A group of US oil refiners released a study they say shows incremental production volumes can be handled by their facilities, in contrast to an opposing view that suggests the country’s refining complex is geared toward heavy oil and cannot handle the recent surge in lighter hydrocarbon output. “The refinery group’s study said refiners can… Keep reading →
With US natural gas production growth and subsequent natural gas price declines coal has been backed out of the power generation fuel mix to some extent. As a result, US coal producers are exporting greater volumes to European and Asian buyers, which is a trend that alarms many in the environmental community who fear negative… Keep reading →
A proposed coal export terminal in Oregon was denied a permit because the project would cause harm to tribal fisheries along the Columbia River. “Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) applauded the state agency’s rejection of the permit, telling the Oregonian, ‘Columbia River tribes have fundamental rights to these fisheries,’ and any project that threatens those… Keep reading →
In a story as much about political campaign finance as about oyster farming in Washington State, climate change, ocean acidification and business competiveness are major themes. “It used to be the canary in the coal mine,” Mr. [Gov. Jay] Inslee said in a recent interview. “Now it’s the oyster in the half shell. You can’t… Keep reading →
A Rolling Stone article has been getting much attention for suggesting that as domestic fossil fuels markets for products like coal and petroleum coke diminish, companies increasingly seek overseas markets – often aided by US government offices – much like tobacco companies pushed their product overseas a couple decades ago. “Even as our nation is… Keep reading →
Rising energy costs are increasingly dominating political agendas in many countries around the world both developed and developing. The U.S. shale revolution with domestic cheap natural gas has started to bite into coal’s U.S. power generation market share, which can be attributed to the coal-to-gas switch of power utilities. Note, that any change in U.S.… Keep reading →
The trouble with economic booms is that “crazy” is largely a matter of timing. For anyone who was paying attention in the 1980s, the idea that Brazil, with its runaway inflation problems, would emerge as a powerhouse driver of global economic growth while developed economies struggled in the mid to late 2000s would have seemed… Keep reading →
Pipeline transportation and energy storage giant Kinder Morgan is expanding its terminal business into owning, leasing and acquiring natural resource properties. Despite coal being a dirty word with regard to power generation and climate change, Kinder Morgan will purchase coal reserves and lease them to mining companies for development and royalty compensation. While Kinder Morgan… Keep reading →
Coal producers are under fire in the US from stricter environmental regulations and stiff competition in the face of low natural gas prices, but it is far from the end of the line for this cheap and abundant fuel source.
The US has been dubbed the “Saudi Arabia of coal” for good reason, with 237,295 million tons of reserves at the end of 2010, the country held over 27% of the world’s coal, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy. That represents more than 240 years of supply at end-2010 production rates. Keep reading →
Editorial: Australian-Japanese Coal ‘Partnership’ and Why Global Coal is Here to Stay
By Roman KilisekRecently, the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned at the opening of the Caval Ridge coal mine in Queensland against the “demonization of coal.” According to the Sydney Morning Herald, PM Abbott stressed that “coal is good for humanity, coal is good for prosperity, coal is an essential part of our economic future, here in… Keep reading →