peabody-energy

September 9, 2010 (Coal Geology): The Illinois Mining Institute has awarded the 2010 Illinois Best Injury Frequency Rate Award to Gateway Mine own by Peabody Energy for leadership on Safety and Operations in Illinois. Gateway Mine Operations Manager Cliff Walker and Operations Associate Dan McLean are also honored with 2010 Awards of Excellence. Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) is the world’s largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in clean coal solutions. With 2009 sales of 244 million tons and $6 billion in revenues, Peabody fuels 10 percent of U.S. power and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.

“Our safety vision is ‘to operate safe workplaces that are incident-free,’” said Eric Ford, Peabody’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Congratulations to the leadership and the workforce at Gateway Mine for bringing this vision to life as evidenced by their safety and operations excellence.”

Gateway Mine received the honor from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Mines and Minerals for having the best incident rate for Underground Operations in the Division Two category, mines with less than 500,000 work hours. In 2009, the mine achieved a 1.05 incidence rate per 200,000 hours worked, an almost six-fold improvement over the 2009 industry average of 6.02. The mine also set a record as the safest underground operation in Peabody history.

A 35-year industry veteran, Walker was recognized with the IMI Excellence in Mining Experienced Miner Award for his achievements at Gateway Mine. The institute honored Walker for operating one of Illinois’ safest, most cost-efficient and productive mines.

The Excellence in Mining Apprentice Miner Award also honors the exceptional performance of apprentice professional personnel in Illinois mines. McLean, a former Peabody intern and scholarship recipient, graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with a mining engineering degree. The Illinois Mining Institute is a 116-year-old organization that promotes mineral industries in Illinois.

Located in Randolph County near Coulterville, Ill., Gateway shipped approximately 3.2 million tons of coal in 2009. Worldwide, Peabody has earned more than two dozen awards for safety, financial leadership, stewardship and good neighbor practices over the past two years.

Web Site: http://www.peabodyenergy.com/

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Consumer Reports has identified seven simple steps that consumers can take to save on energy costs as listed below:
1. Jettison the lead foot. Obeying speed limits and avoiding hard acceleration and breaking will add several mpg to the fuel efficiency of a midsized car. Yearly savings – $200
2. Program the thermostat. Trim up to 20 percent from the heating and cooling bills by adjusting temperatures 5 to 10 degrees at night or when no one is home.  Devices cost about $80 and some utilities offer rebates. Yearly savings – $200
3. Fix leaky ducts. Pay a heating and cooling pro to seal and insulate ducts that run through the home, especially in unconditioned spaces.  Yearly savings – $400
4. Stop pre-rinsing. Washing dishes before putting them in the washer wastes up to 6,500 gallons of water per year. Consumer Reports tests show that it’s unnecessary. Yearly savings – $75
5. Adjust modes. Manufacturers often ship TVs in “retail mode” to ensure best quality, but the more efficient “home mode” is fine for most types
of viewing. Yearly savings – $30 – $60
6. Tame hidden energy use. Between 5 and 10 percent of residential electricity goes to devices that draw power when they are off or in
standby mode. Video games are a major offender. Turn them off when they are not in use. Yearly savings – $125
7. Wash in cold water. Tide 2X Ultra for Cold Water for traditional washers ranked best in Consumer Reports testing in removing grass, wine, and other tough stains. Yearly savings – $60

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Massey Energy

August 30, 2010, JULIAN, W.Va.:  Massey Energy Company released further information about the handheld methane detector that documented the presence of explosive levels of methane associated with the April 5, 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine. Massey Energy stresses on the fact that the methane detectors were exposed to a sudden inundation of methane and a simultaneous or near simultaneous fire or explosion, as measured by high levels of carbon monoxide.

The detector referenced in the Associated Press report was one of two detectors previously discussed by Massey and described in a report by the Wall Street Journal on August 10, 2010. The Company also provided information on the handheld detectors to UBB family members in a family meeting held on August 2, 2010.

Massey Energy released the following notes about the methane detectors:

– The detectors were recovered shortly after the accident and tested by MSHA on July 8, 2010.

– The detectors continuously monitor for methane, carbon monoxide, oxygen and temperature and record the highest reading for each every three minutes.

– The maximum reading on these detectors is 5% for methane and 500 ppm for carbon monoxide. Methane is explosive at concentrations of 5% to 15%. Carbon monoxide is caused by incomplete combustion.

– Recorded data show that both detectors surged from zero to maximum readings for methane (5%) and carbon monoxide (500 ppm) within a three minute span near 3 pm on April 5, 2010. Actual levels of methane and carbon monoxide could have been higher, as these detectors do not record levels higher than 5% for methane or 500 ppm for carbon monoxide.

– The detectors also record alarms every 15 seconds. “Low range” alarms occur at .5% methane and 35 ppm carbon monoxide. “High range” alarms occur at 1% methane and 100 ppm carbon monoxide. “Over range” alarms are triggered at 5% methane and 500 ppm carbon monoxide.

– Testing indicates that one detector, found at the longwall face, went from no alarm to an “over range” alarm for methane and carbon monoxide in less than 15 seconds near 3 pm.

– Testing indicates that the second detector, found around 3,000 feet from the first detector, recorded a “high range” alarm of 1% for methane and an “over range” alarm of 500 ppm for carbon monoxide. Within 16 to 30 more seconds, the detector recorded an “over range” alarm for methane. This also occurred near 3 pm.

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1. Register with the university’s career office - One of the first items on your back-to-school list should be registering with the university’s career office. All kinds of things may have changed over the summer, so be sure to update your career center profile with current career interests, job experience, and GPA.

2. Update your resume - Did you work over the summer, study abroad or take part in an undergraduate research project? Don’t wait to update your resume. Employers may come recruiting as early as one or two weeks into the semester.

3. Line up your references - Many employers require a letter of recommendation or references for new hires. Now is the time to line those up. “When you ask for a reference, you don’t want to do that by email,” says Flock. “Stop by their office or go out and have a cup of coffee with them. Be sure to give them a copy of your resume because it will help them as they’re writing the reference.”

4. Prepare your interviewing attire - Employers tend to give students a break when interviewing for internships. But in job interviews, they are eyeing you as a potential full-time employee. Dress the part. “Make sure your clothes fit appropriately, that everything is cleaned and pressed and that your shoes are shined,” Flock says. “You don’t want to be looking for things at the last minute or borrowing clothes from your friends.”

5. Begin your professional presence online - Start by cleaning up your Facebook page, and then examine your online presence with the eye of a potential employer. Create a Linked In page to give prospective employers easy access to your educational background and links to organizations where you’ve worked.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>6. Go on informational interviews - Most employers are willing to take the time to sit down with students and tell them about the opportunities available at their company. But that door may close as soon as you’re an unemployed graduate. “Seniors should be thinking about using Thanksgiving and winter break to conduct informational interviews, and take time before then to get prepared,” Flock says.

7. Sync your calendar with the career office - Most colleges and universities start holding career events shortly after school starts. For graduating seniors, these events should be top priority. Many employers who conduct information sessions on campus keep a list of students who attend and will give them priority when scheduling interviews.

8. Make an appointment with a career counselor - Group events are great, but you also need one-on-one counseling to develop a strategy for the year. “Figure out what you will be doing between now and fall break, and then between fall break and Thanksgiving break, and between Thanksgiving break and winter break,” Flock says. “A career counselor can help you make the most of your time before graduation.”

9. Consider doing one more internship - Most large corporations prefer to hire college juniors for internships, but there are still plenty of opportunities for seniors to intern at non-profits, social services agencies and health care organizations.

10. Take admissions tests now – Many graduates go to work full-time with an eye toward attending graduate school later. But now is the time to take admissions exams like the GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT. “It’s easier to study and score well on those tests while you’re still a student than to try and do it when you have a full-time job,” Flock says. “The scores are valid for several years so you can always use them later.”

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM).

Source: Wake Forest University

CONTACT: Cheryl V. Walker of Wake Forest University, +1-336-758-5237,
walkercv@wfu.edu, or Ellen Sterner Sedeno, sternersedeno@sbdglobal.net, for
Wake Forest University

Web Site: http://www.wfu.edu/

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LONDON, August 27, 2010 (Coal Geology): The EU has so far allowed European companies to offset part of their emissions in developing countries, by buying so-called certified emission reductions (CERs) from UN-led projects to cut emissions. The UN issues one CER for each tonne of CO2 avoided compared with a business-as-usual emissions scenario.

European companies can offset on average 13% of their emissions through CERs. CER prices soared to hit a four-month high on Thursday on news that European companies could be banned from using carbon credits from controversial offset projects, according to ICIS Heren data.

“If the EU bans all industrial carbon credits, the supply of credits would drop by around 75%,” Isabel Save, carbon editor at ICIS Heren, said.

Late on Wednesday, the EU issued a statement saying it had taken a first step to restrict the use of carbon credits from large-scale industrial projects.

These mammoth offsets schemes have come under fire from green groups, which say they actually raise emissions instead of cutting them. The reason is that they can make money from inflating their output and selling carbon credits, even when demand for their products is falling.

ICIS Heren data shows prices in the over-the-counter market rising to EUR13.55 per tonne of CO2 on Thursday for UN-backed carbon credits. European companies active in the carbon market – mainly power generators and banks – are covering an expected shortfall, having sold credit forward.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>The UN has already launched a probe into carbon projects destroying the greenhouse gas hydrofluorocarbon (HFC-23), due to suspicions these projects have gamed the system and operated purely to get carbon cash.

The EU restrictions would come into place at any point after 2013. Project lead times mean that investors need to know at least three years in advance what type of credit will be allowed in the EU emissions trading system, before committing any money.

———-:

ICIS Heren is an information service provider for gas, liquefied natural gas, power, carbon and coal market intelligence. We publish a suite of tailored reports providing news, analysis, benchmark price assessments and indices.

• For more information visit http://www.icis.com/heren
• Follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/icisheren

Contact details:

Isabel Save
Editor European Daily Carbon Markets
ICIS HEREN
Tel: +44(0)20-7911-1942
E-mail: isabel.save@icisheren.com

Source: ICIS Heren

Contact details: Isabel Save, Editor European Daily Carbon Markets, ICIS HEREN, Tel: +44(0)20-7911-1942, E-mail: isabel.save@icisheren.com

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coal

August 26, WASHINGTON, (Coal Geology) — Days before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) kicks off a series of regional hearings across the United States on whether and how to regulate toxic coal ash waste from coal-fired power plants, a major new study identifies 39 additional coal ash dump sites in 21 states that are contaminating drinking water or surface water with arsenic and other heavy metals. The report by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), Earthjustice and the Sierra Club documents the fact that state governments are not adequately monitoring the coal combustion waste (CCW) disposal sites and that the USEPA needs to enact strong new regulations to protect the public. Total of 70 Problem Sites Identified by Groups Since February Is Over and Above the 67 EPA-Acknowledged Sites; New Report Identifies Water Contamination At Coal Ash Dump Sites in AR, CT, FL, IL, IA, KY, LA, MI, NE, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, VA, and WI.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>The new EIP/Earthjustice/Sierra Club report shows that, at every one of the coal ash dump sites equipped with groundwater monitoring wells, concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic or lead exceed federal health-based standards for drinking water, with concentrations at Hatfield’s Ferry site in Pennsylvania reaching as high as 341 times the federal standard for arsenic. (See study highlights below.) The new report is available online at http://www.environmentalintegrity.org.

A February 2010 EIP/Earthjustice report documented 31 coal ash dump sites in 14 states. The 39 additional sites in today’s report along with the 67 already identified by the USEPA bring the total number of known toxic contamination sites from coal ash pollution to 137 in 34 states. Together, the independent reports and USEPA’s own findings make clear the growing number of waters known to be poisoned by poor management of the toxic ash left over after coal is burned for electricity.

The 21 states containing the 39 damage sites identified in the new report are: Arkansas (2 sites, Independence and Flint Creek); Connecticut (1 site, Montville); Florida (1 site, McIntosh); Illinois (3 sites, Joliet 9, Venice, and Marion); Iowa (3 sites, Lansing, Neal North, and Neal South); Kentucky (3 sites, Spurlock, Mill Creek, and TVA Shawnee); Louisiana (3 sites, Dolet Hills, Big Cajun, and Rodemacher); Michigan (1 site, Whiting); Nebraska (1 site, Sheldon); New York (1 site, Cayuga); North Carolina (1 site, Dan River); North Dakota (2 sites, Leland Olds, and Antelope Valley); Ohio (4 sites, Uniontown aka Industrial Excess Landfill, Cardinal, Gavin, and Muskingum); Oklahoma (1 site, Northeastern); Oregon (1 site, Boardman); Pennsylvania (2 sites, Hatfield’s Ferry and Bruce Mansfield aka Little Blue); South Dakota (1 site, Big Stone); Tennessee (3 sites, TVA Johnsonville, TVA Cumberland, and TVA Gallatin); Texas (1 site, LCRA Fayette Power Project); Virginia (2 sites, Glen Lyn and Clinch River); and Wisconsin (2 sites, Oak Creek aka Caledonia and Columbia).

The first public hearing on the pending EPA coal ash rule is set for August 30, 2010 in Arlington, VA. Additional public hearings will follow in: Denver, CO on September 2; Dallas, TX on September 8; Charlotte, NC on September 14; Chicago, IL on September 16; Pittsburgh, PA on September 21; and Louisville, KY on September 28.

Jeff Stant, director, Coal Combustion Waste Initiative, Environmental Integrity Project, said: “The contamination of water supplies, threats to people, and damage to the environment documented in this report illustrate very real and dangerous harms that are prohibited by federal law but are going on in a largely unchecked fashion at today’s coal ash dump sites. Contamination of the environment and water supplies with toxic levels of arsenic, lead and other chemicals is a pervasive reality at America’s coal ash disposal sites because states are not preventing it. The case for a national regulation setting common sense safeguards for states to meet, such as liners, monitoring and cleanup standards, could not be more persuasive. The need for more direct EPA involvement is clear; leaving enforcement to the same states that have refused to do their jobs for the last 40 years is simply not a responsible course of action.”

Lisa Evans, senior administrative counsel, Earthjustice, said: “There is no greater reason for coal ash regulation than preventing the poisoning of our water. We now have 39 more good reasons for a national coal ash rule. The mounting number of contaminated sites demonstrates that the states are unable or unwilling to solve this problem.”

Lyndsay Moseley, federal policy representative, Sierra Club, said: “The health risks from exposure to this toxic waste are real, and we cannot afford to ignore them any longer. It is clear from this report that the closer we look the worse this problem becomes. The only real solution is for the EPA to adopt federally enforceable protections as part of its push to improve public health. We’re talking about people’s lives here.”

The pollution in coal ash poses serious health risks. People living near unlined coal ash ponds can have an extremely high one in 50 risk of cancer. That’s more than 2,000 times higher than what USEPA considers acceptable. The toxins found in coal ash have also been linked to organ disease, respiratory illness, neurological damage, and developmental problems.

(For a version of this news release with a summary of key findings, go to http://www.environmentalintegrity.org.)

Commenting on the report, J. Russell Boulding, environmental scientist, Boulding Soil-Water Consulting, states: “We have still only scratched the surface in defining the extent of serious contamination of groundwater and surface water at coal combustion waste disposal sites around the country.”

ABOUT THE GROUPS

The Environmental Integrity Project (http://www.environmentalintegrity.org) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established in March of 2002 by former EPA enforcement attorneys to advocate for effective enforcement of environmental laws. EIP has three goals: 1) to provide objective analyses of how the failure to enforce or implement environmental laws increases pollution and affects public health; 2) to hold federal and state agencies, as well as industries, accountable for failing to enforce or comply with environmental laws; and 3) to help local communities obtain the protection of environmental laws.

Earthjustice (http://www.earthjustice.org) is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. Earthjustice works through the courts on behalf of citizen groups, scientists, and other parties to ensure government agencies and private interests follow the law. On Capitol Hill, Earthjustice works to protect and strengthen federal environmental laws and preserve special places, like the Arctic.

The Sierra Club (http://www.sierraclub.org) is America’s largest, oldest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Inspired by nature, our 1.3 million members are working together to protect our communities and the planet.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A streaming audio recording of the news event will be available on the Web as of 4 p.m. EDT on August 26, 2010 at http://www.environmentalintegrity.org.

Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice, and Sierra Club

CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, +1-703-276-3265, aawolf@hastingsgroup.com, forEnvironmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice, and Sierra Club; or VirginiaCramer of Sierra Club, +1-804-225-9113, ext. 102 orVirginia.cramer@sierraclub.org

Web site:
http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/
http://www.earthjustice.org/
http://www.sierraclub.org/

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“It is appalling that our inspectors continue to find such egregious violations, especially with the explosion at Upper Big Branch still fresh in everyone’s minds,” said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “MSHA will continue to target mines with enhanced inspections where conditions merit such actions, particularly at mines that display a disregard to miners’ safety and health.

On July 30, MSHA inspectors issued 27 citations and 11 orders to Wilcoal Mining Inc.’s Tri-State One Mine in Claiborne County, Tenn. Among the violations they discovered were mining without a curtain to direct ventilation and mining into an area of unsupported roof. At the time of the inspection, Wilcoal was mining 105-foot-deep cuts without a line curtain, clearly in violation of their approved ventilation plan that requires line curtain to be installed and maintained within 20 feet of the face. These conditions can contribute to explosions and black lung. The operator had mined into an area without necessary roof support, putting miners further at risk from roof falls.

Orders also were issued for inadequate pre-shift and electrical examinations. The operator did not comply with a wide range of standards and demonstrated overall noncompliance with mine safety and health regulations intended to protect miners and provide for safe and healthful working conditions. Because of the extent of the violations and hazards coupled with the mine’s past history of poor compliance, MSHA issued a 107(a) order requiring the operator to submit an action plan as to how they would proceed to correct the hazards. The mine operator presented an action plan, made the necessary corrective actions, and has been allowed to resume normal operations.

On Aug. 13, an inspection at K&D Mining Inc., Mine No. 17 in Harlan County, Ky., resulted in the issuance of 15 citations and five orders. These enforcement actions were related to ventilation, roof control, accumulation of combustible materials, damaged belt rollers and pre-shift examinations. The inspectors found the mine producing coal using unsafe equipment, including a conveyor belt with a bad bearing and an installed water hose to cool the shaft during operation. The tail-roller shaft had worn completely through the bearing housing and was beginning to cut the frame of the tail-piece. The guard also was removed, creating potential entanglement and amputation hazards.

Additional unsafe conditions were discovered that could lead to roof falls. Ventilation controls, intended to prevent explosions and lung disease, were not properly installed and used. After correcting all the hazardous conditions, the mine resumed operations Aug. 16.

That same day, MSHA inspectors issued 21 citations and 10 orders to Maple Eagle No. 1 Mine in Fayette County, W.Va. The 10 unwarrantable failure orders closed numerous areas of the mine. A violation is classified as an unwarrantable failure if the mine operator has engaged in aggravated conduct constituting more than ordinary negligence.

Since October 2009 and prior to this inspection, the operator had been issued 336 citations, 21 orders and three safeguards which encompassed a wide range of MSHA standards. In that same timeframe, the mine reported eight accidents, including four roof falls, two accidents requiring medical treatment, and two lost-time accidents.

During the most recent inspection, inspectors found numerous violations such as: failure to rock dust, improperly supported mine roof, failure to maintain a lifeline in safe condition, failure to maintain the primary escapeway, failure to follow the approved ventilation plan, and coal dust accumulation. MSHA ordered closure of sections of the mine because of the mine operator’s failure to conduct adequate examinations. Workplace examinations in a mine are the fundamental tools in which hazards are detected and corrected prior to workers working or traveling in those areas. Failures such as these usually are indicators that an operator may not have an effective health and safety program at its mine.

On Aug. 19 and 20, an inspection was conducted at ICG Knott County LLC, Classic Mine in Knott County, Ky., which resulted in the issuance of 43 citations and one order. Citations primarily were issued for violations relating to ventilation, roof control, combustible materials on electrical face equipment and along the conveyor belts, misaligned conveyor belts, and examinations and maintenance of electrical equipment standards. Additional citations were issued for safety violations on non-permissible personnel carriers.

Inspectors also noted that the line curtain used to ventilate the work area measured 72 feet from the working face, where 44 feet is the approved distance in the ventilation plan. They also found dust controls that were not operational and air quantities that were in violation of the approved ventilation plans.

A 104(d)(2) order was issued for the operator’s failure to fully comply with the approved ventilation plan. This order closed the entire mine, including two continuous miner production units operating side by side and sharing the same loading point. The operator was required to revise the mine’s ventilation plan. MSHA will review those plan revisions and their implementation before production can resume at the mine.

“The conditions found at these mines, discovered when MSHA worked to thwart any advance notice, underscores the importance of the program information bulletins on ventilation the agency recently circulated throughout the mining industry, as well as the need for the legislative reforms pending before Congress,” Main added.

Violations

• ICG Knott County LLC, Classic Mine
• K&D Mining Inc., Mine No. 17
• Maple Eagle No. 1 Mine
• Wilcoal Mining Inc.’s Tri-State One Mine

For more: http://www.msha.gov/MEDIA/PRESS/2010/NR100824.asp

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New Holland’s experimental hydrogen-powered tractor is a key element in a project that hopes to free farmers from the cost of purchased fossil-fuel and allow them to achieve fuel autonomy while meeting increasingly stringent emissions standards. The concept is a natural fit with New Holland’s Clean Energy Leader position, which saw the company lead the agriculture industry with its support for 100% biodiesel that didn’t involve complicated servicing programs or reduced machine performance.

NH2

Farmers are in a unique position to benefit from hydrogen technology. Unlike many people, they have the space to install alternative electricity generation systems, such as solar, wind, biomass or waste, and then store that power as hydrogen. Apart from the environmental benefits, such a system would allow customers to become energy independent and improve their financial stability.

Based on the popular New Holland T6000 Series tractor, the experimental NH2™ tractor replaces the traditional combustion engine with hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity. Compressed hydrogen drawn from a tank on the tractor reacts in the fuel cell with oxygen, drawn from the air, to produce water and electrons. The electrons are harnessed in the form of an electric current, which drives electric motors to power the tractor’s drivetrain and auxiliary systems.

The NH2′s fuel cell generates 106 hp and emits only heat, vapor and water. The tractor has zero emissions because it does not produce polluting nitrogen oxides, soot particles or carbon dioxide. And because the NH2 is virtually silent, there’s also no noise pollution.

Fuel cells have a long working life and avoid the environmental issues of disposing of batteries, which lose their accumulation capacity during their life. Energy-dense compressed hydrogen can be stored conveniently in a tank, allowing the energy to be stored for an extremely long period and the vehicle to be refuelled quickly.

About New Holland Agriculture New Holland Agriculture is a division of CNH Global N.V. (NYSE: CNH), a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A. New Holland sells and services an innovative line of agricultural equipment, including a full line of tractors, hay and forage equipment, harvesting, crop production and material handling equipment. Sales, parts and service are provided by more than 1,000 New Holland dealers throughout North America.

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The Appalachian Province (Eastern Province):

• *         Most extensively developed coal province in the United States.
• *         Geologic Age: Carboniferous
• *         Contains bituminous coal and almost all anthracite reserve in USA
• *         Coal rank increases to the east within the Appalachian province.
• *         Most of the Appalachian coal are classified as “steam coal”
• *         Seam thickness: 0.5 – 3.6 meters
• *         Mining types: Deep mines, open cuts, contour cut, mountain top removal

The Interior Province

• *         Geologic Age: Carboniferous
• *         Quality: Mostly high volatile bituminous coal, usually high in sulfur content (3-5%)
• *         Springfield and Herrin coal seams are >1.5 m in thickness and accounts for the majority of coal production from the interior basin.

The Northern Great Plain Province

• *         Geologic Age: Cretaceous to Tertiary
• *         Mainly Sub-bituminous (Powder River Basin; Tertiary) and lignite (Williston Basin; Tertiary) coal deposits. Also has some bituminous coal reserve (Northern Montana, Cretaceous).
• *         Tertiary coals of this province are with low sulfur content leading to higher demand from a environmental stand point.
• *         Thickness: Usually >30 m, open cast mining.

The Rocky Mountain Province

• *         Geologic Age: Cretaceous (Bituminous Coal) to Tertiary (Sub-bituminous and lignite)
• *         Thickness: 3-10 meters
• *         Series of intermontane basins

The Pacific Coast Province

• *         Coal to the west of Rocky mountain and in Alaska
• *         Geologic Age: Tertiary
• *         Coal seams tectonized and metamorphosed in many places
• *         Rank: Sub-bituminous and high volatile bituminous

The Gulf Coastal Plain Province

• *         Geologic Age: Tertiary
• *         Rank: Lignite Coal
• *         Seam Thickness: 1.0 -7.5 meters, mainly opencast mining

More information can be found at:

1. US Coal reserves: A review and Update: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/ftproot/coal/052995.pdf

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LONDON, Aug. 18 (Coal Geology)– Platts, one of the world’s foremost providers of energy and metals information, announced that, on September 1, 2010, it is expanding its suite of thermal coal price assessments to include a daily spot value for thermal coal destined for the Indian marketplace. Thermal coal is used to generate electricity.

The new price assessments, which include freight rates from South Africa to India’s east and west coasts, address the needs of power producers, cement manufacturers, coal traders and ship brokers for an independent source of India-related open-market spot prices.

“India’s thermal coal imports have taken the global industry by storm, changing trade flows radically and thereby increasing the need for expanded and more frequent price information,” said James O’Connell, managing editor of Platts’ Coal Trader International. “We’re pleased to help meet the growing information needs of this important import market and bring greater transparency to the commodity’s and region’s pricing.”

India is the third-largest producer of hard coal, but it is also one of the world’s largest importers. South Africa ranks among the world’s top 10 producers and top 10 exporters of coal. Platts’ new assessments capture price dynamics relating to these important marketplaces.

The assessments will reflect the open-market physical spot value for standard calorific value of 6,300 kilocalories per kilogram (kcal/kg), gross as received (GAR), thermal coal with a maximum ash content of 16% and 1.4% maximum sulfur content. They will be assessed on a cost and freight (CFR) basis delivered to specific ports on the east and west coasts of India.

Alongside the two new price assessments, known as “Platts CFR India,” Platts will publish two corresponding freight rates, as follows:

– Platts CFR India East (6,300 kcal/kg): Physical open-market spot assessment of thermal coal (including the cost of freight) out of Richards Bay, South Africa and destined within a 90-day period for east coast ports in India

– Platts CFR India West (6,300 kcal/kg): Physical open-market spot assessment of thermal coal (including the cost of freight) out of Richards Bay, South Africa and destined within a 90-day period for west coast ports in India

– Platts CFR East Coast India Freight Rate: Assessments for Panamax-sized cargoes from Richards Bay, South Africa, to the ports of Chennai, Ennore, Gangavaram, Haldia, Karaikal, Krishnapatnam, Paradip and Vizag in eastern India

– Platts CFR West Coast India Freight Rate: Assessments for Panamax-sized cargoes from Richards Bay, South Africa, to the ports of Kandla, Mumbai, Mornugao, Mundra, New Mangalore, Navlakhi and Pipavav in western India

Assessments are based on all-day market monitoring and data collection of transactions, bids, offers and other information from market participants and reflect values at the close of the physical trading day at 17:00 (5:00 p.m.) London time. Thermal coal deliveries from other destinations meeting the specifications may also be taken into account for the assessment. All prices are quoted as U.S. dollars per metric ton (mt). The assessments will be published in Platts’ Coal Trader International, within Platts’ Dispatch, a flexible-format, end-of-day data service, as well as in the real-time news service Platts’ European Power Alert.

The new assessments are in addition to the daily 90-day forward price assessments that Platts already publishes for thermal coal delivered on a cost, insurance and freight (CIF) basis to Antwerp/Rotterdam/Amsterdam and on a free-on-board (FOB) basis from coal terminals in South Africa, Australia and Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The methodology for Platts’ India-bound thermal coal price assessments was developed in consultation with a cross-section of key industry players, draws on Platts’ century of experience in benchmark price reporting in energy, and is underpinned by robust quality guidelines.

For more information on coal, visit the Platts website at www.platts.com. For Chinese-language information on coal and energy markets, visit http://www.platts.cn/.

About Platts: Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies , is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. An independent provider, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, emissions, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical, shipping, and metals markets from 17 offices worldwide. Platts’ real-time news, pricing, analytical services and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts, and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better trading and investment decisions. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a global information and education company providing knowledge, insights and analysis in the financial, education and business information sectors through leading brands including Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2009 were $5.95 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Platts

CONTACT: Kathleen Tanzy, +1-212-904-2860, Kathleen_tanzy@platts.com; orNon-U.S. media may contact in Europe: Shiona Ramage,Shiona_Ramage@platts.com, +44207 1766153; or in India, Rohit Varier,rohit@integralpr.com, +9819403110; or in Asia, Casey Yew,Casey_Yew@platts.com, +65 653 06552

Web site: http://www.platts.com/

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