow, Peak Downs, Saraji, Norwich Park, Gregory Crinum, and Blackwater mines will be involved in the strike from midday next Wednesday," the union said.
The action could support spot metallurgical coal prices, which have tumbled to around $215 per tonne this week, down from the 2011 high of $350 per tonne when prices were driven up by flooding that nearly halted coal production in Queensland state.
About 3,500 unionised workers at the BHP Billiton-Mistubishi Alliance (BMA) mines have been staging rolling work stoppages since they first approved strike action in June 2011. The total workforce at the mines is around 10,000.
Union members have been striking for greater job security and more pay as rising commodity prices boost mining sector profits, but they have so far been unable to reach an agreement with BMA.
BHP Billiton reported a rare fall in earnings on Wednesday, in part due to labour battles and weaker commodity prices, but still brought in $9.94 billion in half-year profits.
"We are extremely disappointed as we have consistently demonstrated our commitment to negotiating constructively with the unions...strike action will not change our position, as has been the case for the past eight months," BHP said in a statement on Thursday.
BHP's chief executive told reporters on Wednesday that the company desired nothing more than to "reach an agreement with the minimum amount of fuss".
BMA-operated mines have a combined output capacity of more than 58 million tonnes per year of mostly metallurgical coal, representing about a fifth of annual global trade.
Analysts have estimated that a full week of 12-hour stoppages at the mines would cut production by up to 1 million tonnes.
The BMA strike action follows a week-long strike at the BHP Billiton-operated Port Kembla coal terminal which exports around 10 million tonnes of coal and coke per year and processed about 5 percent of seaborne metallurgical coal, used for steelmaking, last year.
(sourced Reuters)
Showing posts with label coal mines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coal mines. Show all posts
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
China to create 12 super-large coal firms with capacity over 100 million mt
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
According to new guidelines issued by the China National Coal Association (CNCA) for China's 12th five-year plan period, by the end of the period the number of large-scale coal enterprises in China is to be reduced to 4,000, including 12 super-large coal enterprises with annual output capacity above 100 million mt and a further 16 super-large coal enterprises with annual output capacity between 50 million mt and 100 million mt.
Meanwhile, according to the guidelines, the overall number of coal mines in China is to be kept below 10,000.
Tags: coking coal , raw mat , China , Far East , production , mining , East Asia and Pacific
Sourced:SteelOrbis
According to new guidelines issued by the China National Coal Association (CNCA) for China's 12th five-year plan period, by the end of the period the number of large-scale coal enterprises in China is to be reduced to 4,000, including 12 super-large coal enterprises with annual output capacity above 100 million mt and a further 16 super-large coal enterprises with annual output capacity between 50 million mt and 100 million mt.
Meanwhile, according to the guidelines, the overall number of coal mines in China is to be kept below 10,000.
Tags: coking coal , raw mat , China , Far East , production , mining , East Asia and Pacific
Sourced:SteelOrbis
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
GMDC exploring coal mines acquisitions in Canada - Mr VS Gadhavi
Tuesday, 22 Nov 2011 sourced -Business Standard
Coal supplies from domestic sources are not enough to meet the consumption requirements. With more and more power generation capacities coming up on stream, miners like Gujarat government promoted Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd has to look at cross boarder geographies to ensure uninterrupted coal supplies to the domestic clients, Mr VS Gadhavi MD of the company during an interaction with Rutam Vora.
Q - What is your take on coal prices and coal shortage in India?
A - In the current market condition, there is an increase in the overall fuel cost. This may hurt bigger industries and their supplies might get affected. The coal demand is huge for range of industries, but local availability is scarce. This causes high dependency on imported coal, prices of which is subject to international economic fluctuations. However, lignite prices may show some stability with short-term fluctuations. At GMDC we make every effort to ensure save our consumers from price hike. So far, we have been successful in doing so.
Q - Looking at the current market situation and rising coal demand for power generation, are you looking to increase mining activity?
A - In the year 2010-11 we mined 10.23 million tonnes of lignite from our five coal fields in Gujarat. The availability of coal will improve further once we get an approval from the ministry of environment and forests to increase mining at Mata-No-Madh and Bhavnagar coal mines. The demand for coal is huge and we have to look for every possibility to cater to this demand.
We are already in tie-up with the Pondicherry Industrial Promotion and Development Corporation to mine the entire Naini coal block in Orissa. The field survey will start soon. Further, we are also planning to bid for the coal fields in Jharkhand. This field is expected to have about 200-300 million tonnes of coal reserves. Most of our coal supplies will go to state power utilities for power generation purpose.
Coal supplies from domestic sources are not enough to meet the consumption requirements. With more and more power generation capacities coming up on stream, miners like Gujarat government promoted Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd has to look at cross boarder geographies to ensure uninterrupted coal supplies to the domestic clients, Mr VS Gadhavi MD of the company during an interaction with Rutam Vora.
Q - What is your take on coal prices and coal shortage in India?
A - In the current market condition, there is an increase in the overall fuel cost. This may hurt bigger industries and their supplies might get affected. The coal demand is huge for range of industries, but local availability is scarce. This causes high dependency on imported coal, prices of which is subject to international economic fluctuations. However, lignite prices may show some stability with short-term fluctuations. At GMDC we make every effort to ensure save our consumers from price hike. So far, we have been successful in doing so.
Q - Looking at the current market situation and rising coal demand for power generation, are you looking to increase mining activity?
A - In the year 2010-11 we mined 10.23 million tonnes of lignite from our five coal fields in Gujarat. The availability of coal will improve further once we get an approval from the ministry of environment and forests to increase mining at Mata-No-Madh and Bhavnagar coal mines. The demand for coal is huge and we have to look for every possibility to cater to this demand.
We are already in tie-up with the Pondicherry Industrial Promotion and Development Corporation to mine the entire Naini coal block in Orissa. The field survey will start soon. Further, we are also planning to bid for the coal fields in Jharkhand. This field is expected to have about 200-300 million tonnes of coal reserves. Most of our coal supplies will go to state power utilities for power generation purpose.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Jatenergy to mine first coal under new Indonesian JV
Saturday, 19 Nov 2011
Jatenergy has announced that it will mine its first coal this week, after entering a JV with a currently producing coal mine, Jongkang II in East Kalimantan in Indonesia. The company expects its first sales of high quality thermal coal to Asian customers to occur this year.
JV partner CV Karya Putru Bersama has already sold about 40,000 tonnes of coal from Jongkang II. This milestone realizes Jatenergy's goal of diversifying its energy business.
Jongkang II is Jatenergy's third JV agreement in East Kalimantan, but the first to enter production, with partnerships for the Jongkang and Atan Bara projects.
Jongkang and Atan Bara are both considered to be short to production and Jatenergy expects to follow up in the near future with development of the two projects, once production licenses are granted.
Under the latest agreement, Jatenergy is required to provide working capital in order to earn 30% of the net margin of the coal, as well as to undertake full marketing and sales rights to the coal.
Cash flows from these projects will be used to advance the evaluation and eventual development of the company's showcase Katingan coal project in Central Kalimantan.
In addition to its Indonesian operations, Jatenergy recently executed binding agreements to purchase eight coal exploration permits and permit applications in Queensland's Bowen and Galilee Basins.
Jatenergy has announced that it will mine its first coal this week, after entering a JV with a currently producing coal mine, Jongkang II in East Kalimantan in Indonesia. The company expects its first sales of high quality thermal coal to Asian customers to occur this year.
JV partner CV Karya Putru Bersama has already sold about 40,000 tonnes of coal from Jongkang II. This milestone realizes Jatenergy's goal of diversifying its energy business.
Jongkang II is Jatenergy's third JV agreement in East Kalimantan, but the first to enter production, with partnerships for the Jongkang and Atan Bara projects.
Jongkang and Atan Bara are both considered to be short to production and Jatenergy expects to follow up in the near future with development of the two projects, once production licenses are granted.
Under the latest agreement, Jatenergy is required to provide working capital in order to earn 30% of the net margin of the coal, as well as to undertake full marketing and sales rights to the coal.
Cash flows from these projects will be used to advance the evaluation and eventual development of the company's showcase Katingan coal project in Central Kalimantan.
In addition to its Indonesian operations, Jatenergy recently executed binding agreements to purchase eight coal exploration permits and permit applications in Queensland's Bowen and Galilee Basins.
Friday, November 18, 2011
MCL to go for 2nd price hike
Friday, Nov 18, 2011
BHUBANESWAR: As if the February hike was not enough, the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) is seriously contemplating second hike in coal prices. And this is at a time when Odisha is passing through a power crisis triggered by acute shortage of coal.
Industries sources said MCL, a fully-owned subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), is all set to go for it when the company has failed to meet the linkage coal supply as per the fuel supply agreement. MCL now proposes to increase the price of different grade of coal by about 20 per cent, the sources said.
At present, the average cost of the thermal grade linkage coal is ` 740 per tonne and the landing cost comes to about 1,200 per tonne.
While power tariff is decided by Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission on cost plus basis as per the national electricity policy, another 20 per cent hike in the coal price will further jack up the cost of generation which will be ultimately passed on to the consumers. The domestic consumers will be the worst victim, sources in Gridco said.
‘’Unless the captive power plants (CPPs) are given adequate coal supply as per the fuel supply agreement, the CPPs will not be able to meet the� shortage scenario presently existing in the State,’’ said Sanjib Das, vice-president of the Confederation of Captive Power Plants.
MCL is able to meet 45 to 50 per cent of the guaranteed offtake of the CPPs. These plants have to meet their requirement by buying coal from MCL through e-auctioning. The price difference between linkage coal and coal provided through e-auction is huge.
The common complaint against MCL is that the coal supplied through e-auction route is much inferior quality despite the fact that the price of auction coal is more than double. Mostly coal coming from Hingula and Lingaraj mines go for e-auctioning and it contains high ash, a senior executive of an independent power producer said.
Even national PSUs like Nalco and NTPC are facing shortage of coal.
A senior executive of Nalco said power generation of the CPP at Angul suffers due to poor quality of coal.
(sourced IBNLive.in)
BHUBANESWAR: As if the February hike was not enough, the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) is seriously contemplating second hike in coal prices. And this is at a time when Odisha is passing through a power crisis triggered by acute shortage of coal.
Industries sources said MCL, a fully-owned subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), is all set to go for it when the company has failed to meet the linkage coal supply as per the fuel supply agreement. MCL now proposes to increase the price of different grade of coal by about 20 per cent, the sources said.
At present, the average cost of the thermal grade linkage coal is ` 740 per tonne and the landing cost comes to about 1,200 per tonne.
While power tariff is decided by Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission on cost plus basis as per the national electricity policy, another 20 per cent hike in the coal price will further jack up the cost of generation which will be ultimately passed on to the consumers. The domestic consumers will be the worst victim, sources in Gridco said.
‘’Unless the captive power plants (CPPs) are given adequate coal supply as per the fuel supply agreement, the CPPs will not be able to meet the� shortage scenario presently existing in the State,’’ said Sanjib Das, vice-president of the Confederation of Captive Power Plants.
MCL is able to meet 45 to 50 per cent of the guaranteed offtake of the CPPs. These plants have to meet their requirement by buying coal from MCL through e-auctioning. The price difference between linkage coal and coal provided through e-auction is huge.
The common complaint against MCL is that the coal supplied through e-auction route is much inferior quality despite the fact that the price of auction coal is more than double. Mostly coal coming from Hingula and Lingaraj mines go for e-auctioning and it contains high ash, a senior executive of an independent power producer said.
Even national PSUs like Nalco and NTPC are facing shortage of coal.
A senior executive of Nalco said power generation of the CPP at Angul suffers due to poor quality of coal.
(sourced IBNLive.in)
Friday, November 4, 2011
4 dead, 57 trapped in China coal mine rock blast
Friday, Nov 4, 2011 | Agency AP
BEIJING: Rescuers were working Friday to try to save 57 miners who were trapped in a coal mine in central China after a rock explosion that followed a small earthquake, state media reported. Four miners were killed in the blast.
The accident in the coal mine in the city of Sanmenxia in Henan province occurred Thursday evening when 75 miners were working in the shaft, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Fourteen workers escaped.
At least 200 workers were digging a small rescue tunnel about 1,650 feet (500 meters) deep to try to reach the trapped miners, the People's Daily newspaper's website said.
The Qianqiu Coal Mine belongs to Yima Coal Group, a large state-owned coal company in Henan, the State Administration of Work Safety said on its website.
Xinhua said a magnitude-2.9 earthquake occurred to the east of Sanmenxia and that the rock explosion happened about 30 minutes later.
The phenomenon known as a "rock burst" occurs when settling layers of earth bear down on the walls of a mine and result in a sudden, catastrophic release of stored energy. Exploding pillars can turn chunks of rock or coal into deadly missiles, and the shock waves alone can be lethal.
The survival of the trapped miners depends on the intensity of the rock explosion and the rescuers' ability to provide ventilation to them, a local official told The Associated Press.
"If it was not very strong, it might have caused the tunnel to get narrower, but we might still be able to send some air in there to ensure ventilation," said the Yima city Communist Party's head of propaganda, who would give only his surname, Tian, as is common with Chinese officials.
"But if the impact was pretty strong and caused the tunnel walls to collapse, then the ventilation was probably cut off immediately, suffocating the people trapped there. In that case it would be hard to rescue them," Tian said.
Tian said it was difficult to determine how deep in the mine the trapped workers were.
According to Xinhua, workers were digging a tunnel about 830 yards (760 meters) long, but after the rock burst, the tunnel appeared to have "basically folded" a little more than halfway down the passage, at 525 yards (480 meters). It was unclear what the condition of the tunnel was beyond that point, Xinhua said.
China's coal mines are the most dangerous in the world, although the industry's safety record has improved in recent years as smaller, illegal mines have been closed. Annual fatalities are now about one-third of the high of nearly 7,000 in 2002.
(sourcedTimesofIndia)
BEIJING: Rescuers were working Friday to try to save 57 miners who were trapped in a coal mine in central China after a rock explosion that followed a small earthquake, state media reported. Four miners were killed in the blast.
The accident in the coal mine in the city of Sanmenxia in Henan province occurred Thursday evening when 75 miners were working in the shaft, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Fourteen workers escaped.
At least 200 workers were digging a small rescue tunnel about 1,650 feet (500 meters) deep to try to reach the trapped miners, the People's Daily newspaper's website said.
The Qianqiu Coal Mine belongs to Yima Coal Group, a large state-owned coal company in Henan, the State Administration of Work Safety said on its website.
Xinhua said a magnitude-2.9 earthquake occurred to the east of Sanmenxia and that the rock explosion happened about 30 minutes later.
The phenomenon known as a "rock burst" occurs when settling layers of earth bear down on the walls of a mine and result in a sudden, catastrophic release of stored energy. Exploding pillars can turn chunks of rock or coal into deadly missiles, and the shock waves alone can be lethal.
The survival of the trapped miners depends on the intensity of the rock explosion and the rescuers' ability to provide ventilation to them, a local official told The Associated Press.
"If it was not very strong, it might have caused the tunnel to get narrower, but we might still be able to send some air in there to ensure ventilation," said the Yima city Communist Party's head of propaganda, who would give only his surname, Tian, as is common with Chinese officials.
"But if the impact was pretty strong and caused the tunnel walls to collapse, then the ventilation was probably cut off immediately, suffocating the people trapped there. In that case it would be hard to rescue them," Tian said.
Tian said it was difficult to determine how deep in the mine the trapped workers were.
According to Xinhua, workers were digging a tunnel about 830 yards (760 meters) long, but after the rock burst, the tunnel appeared to have "basically folded" a little more than halfway down the passage, at 525 yards (480 meters). It was unclear what the condition of the tunnel was beyond that point, Xinhua said.
China's coal mines are the most dangerous in the world, although the industry's safety record has improved in recent years as smaller, illegal mines have been closed. Annual fatalities are now about one-third of the high of nearly 7,000 in 2002.
(sourcedTimesofIndia)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
43 on trial over coal mining dispute in Yunnan Province
Wednesday, 02 Nov 2011
Xinhua reported that 43 people went on trial Tuesday in southwest China's Yunnan Province on charges including organized crime, blackmail and illegal mining and grabs of farmland.
The gang was involved in a fatal coal mine dispute late last year in which nine of its members were killed and 19 more injured.
On November 18th 2010, over 100 people headed by ringleader Mr Zheng Chunyun arrived at a coal mine in Luxi county of Honghe prefecture wielding steel pipes and knives to settle a dispute. But they were ambushed by their opponents, headed by Mr Wang Jianfu, who set off explosives and opened fire with guns.
Mr Wang, contractor of the Xiaosongdi Coal Mine, had a dispute over mining resources with Mr Zheng, the owner of a neighboring mine.
Mr Zheng was charged with running a mafia style gang since 2000, the intermediate people's court in Honghe prefecture said in a statement.
Mr Zheng and 42 others were charged with organized crime, intentional injury, robbery, blackmail, operating gambling houses, forced dealings and illegal seizures of farmland.
The trial is scheduled to last seven days.
Mr Wang and 25 members of his side stood trial last week and the verdict is also to be announced later.
(Sourced from Xinhua)
Xinhua reported that 43 people went on trial Tuesday in southwest China's Yunnan Province on charges including organized crime, blackmail and illegal mining and grabs of farmland.
The gang was involved in a fatal coal mine dispute late last year in which nine of its members were killed and 19 more injured.
On November 18th 2010, over 100 people headed by ringleader Mr Zheng Chunyun arrived at a coal mine in Luxi county of Honghe prefecture wielding steel pipes and knives to settle a dispute. But they were ambushed by their opponents, headed by Mr Wang Jianfu, who set off explosives and opened fire with guns.
Mr Wang, contractor of the Xiaosongdi Coal Mine, had a dispute over mining resources with Mr Zheng, the owner of a neighboring mine.
Mr Zheng was charged with running a mafia style gang since 2000, the intermediate people's court in Honghe prefecture said in a statement.
Mr Zheng and 42 others were charged with organized crime, intentional injury, robbery, blackmail, operating gambling houses, forced dealings and illegal seizures of farmland.
The trial is scheduled to last seven days.
Mr Wang and 25 members of his side stood trial last week and the verdict is also to be announced later.
(Sourced from Xinhua)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
29 killed in China coal mine gas explosion
Sun, October 30, 2011 Agency AP
Beijing : A gas explosion rocked a state-owned coal mine in central China's Hunan province, killing 29 workers in the latest in a slew of such accidents in the country.
A total of 35 miners were working in the Xialiuchong Coal Mine in Hengyang city when the mishap happened around 6 pm last evening. Six of the miners had been rescued and admitted to hospital, according to authorities.
The death toll reached 29 after rescuers located the body of a trapped worker, the official Xinhua news agency reported today.
Family members and other relatives of the coal mine workers, who were anxiously waiting at the site during the rescue operation, burst into tears after hearing the news of the death of 29 miners.
Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, and Xu Shousheng, Governor of Hunan Province, were involved in directing the rescue operation till this morning.
Xialiuchong Coal Mine, a 40-year-old mining enterprise located in Changjiang township in Hengshan county, is a legally-operating mine with more than 160 miners, according to Xinhua.
This was the second mine accident in the last three days that resulted in casualties due to gas burst.
Seven miners were killed and 11 others were missing after a gas outburst hit a coal mine in central China's Henan Province on October 27.
A spokesman with the provincial work safety authorities said the gas rush had happened shortly after the midnight, when 18 workers were operating underground at the Jiulishan Coal Mine in Jiaozuo.
Coal mine accidents continue to take place almost every week in energy-hungry China despite measures initiated by the government to increase the safety.
Keywords : China mine explosion, China gas explosion, mine mishap
Beijing : A gas explosion rocked a state-owned coal mine in central China's Hunan province, killing 29 workers in the latest in a slew of such accidents in the country.
A total of 35 miners were working in the Xialiuchong Coal Mine in Hengyang city when the mishap happened around 6 pm last evening. Six of the miners had been rescued and admitted to hospital, according to authorities.
The death toll reached 29 after rescuers located the body of a trapped worker, the official Xinhua news agency reported today.
Family members and other relatives of the coal mine workers, who were anxiously waiting at the site during the rescue operation, burst into tears after hearing the news of the death of 29 miners.
Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, and Xu Shousheng, Governor of Hunan Province, were involved in directing the rescue operation till this morning.
Xialiuchong Coal Mine, a 40-year-old mining enterprise located in Changjiang township in Hengshan county, is a legally-operating mine with more than 160 miners, according to Xinhua.
This was the second mine accident in the last three days that resulted in casualties due to gas burst.
Seven miners were killed and 11 others were missing after a gas outburst hit a coal mine in central China's Henan Province on October 27.
A spokesman with the provincial work safety authorities said the gas rush had happened shortly after the midnight, when 18 workers were operating underground at the Jiulishan Coal Mine in Jiaozuo.
Coal mine accidents continue to take place almost every week in energy-hungry China despite measures initiated by the government to increase the safety.
Keywords : China mine explosion, China gas explosion, mine mishap
Friday, October 21, 2011
Gunvor buys 33pct of US coal mine for USD 400 million
Friday, 21 Oct 2011
Interfax reported that Gunvor the commodities trader founded by Gennady Timchenko and Torbjorn Tornqvist has acquired a coal asset in the United States.
Pinesdale LLC a unit of Gunvor Group has paid USD 400 million for a one-third interest in the Signal Peak coal mine in Montana, one of the sellers. FirstEnergy will receive USD 260 million of the selling price and the remainder will go to private coal firm Boich.
FirstEnergy and Boich bought Signal Peak in 2008. At the time, FirstEnergy paid USD 125 million for a 45% stake in the project. The deal with Gunvor calls for creating a new corporate entity, Global Mining Holding Company in which the three investors will each own a one-third interest.
Mr Wayne Boich Jr president and chief executive of Boich Companies said "One of the key advantages that Gunvor Group brings to this venture is the ability to utilize their commodity trading relationships in such markets as Japan, China, Korea and Chile to sell more coal."
Mr Timothy Legge Gunvor SA chairman said this is Gunvor first investment in a coal mine in the United States. The trader can ship large amounts of coal through the deepwater port of Vancouver.
Under the deal, FirstEnergy Generation a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp has revised its original coal purchase agreement with Signal Peak to reduce annual purchases from 6.8 million to 1.8 million tonnes. Most of the coal from the mine will now be purchased by Gunvor.
Signal Peak now mines more than 8 million tonnes of thermal coal per year, but this figure is expected to grow to 13.5 million tonnes by 2015.
(Sourced from Interfax)
Interfax reported that Gunvor the commodities trader founded by Gennady Timchenko and Torbjorn Tornqvist has acquired a coal asset in the United States.
Pinesdale LLC a unit of Gunvor Group has paid USD 400 million for a one-third interest in the Signal Peak coal mine in Montana, one of the sellers. FirstEnergy will receive USD 260 million of the selling price and the remainder will go to private coal firm Boich.
FirstEnergy and Boich bought Signal Peak in 2008. At the time, FirstEnergy paid USD 125 million for a 45% stake in the project. The deal with Gunvor calls for creating a new corporate entity, Global Mining Holding Company in which the three investors will each own a one-third interest.
Mr Wayne Boich Jr president and chief executive of Boich Companies said "One of the key advantages that Gunvor Group brings to this venture is the ability to utilize their commodity trading relationships in such markets as Japan, China, Korea and Chile to sell more coal."
Mr Timothy Legge Gunvor SA chairman said this is Gunvor first investment in a coal mine in the United States. The trader can ship large amounts of coal through the deepwater port of Vancouver.
Under the deal, FirstEnergy Generation a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp has revised its original coal purchase agreement with Signal Peak to reduce annual purchases from 6.8 million to 1.8 million tonnes. Most of the coal from the mine will now be purchased by Gunvor.
Signal Peak now mines more than 8 million tonnes of thermal coal per year, but this figure is expected to grow to 13.5 million tonnes by 2015.
(Sourced from Interfax)
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Govt to rush teams to CIL mines for faster evacuation of coal
Thu, October 20, 2011 | Agency Press Trust of India
New Delhi : Amid severe coal shortages disrupting power supply in different parts of the country, the government will rush teams to Coal India (CIL) collieries for faster evacuation of the dry fuel to overcome the crisis.
"The Coal Ministry has been asked to rush teams to various collieries, including Magad in Jharkhand and Kania, Basundra and Kulda in Orissa to ensure faster evacuation of the dry fuel and submit a report by November 10," a source in the Coal Ministry said.
The decision was taken in a meeting last evening, chaired by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth and attended by senior officials from various ministries, including coal and power, amid acute coal shortages impacting power generation.
The pithead stock lying idle at various CIL collieries is about 55 million tonnes (MT), which has not been lifted due to various problems, including a shortage of railway rakes.
The teams will comprise officials from the coal, power and railway ministries and state-run Coal India, sources said.
Apart from this, sources said, it was also decided in the meeting to constitute separate panels comprising officials from various ministries, including environment, power and railways, besides the Planning Commission, to sort out issues with state governments regarding land acquisition, among other things, for expansion projects.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also likely to conduct a review of the supply situation next month.
The Coal Ministry made it clear this week that it cannot supply domestic fuel to new projects, which will have to depend on imported coal.
Power projects having a total capacity of 80,000 MW are under construction in the country, but coal linkages for upcoming plants having a combined capacity of 40,000 MW are yet to be obtained.
In the first seven months of the current fiscal, decisions on more than 100 proposals for coal linkages from various sectors, including power, were still pending with the Coal Ministry, according to official data.
According to an estimate made by the Planning Commission, the demand-supply gap for coal in the ongoing year will be 142 MT, with domestic availability of only 554 MT against the requirement of 696 MT.
Coal India accounts for 80 per cent of domestic production of coal and has set an output target of 452 MT for the current fiscal.
However, production in the first six months of the 2011-12 financial year was short of the target of 176 MT by about 20 MT.
Read more at profit.ndtv.com
New Delhi : Amid severe coal shortages disrupting power supply in different parts of the country, the government will rush teams to Coal India (CIL) collieries for faster evacuation of the dry fuel to overcome the crisis.
"The Coal Ministry has been asked to rush teams to various collieries, including Magad in Jharkhand and Kania, Basundra and Kulda in Orissa to ensure faster evacuation of the dry fuel and submit a report by November 10," a source in the Coal Ministry said.
The decision was taken in a meeting last evening, chaired by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth and attended by senior officials from various ministries, including coal and power, amid acute coal shortages impacting power generation.
The pithead stock lying idle at various CIL collieries is about 55 million tonnes (MT), which has not been lifted due to various problems, including a shortage of railway rakes.
The teams will comprise officials from the coal, power and railway ministries and state-run Coal India, sources said.
Apart from this, sources said, it was also decided in the meeting to constitute separate panels comprising officials from various ministries, including environment, power and railways, besides the Planning Commission, to sort out issues with state governments regarding land acquisition, among other things, for expansion projects.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also likely to conduct a review of the supply situation next month.
The Coal Ministry made it clear this week that it cannot supply domestic fuel to new projects, which will have to depend on imported coal.
Power projects having a total capacity of 80,000 MW are under construction in the country, but coal linkages for upcoming plants having a combined capacity of 40,000 MW are yet to be obtained.
In the first seven months of the current fiscal, decisions on more than 100 proposals for coal linkages from various sectors, including power, were still pending with the Coal Ministry, according to official data.
According to an estimate made by the Planning Commission, the demand-supply gap for coal in the ongoing year will be 142 MT, with domestic availability of only 554 MT against the requirement of 696 MT.
Coal India accounts for 80 per cent of domestic production of coal and has set an output target of 452 MT for the current fiscal.
However, production in the first six months of the 2011-12 financial year was short of the target of 176 MT by about 20 MT.
Read more at profit.ndtv.com
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Mr Whittall to leave Pike River Coal
Saturday, 08 Oct 2011
It is reported that Mr Peter Whittall CEO of Pike River will be leaving the company at the end of November.
Mr Whittall became the public face of the company after 29 men died in a series of explosions in the West Coast mine last November. His departure is part of the downsizing of the company which is now in receivership.
Receiver PricewaterhouseCoopers's Malcolm Hollis said Mr Whittall had been kept on to help with the insurance claim and the pending sale of the mine.
The company has moved its HQ to smaller premises in Wellington and from Friday only Mr Whittall and an IT manager will be based there, leaving a company which once employed more than 157 staff with just 18.
The other remaining staffs are based in Greymouth.
Last week Mr Whittall gave emotional testimony to the Royal Commission of Inquiry which has been investigating the safety procedures at the mine and the response to the disaster. He has faced criticism from some family members of the deceased miners who claim he gave them false hope that their loved ones would be rescued.
However, Mr Whittall said he was giving families what he believed was an accurate picture and he himself was not given accurate information from the police and fire service.
(sourced from NZHerald)
It is reported that Mr Peter Whittall CEO of Pike River will be leaving the company at the end of November.
Mr Whittall became the public face of the company after 29 men died in a series of explosions in the West Coast mine last November. His departure is part of the downsizing of the company which is now in receivership.
Receiver PricewaterhouseCoopers's Malcolm Hollis said Mr Whittall had been kept on to help with the insurance claim and the pending sale of the mine.
The company has moved its HQ to smaller premises in Wellington and from Friday only Mr Whittall and an IT manager will be based there, leaving a company which once employed more than 157 staff with just 18.
The other remaining staffs are based in Greymouth.
Last week Mr Whittall gave emotional testimony to the Royal Commission of Inquiry which has been investigating the safety procedures at the mine and the response to the disaster. He has faced criticism from some family members of the deceased miners who claim he gave them false hope that their loved ones would be rescued.
However, Mr Whittall said he was giving families what he believed was an accurate picture and he himself was not given accurate information from the police and fire service.
(sourced from NZHerald)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Chile government gives nod for five coal mines
Tuesday, 06 Sep 2011
Local media report the Chilean government has given approval for the first of five coal mines to be constructed at Isla Riesco, a coastal precinct almost at the most southern tip of the country.
The first mine, Mina Invierno, is part of a USD 500 million project underwritten by the Copec and Ultramar companies. The partners aim to eventually supply 30% of Chile’s coal requirements from the Isla Riesco Island project which has a life expectancy of more than 25 years.
Chile’s opposition has flagged that it intends to oppose the project on the grounds of environmental impact, particularly on vulnerable species like the huemul (species of deer), puma and condor.
(sourced from coalportal)
Local media report the Chilean government has given approval for the first of five coal mines to be constructed at Isla Riesco, a coastal precinct almost at the most southern tip of the country.
The first mine, Mina Invierno, is part of a USD 500 million project underwritten by the Copec and Ultramar companies. The partners aim to eventually supply 30% of Chile’s coal requirements from the Isla Riesco Island project which has a life expectancy of more than 25 years.
Chile’s opposition has flagged that it intends to oppose the project on the grounds of environmental impact, particularly on vulnerable species like the huemul (species of deer), puma and condor.
(sourced from coalportal)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Inner Mongolian 551 coal mines producing 790 million tonnes a year
Wednesday, 17 Aug 2011
It is reported that China northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has grown into the largest raw coal producing province in the country by 2010 with 551 modernized large mines and an annual output of 790 million tonnes.
Possessing merely 27 small coal mines equivalent to 350,000 tonnes per annum back 60 years ago, Inner Mongolia has literally taken a giant leap to stand on the forefront of the coal industry development in China.
Inner Mongolia boasts a cumulative proven coal reserve of 732.3 billion tonnes, the greatest in China, among which 36 coalfields are verified with over 100 million tonnes of deposit. Since the 11th Five Year Plan period large scale regulation, optimization and upgrading has been launched in the autonomous region, raising its coal production contribution in the whole nation from 12% to 24.4% average single-pit capacity to 1.4 million tonnes resource recovery rate above 60%, mechanized production exceeding 90%.
The death rate per million tonne of raw coal goes down steadily to hold at around 0.05 now. Small mines below 300,000 tonnes have all withdrawn from the market. Hence, the coal industry has gone onto a fast lane of healthy development. In the meantime, Inner Mongolia has been sticking to the industry chain mode of coal coke-chemical, coal electricity chemical and coal electricity aluminum in the direction of cyclic economy and comprehensive resource utilization.
The large scale and highly technical coal conversion projects in operation or under construction have become or are to become the power engine of the new type coal industry development in the autonomous region. The booming coal sector has laid a solid foundation for the industry prosperity in Inner Mongolia forming heavy industries featuring metallurgy, chemical engineering, building material and electric power as well as promoting communications and transportation.
In the first five months this year, the coal sector in the entire region achieved a profit of CNY 31.93 billion up by 44.8%YoY. This accounts for 51.4% in the total profits of the industries above designated size in the region.
(sourced MySteel)
Visit Mysteel.net for real time access to China steel new
It is reported that China northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has grown into the largest raw coal producing province in the country by 2010 with 551 modernized large mines and an annual output of 790 million tonnes.
Possessing merely 27 small coal mines equivalent to 350,000 tonnes per annum back 60 years ago, Inner Mongolia has literally taken a giant leap to stand on the forefront of the coal industry development in China.
Inner Mongolia boasts a cumulative proven coal reserve of 732.3 billion tonnes, the greatest in China, among which 36 coalfields are verified with over 100 million tonnes of deposit. Since the 11th Five Year Plan period large scale regulation, optimization and upgrading has been launched in the autonomous region, raising its coal production contribution in the whole nation from 12% to 24.4% average single-pit capacity to 1.4 million tonnes resource recovery rate above 60%, mechanized production exceeding 90%.
The death rate per million tonne of raw coal goes down steadily to hold at around 0.05 now. Small mines below 300,000 tonnes have all withdrawn from the market. Hence, the coal industry has gone onto a fast lane of healthy development. In the meantime, Inner Mongolia has been sticking to the industry chain mode of coal coke-chemical, coal electricity chemical and coal electricity aluminum in the direction of cyclic economy and comprehensive resource utilization.
The large scale and highly technical coal conversion projects in operation or under construction have become or are to become the power engine of the new type coal industry development in the autonomous region. The booming coal sector has laid a solid foundation for the industry prosperity in Inner Mongolia forming heavy industries featuring metallurgy, chemical engineering, building material and electric power as well as promoting communications and transportation.
In the first five months this year, the coal sector in the entire region achieved a profit of CNY 31.93 billion up by 44.8%YoY. This accounts for 51.4% in the total profits of the industries above designated size in the region.
(sourced MySteel)
Visit Mysteel.net for real time access to China steel new
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Mr Azarov directs cabinet to discuss safety at coal mines in Ukraine
Tuesday, 16 Aug 2011
Ukrainian Journal cited Mr Mykola Azarov Prime Minister of Ukraine as saying that the issue of safety at coal mines in Ukraine will be considered at the next cabinet meeting.
He said that "I appoint the discussion at the cabinet meeting to be held next Wednesday."
(sourced Ukrainian Journal)
Ukrainian Journal cited Mr Mykola Azarov Prime Minister of Ukraine as saying that the issue of safety at coal mines in Ukraine will be considered at the next cabinet meeting.
He said that "I appoint the discussion at the cabinet meeting to be held next Wednesday."
(sourced Ukrainian Journal)
Monday, August 15, 2011
China coal mine blast kills 10: official
Mon, Aug15, 2011
BEIJING — Ten people were killed by an explosion in a coal mine in southwest China, a local official said, in the latest in a series of fatal accidents to plague the industry.
The blast occurred on Sunday evening in Guizhou province, a local official who refused to be named told AFP.
"There was a blast on Sunday evening. Ten people died and one was injured," he said.
China's coal mines -- which have a notoriously poor safety record -- have been hit by a series of accidents in recent months. Last month, a coal mine flood in the same province killed 23 workers.
Last year, 2,433 people died in coal mine accidents in China, according to official statistics -- a rate of more than six workers per day.
Labour rights groups, however, say the actual death toll is likely much higher, partly due to under-reporting of accidents as mine bosses seek to limit their economic losses and avoid punishment.
sourced AFP
Sunday, August 14, 2011
China Kingho to build Mozambique coal terminal at Beira
Sunday, 14 Aug 2011
State controlled newspaper Noticias citing Huo Qinghua chairman of China Kingho Group reported that China Kingho Group will finance work on a coal terminal at Beira port and an upgrade of the Sena railway line linking the Moatize coal mines.
The Maputo based daily citing the executive speaking to Mozambique president Armando Guebuza reported that the company will invest USD 20 million in the first phase of the project.
(Sourced from Bloomberg)
State controlled newspaper Noticias citing Huo Qinghua chairman of China Kingho Group reported that China Kingho Group will finance work on a coal terminal at Beira port and an upgrade of the Sena railway line linking the Moatize coal mines.
The Maputo based daily citing the executive speaking to Mozambique president Armando Guebuza reported that the company will invest USD 20 million in the first phase of the project.
(Sourced from Bloomberg)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
India state group submits bid for Mongolia coal asset
Thu Feb 3, 2011 8:38 am GMT
NEW DELHI(Reuters) - India's International Coal Ventures (ICVL) consortium has submitted a bid for buying a coal asset in Mongolia, an official said on Thursday, to meet rising demand for the key raw material in Asia's third-largest economy.
Ajay Mathur, nodal officer for ICVL, also told reporters the consortium was hopeful of acquiring two to three coal assets in Australia and Indonesia this year.
The state consortium comprises of utility NTPC (NTPC.BO: Quote), Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL.BO: Quote), iron ore miner NMDC (NMDC.BO: Quote), Coal India (COAL.BO: Quote) and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd.
Last month, it decided not to counter Rio Tinto's $3.9 billion bid for Australian coal miner Riversdale (RIV.AX: Quote). (Reporting by Ruchira Singh, sourced:Reuters)
Relief as Australia mops up from giant cyclone
By Rob TaylorINNISFAIL, Australia Wed Feb 2, 2011 11:05pm EST
(Reuters)-Australians voiced relief and surprise after one of the world's most powerful cyclones spared the nation's northeast coast from expected devastation on Thursday, with no reported deaths despite winds tearing off roofs and toppling trees.
Cyclone Yasi, roughly the size of Italy and packing winds of up to around 300 km per hour (186 miles per hour), threatened Australia with its second major natural disaster in as many months this week but ended up missing heavily populated areas.
"It's amazing no-one was killed. The wind was howling like a banshee," said farmer Nathan Fisher, speaking out the window of his four-wheel-drive vehicle as he returned to his property from a shelter in the small town of Innisfail.
Australia, a vast continent with less than three people for every square km, is one of the few countries where a storm as large and terrifying as Yasi -- with a diameter of up to around 500 km (310 miles) -- could simply miss major cities.
Even as Yasi began its 1,000 km (620 mile) inland march into the outback on Thursday, weakening all the time, tracking forecasts showed it was likely to hit only a handful of small towns in a region home to around 400,000 people.
The lack of any major damage or substantial casualties was also attributed to several days of cyclone preparation, early evacuations, laws that ensure newer homes and buildings are strong enough to survive a cyclone, and less than expected sea flooding as the cyclone missed the peak tides.
The cyclone came ashore around midnight along hundreds of km of coast in Queensland state and then drove inland,
"Early reports have given us all a great sense of relief," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told reporters, adding the cyclone emergency was still unfolding.
"Some people in this region will be going back to their communities, going back to their neighbourhoods, and facing scenes of considerable devastation."
Yasi was rated a maximum-strength category five storm, on a par with Hurricane Katrina, which wrecked New Orleans in 2005, killing 1,500 people and causing $81 billion in damage.
It was downgraded to a category-two storm as it moved inland but its core remained very destructive, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
The biggest impact could be on the economy. Sugarcane crops had been damaged, with initial estimates suggesting around 15 percent of the national sugar crop could be lost. The industry estimated that one area, accounting for about a third of the crop, had suffered up to 50 percent losses
Australia is the world's third largest raw sugar exporter.
Some coal mines remained shut after the cyclone passed, although others were starting to resume operations. Queensland accounts for 90 percent of Australia's steelmaking coal exports.
The eye of the cyclone crossed the coast near the tourist town of Mission Beach, where devastating Cyclone Larry struck in 2006, and damaged areas around Tully and Cardwell, where many older homes, built before tougher building codes were applied, suffered severe damage.
Authorities said initial reports suggested only about 100 houses had suffered major damage. There were no initial reports of serious injuries.
Hills around Tully were covered in snapped trees and scoured almost clean of vegetation by the force of the wind. The main road into Tully was flooded and several houses had roofs torn off, with crumpled tin lying in flooded fields.
At Innisfail, Bill Biscow stood in flood waters and cleaned up roofing shredded by the storm. "It was scary, but the damage is not as bad as last time when the place got flattened. Cyclone Larry probably blew away the oldest buildings."
In the coastal hamlet of Cowley Beach, steel roofs were torn from houses and twisted around power poles.
"Ive been in the area for a long time and Ive seen many of these, but this one is the biggest Ive ever seen, said 84-year-old Robert Hurst, cleaning up his still-intact house.
Another resident, Maria Cook, returned from an emergency shelter to check on her home on the outskirts of Innisfail.
"I'm going to have to use a chainsaw to cut past trees and to get back inside my house," she said.
A weather bureau spokesman said a storm surge of two metres (six feet) above normal tides had inundated one stretch of coast but the surges were not as severe as authorities had feared.
The cyclone had cut electricity to around 200,000 homes, but main links to the power grid remained intact.
Queensland has had a cruel summer, with floods sweeping across it and other eastern states in recent months, killing 35 people and causing damage estimated at $10 billion or more.$1=0.9888 Australian dollar) (Additional reporting by Amy Pyett and Bruce Hextall in Sydney,writing by Ed Davies and James Grubel; Editing by Dean Yates, sourced:reuters)
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Alpha close to $7 bln Massey deal-sourcesSat Jan 29, 2011
* Alpha to pay about $7 bln for Massey - sources
* Deal would combine two major coal companies
* Deal would be latest in wave of sector consolidation (Adds details, background)
By Michael Erman and Paritosh Bansal
NEW YORK, Jan 28, 2011 - Alpha Natural Resources is close to a $7 billion deal to buy Massey Energy Co , which was rocked by a deadly coal mining accident last year, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.
One of the sources said Massey shareholders will receive slightly more than one Alpha share for each Massey share in addition to $10 per share in cash, for a value of around $68 a share. That represents a nearly 19 percent premium over Massey's closing share price of $57.23 on Friday.
The sources said the deal would be worth about $7 billion to combine two of the biggest companies in the Appalachian coal business in the industry's latest consolidation move.
Surging Asian demand for coal to fuel steel mills and power plants has made the sector one of the hottest for dealmaking over the past year.
Recent deal activity in the sector includes Walter Energy's more than $3 billion deal to buy Canadian rival Western Coal Crop , and Rio Tinto's $3.9 billion bid for Africa-focused coal miner Riversdale Mining Ltd .
Massey has said it was weighing strategic options, sparking market speculation that one of its peers may buy it.
ArcelorMittal , the world's largest steelmaker, and St. Louis-based Arch Coal Inc had been seen as potential bidders for Massey in addition to Alpha.
The likelihood that Massey would be acquired increased with the departure of Chief Executive Don Blankenship at the end of last year. Blankenship had been seen as opposed to selling the company and analysts in December said his departure removed the largest impediment to a deal with Alpha.
Blankenship had led Massey for 20 years and had been criticised by environmentalists for championing surface mining, and by unions for the company's use of non-union labor.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that Abingdon, Virginia-based Alpha and Massey were close to a deal. It said talks were continuing and a deal could be signed on Friday night.
Massey, based in Richmond, Virginia, has been under scrutiny by federal mine safety regulators since an explosion on April 5 last year in one of its West Virginia mines that killed 29 workers, the deadliest U.S. coal mining disaster in 40 years.
Massey disputed claims by federal investigators that excessive coal dust fueled the deadly explosion and has said a natural gas leak caused the accident.
In the months following the disaster, Massey shares lost more than half their value, hitting a low of $25.87 in July. They have since bounced back to above pre-explosion levels, helped by reports that the company would likely be acquired. (Reporting by Michael Erman and Paritosh Bansal; additional reporting and writing by Bill Berkrot and Grant McCool, sourced reuters)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Strike looms at Teck Resources coal mine in western Canada
Strike looms at Teck coal mine in western Canada
* United Steelworkers union sets Jan 30 deadline
* Union says dispute centers on retirement benefits
* Mine produces steel-making coal
(Updates with union statement)
VANCOUVER, Jan 27, 2011 (Reuters) - Unionized workers at Teck Resources Ltd's Elkview coal mine in western Canada will walk off the Sunday evening if a contract deal is not reached, the company and union said on Thursday.
More than 700 workers at the facility, the second largest of Teck's six operating coal mines, have worked without a contract since the end of October.
The company said it will not disclose sticking points in the dispute, but the United Steelworkers union has said unresolved issues include company contributions to the workers retirement plan and retiree benefits.
"Our members are preparing to bring about an orderly shutdown and strike action will commence on Sunday," said Dan Will, a staff representative of Steelworkers Local 9346.
Teck said it remains committed to resolving the contract through the negotiations, which are underway in the ski resort town of Fernie, British Columbia.
The Jan. 30, strike notice by the United Steelworkers union comes just over a week after Teck said that adverse weather and rail traffic disruptions would hit its coal sales in the first quarter.
Teck, one of the world's top exporters of metallurgical coal, used to make steel, said it expects sales of between 5 million to 5.5 million in the quarter. That compared with sales of 5.25 million in the same quarter 2010.
Nippon Steel Corp and South Korean steelmaker Posco each own a 2.5 percent stake in the open pit mine near Sparwood, British Columbia. It has an annual production capacity of 6.5 million tonnes per year.(sourced:af.reuters)
* United Steelworkers union sets Jan 30 deadline
* Union says dispute centers on retirement benefits
* Mine produces steel-making coal
(Updates with union statement)
VANCOUVER, Jan 27, 2011 (Reuters) - Unionized workers at Teck Resources Ltd's Elkview coal mine in western Canada will walk off the Sunday evening if a contract deal is not reached, the company and union said on Thursday.
More than 700 workers at the facility, the second largest of Teck's six operating coal mines, have worked without a contract since the end of October.
The company said it will not disclose sticking points in the dispute, but the United Steelworkers union has said unresolved issues include company contributions to the workers retirement plan and retiree benefits.
"Our members are preparing to bring about an orderly shutdown and strike action will commence on Sunday," said Dan Will, a staff representative of Steelworkers Local 9346.
Teck said it remains committed to resolving the contract through the negotiations, which are underway in the ski resort town of Fernie, British Columbia.
The Jan. 30, strike notice by the United Steelworkers union comes just over a week after Teck said that adverse weather and rail traffic disruptions would hit its coal sales in the first quarter.
Teck, one of the world's top exporters of metallurgical coal, used to make steel, said it expects sales of between 5 million to 5.5 million in the quarter. That compared with sales of 5.25 million in the same quarter 2010.
Nippon Steel Corp and South Korean steelmaker Posco each own a 2.5 percent stake in the open pit mine near Sparwood, British Columbia. It has an annual production capacity of 6.5 million tonnes per year.(sourced:af.reuters)
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