Energy Publishing Asia Pacific

The Indian government’s policy of using state-owned enterprises as vehicles for public policy once again comes into question as the Children’s Investment Fund (TCI) files a new lawsuit against Coal India Limited (CIL).

South Africa’s power utility, Eskom, is investigating extending its cost plus coal purchase contracts to producers who are currently selling Eskom quality thermal coal on the international markets. South African Coal Report examines further.

Signs China’s housing sector is beginning to recover point to an imminent turnaround in commodities uptake in China, which suggests demand for Australian thermal and metallurgical coal could also be about to improve.Australia Coal Report exams why.

As an alarmingly high level of deaths continue to be reported in China’s coal industry, the China Coal Report looks at what is being done to lower the mortality rate of Chinese miners and the views held on the issue by industry analysts.

Despite all the doom and gloom about current coal prices, there is a glimmer of hope in the thermal coal sector. Rising gas prices, sustained Chinese demand and growing Indian appetite all offer the promise of some relief.

Global mining major, Peabody Energy has been quietly cutting worker numbers around the world over the last few days, a fact only hinted at in yesterday’s Q3 earnings, released in St Louis overnight.

After nearly two years of negotiations, BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance's (BMA) Bowen Basin workers have approved the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement which caused strike action and resulted in the miner declaring force majeure earlier in the year.

The world’s coking coal producers had been hoping to tie up settlements at last week’s Empowered Joint Committee but a buyer falling coking coal prices and a backlash against quarterly pricing saw all but BMA walk away empty handed.

India continues to struggle with how to integrate imported coal into the power mix in a situation where nobody wants it but everyone needs it.

With vast coking coal deposits, developers from around the world have been eagerly anticipating securing a foothold in Mongolia. Increasingly there are signs the bountiful Tavan Tolgoi development will be opened to foreign investment.