THE AMERICAN COAL COMPANY RECEIVES SAFETY AWARD FOR LOWEST INCIDENT RATE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

 The American Coal Company is the proud recipient of an Award for Mine Safety from the John E. Jones Council of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association. The honor is given quarterly for the best safety performance in the southern Illinois region and recognized The American Coal Company's incident rate of only 3.99 for 401,325 man-hours worked (during third quarter 2009). Subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation,  The American Coal Company's Galatia complex consists of two underground mining operations – the New Era Mine and the New Future Mine – as well as a preparation plant, and employs 732 people. The operation produced more than five million tons of bituminous coal in 2008.

"We strive daily to keep our focus on safety in all aspects of the operations," said Steve Willis, health and safety manager at The American Coal Company. "However, it is ultimately up to each individual and their team members to work safely. This award is a credit to the working men and women at The American Coal Company and at all Murray Energy facilities."

"The American Coal Company's success in safety is no secret," said Jim Rusher, lead MSHA inspector at the Galatia mining complex and regional safety coordinator for the Holmes Safety Association. "People at this operation clearly work together for a common goal to eliminate accidents through mutual respect. It is a pleasure to work with them toward this goal."

STUDY SUPPORTS NEW COAL ELECTRIC GENERATION WITH CARBON CAPTURE

A new study backed by major labor unions concluded that clean coal technologies could help usher in a U.S. economic boom, boost the nation's energy security and successfully manage carbon dioxide emissions.

The study, Employment and Other Economic Benefits from Advanced Coal Electric Generation with Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies, found that constructing up to 100 gigawatts of new coal-fueled generation would create nearly 49,000 new jobs, generate more than $45 billion in direct economic benefits and produce more than $100 billion in direct and implied benefits, given multiplier effects.

Prepared by BBC Research & Consulting, using a U.S. economic model, the study illustrates enormous economic gains under multiple deployment scenarios.  According to the study, the construction, manufacturing and professional services sectors would see the largest economic gains.

The Industrial Union Council of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, the United Mine Workers of America and the American Coalition commissioned the study for Clean Coal Electricity. Contact the National Mining Association at 202/463-2600.  (American Resource Review)

The families of Robert E. Murray, founder, chairman and president of Murray Energy Corporation and subsidiary companies have donated $1 million to West Virginia University for energy research.  It marks the largest contribution that the University has received for use with the West Virginia Resource Trust Fund.  The contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the State of West Virginia, making the total value of the gift $2 million.  Murray added that: "All I wanted to do was give back to the people and the institution that have helped my family and me.  I am just giving back a little bit of what you have given me."  The money will support all aspects of coal research from extraction to utilization.  In honor of Murray's gift, WVU has established the Robert E. Murray Chairmanship of the Mining Engineering Department, for which a bronze plaque was unveiled.

Coal production in 2008 reached a record 1.17 billion tons, a 2.2 percent increase over 2007, according to preliminary reports from the US Energy Information Administration.  According to its Annual Coal Report 2008, 58 percent of last year's production came from the western coalfields, while 42 percent of output was from eastern mines.  The number of producing operations in 2008 rose 6 percent to 1,458 compared with 1,374 in 2007.  Kentucky had 469 active mines, followed by West Virginia with 301 and Pennsylvania with 266.  The average sales price per ton overall was $31.26, while the average prices for continuous mining operations and longwalls were $56.95t and $45.92t respectively.  Estimated on remaining US reserves shows 261 billion tons of recoverable reserves remaining, or about 235 years based on current annual consumption.  Wyoming contains more than 7Bt while West Virginia has more than 1.9Bt remaining.  The US is the top global reserve holder, with 27 percent of the world's reserve base.

In mid-October America West Resources, Inc., a domestic compliant coal producer with mining operations in Central Utah, announced that the company has received a spot price coal contract, valued at approximately $1 million, from a co-generation power plant based in the western U.S.  The one-time contract provides for America West to immediately supply the co-gen facility with compliant coal produced from the Company's Horizon Mine located in Carbon County, Utah.    Dan Baker, CEO of America West Resources, stated, "Production from Horizon continues to be outpaced by global customer demand for our compliant thermal coal.  Consequently, we are delighted to be in a position to take advantage of selling our coal at favorable spot prices, thus optimizing our margins and driving greater revenue performance."

West Virginia mines are now equipped with emergency rescue shelters and are fully compliant with regulations, according to the WV Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training.  It was noted that more than 180 mines in the state are now equipped with over 300 shelters that could supply food, water and oxygen to crews in the event of an emergency.  Regulations require that all units be placed with 1,000 feet of working faces.  Companies approved to provide the shelters are A.L. Lee, Carbonoks, Draeger Safety, Kennedy Metal Products, MineArc Systems, Strata Products and Modern Mine Safety Supply.

L-3 Global Security and Energy Solutions, Chantilly, VA, has received four contracts to install its ACCOLADE Wireless Mesh Mine Communications System in 16 different mines throughout West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky. Three of the contracts from Rosebud Mining Company, the International Coal Group (ICG), and Green River Collieries, are new system installations.  An additional contract from ICG will complete the extension of the existing ACCOLADE System at their Sentinel Mine in West Virginia.  The contracts are valued in excess of $6 million combined.  The L-3 ACCOLADE System is a wireless communications system for day-to-day and emergency operations use, incorporating voice, data, and locating capabilities into a single system.

Consol Energy's Blacksville operation has re-opened for production.  The operation had been idled in June due to low demand.  Consol reported that the 440,000-ton monthly Blacksville operation was not yet out of the woods.  Circumstances are still considered tentative and future idling could be possible.  Blacksville, which extracts from the Pittsburgh 8 seam with longwall and continuous miners, produced 5.1 million tons in 2007.

The process of integrating Continental Crushing & Conveying into Joy Mining Machinery has begun.  Mike Sutherlin, president and CEO of Joy Global Inc., Warrendale, PA, said, "We have always intended that crushers and conveyors would become seamless extensions of our P&H and Joy Mining product lines, and therefore sold and supported just as any other product in these divisions.  This integration will accelerate our progress in having Joy Mining Machinery and P&H Mining Equipment be the face to the customers for crushing and conveying systems."  P&H will become the exclusive dealer for all surface mining and industrial applications which includes the management of current Continental above-ground distributors.  Ted Doheny, president of Joy Mining Machinery, will be responsible for all aspects of the crushing and conveying business.  Doheny said, "This integration is a critical step in the long-term achievement and financial contribution of the crushing and conveying products, and is crucial to Joy Global's success as a full systems supplier."

Whayne Supply Co., Louisville, KY, has established the Whayne Technology Division that will be working with other Caterpillar dealers to help mining and construction companies reduce diesel engine emissions, fuel consumption, and component contamination.  Whayne Supply Co. and The CAT Rental Store is the dealer for Caterpillar Inc., Reedrill, Trail King, Mirenco, Magnom, Thomas Built Buses, Challenger, Lexion, Ag Leader, Sullair, Allmand, and other lines of construction, industrial, mining, paving and agricultural equipment.  In addition to its home office in Louisville, Whayne has branches in Ashland, Bowling Green, Corbin, Dry Ridge, Hazard, Lexington, Paducah, and Pikeville, KY, and Evansville, IN.

Approximately 200 coal industry supporters rallied in Charleston, WV, to send a message to Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency to stop holding up surface mining permits.  Coal miners, industry officials and others sent the message during a rally at the state Capitol.  The West Virginia Conservative Foundation organized the event to protest the EPA's decision to delay 79 applications for surface mine permits in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.  The EPA says it wants changes before the permits are issued.  More rallies are planned.

American Equipment and Machine Inc. (AEMI) has opened a manufacturing facility in Centralia, IL.  The approximately 460,000 square foot machine shop at 2400 South Wabash Ave. will rebuild and manufacture longwall mining equipment for parent company Murray Energy Corporation's coal mines.  Murray Energy has worked with various vendors for more than a decade to manufacture custom mining equipment for its mines.  Now, with its own machine and equipment facility, the company will produce a proprietary longwall mining system it has engineered to meet the exacting specifications of Murray Energy's production processes, and which will be integrated into all of its mining operations over the next five years. AEMI currently employs a skilled workforce of 102.  The company expects to add up to 34 additional jobs over the next two years as it ramps into full production and expands into the manufacture of hydraulic components for its longwall mining systems. Billy Williams, a veteran longwall equipment manager who has worked with Murray Energy, and founder CEO Robert Murray for 44 years was instrumental in developing the factory.  

Phoenix Coal has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the company's ongoing surface mining business and reserves primarily in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, to a privately owned Ohio coal producer.  Upon completion, Phoenix's assets will include a significant cash position and the Gryphon Mining Complex.  The Acquirer will pay Phoenix USD 5.7 million in cash at closing and will assume all debts associated with the equipment being sold, reclamation liabilities for ongoing coal mining operations, coal sales contracts and other obligations associated with the Assets.

The new General Motors Volt vehicle will go 40 miles on electricity stored in its battery before its internal combustion engine kicks in.  The Volt takes 16 kilowatt-hours to charge the battery, and coal produces 0.92-kilowatt hours of electricity per pound.  That means it would take a little more than 17.3 pounds of coal to drive the Volt for its first 40 miles, which is about 2.31 miles per pound of coal.

Elgin National Industries' Centrifugal & Mechanical Industries (CMI), St. Louis, MO, has partnered with Minco Tech to supply classifying, water-only and heavy media cyclones to the U.S. market.  Minco Tech supplies over 85 percent of the Australian coal industry's cyclones.  Minco Tech cyclones are available in a wide range of materials, but most often are manufactured from 91 percent alumina ceramic pre-engineered tiles. CMI sales and service staff are available to determine the right mix of cyclones to fit any operational need.

Ramgen Power Systems LLC, Bellevue, WA, has been awarded $20 million from the Department of Energy to further develop a device that uses supersonic shockwaves to compress carbon dioxide for capture and storage.  The device, known as a Rampressor, employs a fundamentally new technology that reduces the cost of compressing CO₂ to achieve affordable carbon capture and storage.

Mincom, one of Australia's largest software companies, has opened headquarters in Silicon Valley, CA.  Mincom helps customers ensure around-the-clock operations, maintain heavy equipment, manage inventory and costs, and support staff in the most remote places.  Recently Molycorp implemented the Mincom software system to increase production at its Mountain Pass, CA, facility, the world's most abundant "rare earth" ore deposit outside of China.  Mincom developed the world's first ERP software for the mining industry and 18 of 20 of the world's top mining companies use Mincom software.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Columbus, OH, Division of Mineral Resources Management has received national recognition for a mine land reclamation project that has improved land and water resources of a previously mined area in Carroll County. The award is for ODNR work on the Belden Acid Mine Drainage Reclamation Project within the Huff Run Watershed, which improved the quality of 4.8 miles of stream.  The restoration benefits fish and aquatic insects, improves water recreation and ultimately reduces costs incurred by municipalities for public water treatment.  Approximately 70,860 cubic yards of earthwork and 24,900 cubic yards of re-soiling materials were moved to reclaim 15 acres within the project site.

Keystone Coal plans to construct a $100 million marine terminal that will handle shipments of bulk materials such as products for road building.  Plans are to start construction this year at the 67-acre site, which is near the Talleyrand Port area, and the terminal hopes to begin shipping in 2010.  Construction of the terminal would occur in stages, starting with a dock for ships.

Talbert Manufacturing, Inc., Rensselaer, IN, manufacturer of specialty-built trailer and transport systems, announces Talbert Advantage Credit, a comprehensive and complete financing program available to qualifying customers for new trailer purchases made through participating dealers.  Offering a full array of financing programs from customized loans to finance leases and TRAC leases, Talbert Advantage Credit will work with customers to structure a payment and a term that will meet cash flow and/or seasonal requirements.

Canadian producer Compliance Energy and its Comox joint venture have approval to start environmental evaluation for the Raven underground coal project, located on Vancouver Island.  According to technical reports, Raven contains 39.09Mt of measured and indicated reserves and inferred resources of just over 59 Mt.  Compliance is developing Raven as part of a joint venture signed early this year with Japanese firm Itochu Corporation and Korea-based LG International.

American Electric Power has applied for $334 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Coal Power Initiative Round 3 to pay part of the costs of installing the nation's first commercial-scale carbon dioxide capture and storage system on its Mountaineer coal-fired power plant in New Haven, WV.  The fund is about half the estimated cost of installing the system that will use a chilled ammonia process to capture at least 90 percent of the carbon dioxide from 235 megawatts of the plant's 1300 megawatts of capacity.  The capture carbon dioxide, approximately 1.5 million metric tons per year, will be treated and compressed, then injected into suitable geologic formation for permanent storage, approximately 1.5 miles below the surface.  The system will begin commercial operation in 2015.

Alliance Coal has created hundreds of jobs at the new River View Mine in Union County, KY, on State Route 1179, Waverly and Uniontown.  "It's probably the biggest boost to Union County in 20 years," mining foreman Don Rowley said.  Two years of planning and preparation paid off as the belts successfully carried the first load of coal from the River View mine in mid-August.  "When we're at full production, we expect 600 people to work here by next July,"  GM Heath Lovell said.

Electric Transmission America (ETA), a transmission joint venture of American Electric Power and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, has joined with American Transmission Company, Exelon Corporation, NorthWestern Energy and MidAmerican Energy Company, a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, to sponsor a comprehensive energy development and to transport that energy to consumers in markets to the east.  Quanta Technology LLC has been retained to evaluate extra-high voltage transmission alternatives and provide recommendations for new transmission development in the Upper Midwest, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Universal Lubricants, Wichita, KS, has opened a new plant that is 10 times more energy efficient at producing motor oil.  The new refinery, which uses post-consumer lubricants to create new motor oil with the same or better performance characteristics as conventional motor oil.  The facility will process 12 million gallons of lubricant annually, resulting in a 90 percent energy use reduction and 36 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.  The local economic impact to the region is approximately $40 million and adds 40 new skilled jobs in Wichita.

Richard Bass, who owns the Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in Utah, has partnered with William H. Hunt to form PacRim Coal LLC, and to develop a proposed surface mine in Alaska.  Permit applications have been submitted to build a giant coal mine that will be the largest in Alaskan history.   The coal mine on the Chuitna River, about 45 miles west of Anchorage, would be the third largest surface mine in the United States.  PacRim Coal, a Delaware corporation backed by Texas investors, hopes to extract 300 million tons of coal over 25 years.  Nearly all the coal excavated from the mine would be exported to coal markets in China and other Pacific Rim countries.

A proposal that would allow four coal mines to lease 8,800 acres of federal land includes more than 800 million tons of minable coal, adding 10 to 15 years of life to a coal mine.  The mines could bring in 1.8 billion dollars in state revenues over the lifetime of the mine. The proposal is out for the public to review and make comments.

The Lewis Clark Boone Company has changed its name to The Boone Group.  "We are still the same great company, same personnel and staff with the knowledge, expertise and commitment to our clients that we have been providing since 1983. We will continue to be developing quality market research for associations, publications, universities, and businesses of all kinds," says President Brace Boone III. Address and phone numbers remain the same.

A grant request for The Demonstration of Advanced Carbon Capture and Storage at the Dominion Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in Wise County, VA, has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).  The grant request was filed by the Virginia Tech Foundation and is led by VPI's Virginia Center for Coal and Research (VCCER); Marshall Miller & Associates (MM&A); Dominion Virginia Power; and the Southern States Energy Board.  MM&A and VCCER will lead the carbon storage aspect of the project and undertake the characterization, design, construction, injection, and pre-and post-injection monitoring, verification, and accounting phases of the storage task. Dominion will lead the carbon capture effort in the research.  In total, the estimate is for $583 million to be implemented over 11 years.  The proposed Clean Coal Power Initiative Virginia will meet the goals set by the DOE to achieve, at minimum, 50 percent CO2 capture efficiency and make progress towards a target goal of 90 percent CO2 capture efficiency.  The project will demonstrate a cost-effective and energy efficient means to capture and manage CO2 for a coal-fired power plant.

AEP Ohio, Columbus, OH, has applied for $75 million in federal stimulus funds to support the AEP Ohio gridSMART Demonstration Project. Designed to improve electricity distribution efficiency and reliability, the project will cut energy consumption and emissions, while at the same time creating at least 500 jobs over a three-year period.  AEP Ohio's $150 million project will be deployed in northeast central Ohio starting in 2010 and will include installation of approximately 110,000 advanced electricity meters; new distribution grid technology; distributed energy sources; plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; smart appliances; and consumer systems and products to help customers manage electricity use and costs. The project will potentially reduce energy consumption by 18,000 megawatt-hours, peak demand by 15 megawatts and consumer cost by $5.75 million over the length of the project.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is reviewing a proposal to expand three coal mines in the Powder River Basin – Arch Coal's Black Thunder Mine; Rio Tinto's Jacobs Ranch mine; and Peabody Energy's North Antelope Rochelle Mine.  According to BLM, the proposed expansion would open up some 22,000 acres to surface mining to uncover an estimated 2.4 billion tons of coal over about 10 years.  BLM recently issued a final environmental impact statement covering proposed expansions of 4 other mines in the Powder River Basin that would open up an additional 8,800 acres to surface mine an estimated 835 million tons of coal.

Blackrock Resources Inc., Reno, NV, has filed a request to change its name to Black Mountain Resources Inc.  The name change is subject to approval by FINRA and the Nevada Secretary of State.  In anticipation of the name change, the company has registered a new domain name at www.blackmountainresources.com and has deactivated its old website.

Kentucky's Quest Minerals and Mining is adding a Joy 14-9 miner to its fleet, capable of extracting 1300 to 1500 raw tons of coal per eight-hour shift.  Doubling the proficiency output, it will work in conjunction with the mine's existing Joy 14-10 miner.   Quest began renovation work on the Cedar Grove and Pond Creek operations in 2008.  Whitestar has been retained as the contract miner for the operations.

The FutureGen Alliance and U.S. Department of Energy have signed a cooperative agreement to ensure the Illinois facility's continued development.  The agreement includes preliminary design activities through the end of this year.  It states that the Alliance and DOE will work with others to continue necessary tasks such as electric grid interconnect studies, obtaining environmental permits, identifying operational activities and other milestones such as plant design updates and project cost estimates.  Upon completion, it is hoped that the final design and construction will begin in early 2010.

GasTech Inc., Casper, WY, has a contract with Linc Energy of Australia to launch an underground coal gasification demonstration project in the Powder River Basin.  The estimated 7 billion tons of state coal has an energy equivalent of about 20 billion barrels of oil, GasTech says.  Underground coal gasification involves drilling surface wells into the coal and injecting air into a water-sodden coal seam.  Under pressure, the steam and oxygen gasifies the coal, producing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide and other gases.  The pressurized gases are brought to the surface through a production well and separated for a variety of potential uses.

The Arch Coal Foundation has donated $116,000 to Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, to update its mine rescue and safety laboratory.   The foundation provides support to organizations that engage in improving the quality of life in the communities in which Arch Coal operates.  Focus is in education, including contributions to schools, as well as through sponsorship of its signature program – the Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards – that recognizes top classroom teachers in West Virginia, Wyoming and Utah.

The Signal Peak Coal Mine, near Roundup, MT, is up and running, along with a 35-mile spur that provides the mine with access to Burlington Northern Santa Fe's main rail line at Broadview. The Boich Group and First Energy invested almost $400 million to resurrect the mine, once known as the Bull Mountain Mine.  The mine currently employs about 200 workers with that number expected to increase.  Coal production at the mine is estimated at 12.5 million tons a year, nearly one quarter of Montana's annual coal production.

The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, Palmyra, NY, has honored Garlock Sealing Technologies with its 2009 MVP2 Award for the Best P2 pollution prevention project.  The project, which eliminated use of a volatile organic compound and hazardous air pollutant from production of Garlock's industrial sheet gaskets, has recently garnered similar awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental Business Journal and the Rochester Business Journal.

Utah's American West Resources has new underground mining equipment that will open a two-section mine development plan with a production estimate of 30,000-plus tons of coal per month.  A new continuous miner and related equipment allows the company to re-start the Horizon mine in a second section.  Horizon holds 12.4 million tons in recoverable coal reserves.

CONSOL Energy, West Virginia University, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory have begun a $13 million field trial in Marshall County, West Virginia, to enhance coalbed methane recovery with simultaneous carbon dioxide sequestration in an unmineable coal seam.  In advance of CO2 injection, horizontal coalbed methane wells were drilled in a modified five-spot pattern over a 200-acre area into the unmineable Upper Freeport coal seam, 1200 to 1800 feet below ground, and separately into the overlying mineable Pittsburgh coal seam.  Many factors are expected to affect the field test, including coal swelling.  It is believed that horizontal wells will help minimize the negative effects of coal swelling.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of Reclamation is turning a long abandoned Enoco coal mine near Bruceville, into a wetland. The site will be covered with a mixture of compost, hay, and lime to soak up pollutants.  It will then be planted with wetland plants, shrubs and prairie grasses.

BASF's Meyco Equipment unit and Sandvik Mining and Construction have signed an agreement on global co-operation in the fields of tunneling and mining.  BASF's Construction Chemicals division is the leading supplier of chemical systems and formulations for the construction industry.  Sandvik is a global industrial group with advanced products and world-leading positions in selected areas – tools for metal cutting, machinery and tools for rock excavation, stainless materials, special alloys, metallic and ceramic resistance materials as well as process systems.

Cemex hopes to expand its limestone quarry in Davenport, Santa Cruz County, CA, by 17 acres.  A report by the county planning commission, however, recommends Cemex take measures to reduce the flow of sediment toward Liddell Spring – no matter what the source – should the company expand.  Recommendations include installing drains in the quarry to capture and filter runoff as well as constantly monitoring the underground water conditions.    The Planning Commission had scheduled a final public hearing this past September 23 on the proposed expansion.

Maptek I-Site laser scanning software technology is being used to map the geology and layout of the deepest underground laboratory to be established in the U.S.A. The Deep Underground Science and Engineering Lab (DUSEL) in the former Homestake gold mine in Lead, SD, will provide for scientific studies in particle and nuclear physics, geology, hydrology, geo-engineering, biology, and biochemistry.  Geoscientists and engineers will research the behavior of subsurface rock, minerals, water and energy sources.

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Foundation, Des Plaines, IL, announces the availability of more than $100,000 in scholarships and professional development grants for the 2010 academic year, including one new scholarship and one new grant.  Deadline for submitting applications is December 1, 2009.  Scholarships are for students pursuing a degree in occupational safety and health, safety engineering, safety management, occupational health nursing, occupational medicine, risk management, ergonomics, industrial hygiene, fire safety, environmental safety, environmental health or other safety-related fields.  Contact Joanna Climer at 847/768-3404.

Darling International Inc., Irving, TX, has joined with a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation to build a facility capable of producing over 10,000 barrels/day or 135 million gallons per year of renewable diesel on a site adjacent to Valero's St. Charles refinery near Norco, LA.  The proposed facility will convert waste grease—primarily animal fats and used cooking oil supplied by Darling and potentially other feedstocks that become economically and commercially viable into renewable diesel.  Darling and Valero will jointly seek a loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

KenAmerican Resources has idled its Paradise Mine in Kentucky due to roof conditions in the No. 9 and No. 11 seams. Construction of a new mine is continuing. The company will return Paradise to eventual full production on completion of the new access, ventilation, conveyor and power systems, and portal facilities.  KenAmerican is owned by Murray Energy and produces 3.3 million tons a year.

Future Power PA is seeking funds from the U.S. Department of Energy for a proposed 270-megawatt Good Spring clean coal plant in Pennsylvania at a cost of $1 billion over a three-year period of construction.  Good Springs would be an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant that will gasify local anthracite coal.  The plant will have carbon dioxide sequestration capabilities.   Future Power will use gasification technology expertise from China's Thermal Power Research Institute.

ARCH Environmental Equipment, Inc., Paducah, KY, has launched a new Web site that makes research and buying conveyor components easier.  The new website, www.archenv.com  has been revamped to minimize time taken to research products, find a distributor, and procure ARCH products.  Features include instant access to installation guides, exclusive ARCH web promotions, links to relevant sites, interactive forms and one-stop shopping for conveyor belt cleaners, belt scales, metal detectors, safety devices, dust control products, skirt seals and more.

Cliffs Natural Resources has raised its production and sales forecasts for both its coal and iron ore businesses as steel markets continue to improve.  The company recalled more than 200 workers recently at its coal operations.  Cliffs has lifted production guidance 38 percent to 1.8 million tons.  Its iron ore division is expected to produce 17Mt, 13 percent higher than the previous expectation.

Natural Resources Partners has signed a definitive agreement to acquire approximately 200 mt of coal reserves related to the Deer Run mine in Illinois from Colt LLC, an affiliate of the Cline Group, at a cost of $255M. Construction of the new longwall mine has begun, with initial production expected in 2010 and longwall production expected to commence in 2011.

Four Liebherr (Newport News, VA) T 282 B Ultra Class Mining Trucks have been commissioned at ASARCO Ray Copper Mine.  Trucks are equipped with MTU/DDC 20V4000 diesel engines and Michelin 56/80R63 low profile tires.  The 400 short ton payload trucks will be utilized to move higher quantities of material more efficiently at the Ray open pit mine.  Liebherr offers 24/7 technical support, parts warehouse and an office on site, in addition to three service trucks.

Anvil International, Portsmouth, NH, a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products, Inc., has launched a new Web site with the same address: www.anvilintl.com   The new site was developed to provide more information on Anvil's line of products and services.  Features a variety of tools for customers and end users to quickly and easily access the more than 1,200 pages of technical content.

Warrior Coal's Cardinal team won first place in the two-day mine rescue competition of the 2009 U.S. National Coal Mine Rescue, First Aid, Bench and Preshift Competition.  Warrior Coal won for having the least total penalties under the competitions rules.  Warrior also took top spot in the Combination Competition.  For the Day 1 Mine Rescue Competition, Consol Energy's McElroy operation came first with a completion time just 18 seconds faster than the blue team of Cliffs Natural Resources' Pinnacle operation.  The "green team" from Consol Energy's Enlow Fork mine won the Day 2 Mine Rescue Competition and received no time penalties.  Peabody Energy's Twentymile Coal Company won the Bench BG4 competition, while International Coal Group's white team from Knott County won the Bench Biopak 240R competition, and Gibson County Coal won the Bench Biopak 240S competition.  Patriot Coal's Magnum team won the first aid contest.  The Preshift Competition was won by Eastern Associates Coal's Federal No. 2 operation.

AK Steel, West Chester, OH, has reached an agreement with SunCoke Energy, Inc. to provide AK Steel with metallurgical-grade coke from SunCoke's Haverhill facility in Scioto County, OH.  The agreement has a 12-year term with two five-year renewal options.  SunCoke Haverhill will provide AK Steel with up to 550,000 tons of coke annually.

Hardy Instruments, San Diego, CA, has partnered with Saturn Scale Systems to service Hardy customers throughout Canada.  Hardy will be able to provide field service in all Canadian provinces, including start-up, installation, emergency, maintenance, scale calibration and verifications.

World steel production this past August reached the highest monthly level since the global financial crisis set in a year ago, Macquarie analysts note.    Macquarie said crude steel output reached 106.5 million tons in August, the highest level since September 2008, and 30 percent above December 2008.

Joy Mining Machinery and Matrix Design Group have partnered to develop and distribute continuous miner proximity protection systems.  The agreement gives Joy the rights for sales, installation and service of the systems while collaborating with the Kentucky supplier on additional development and efforts to continually refine the system.

Southern Co., Houston, TX, reports that a Chinese utility will utilize its coal-gasification technology at an existing power plant to produce low-emission electricity.  Called Transport Integrated Gasification (TRIG), the company will provide Beijing Guoneng Yinghui Clean Energy Engineering Co. Ltd with licensing, engineering and equipment to use the TRIG design at a 120-megawatt power plant operated by Dongguan Tianming Electric power Co Ltd in Guandong Province. This will mark the first commercial implementation of the TRIG technology, which converts coal into synthetic gas that can be stripped of pollutants before being burned in a combustion turbine to produce electricity.  Mississippi Power Co. also plans to use the T RIG technology at a 582MW IGCC plant proposed in Kemper County, MS.

River View coal mine in Western Kentucky is a $270 million facility in Union County that brings 600 coal mining jobs to the tri-state.  The mine began operations in August and will produce 40,000 tons of coal each day.  River View should be fully operational and fully staffed by July of 2010.

Researchers at MIT have shown the benefits of a new approach toward eliminating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at coal-burning power plants.  The system, called pressurized oxy-fuel combustion, provides a way of separating all of the carbon dioxide emissions produced by the burning of coal, in the form of a concentrated, pressurized liquid stream. This allows for carbon dioxide sequestration: the liquid CO2 stream can be injected into geological formations deep enough to prevent its escape into the atmosphere.

Evolution Fuels, Inc., Dallas, TX, has an agreement with Informa Economics, Inc., to jointly publish a series of articles regarding renewable fuels through the company's affiliate, Big Star Informative Media, LLC.  Informa will work with the company to help educate and inform the public with fact-based inputs regarding renewable fuels via the company's website at www.evolution-fuels.com    The website contains a blog that will be updated weekly with current news, policy matters, facts, and opinions regarding the evolution for the renewable fuels industry.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has presented Peabody Energy's North Antelope Rochelle Mine with an Industry Reclamation and Wildlife Stewardship Award for best practices to restore essential habitat for big game, mammals, birds and raptors over the past quarter century.  Restored lands in the Powder River Basin create habitat for elk, deer, antelope, sage grouse and many other species.  Multiple studies have been conducted to refine land restoration practices for wildlife habitat and advance the understanding of regional wildlife populations. Peabody's Power River Basin mines are safe and productive, with a strong track record of environmental excellence.  NARM achieved record production of nearly 100 million tons of coal in 2008, alongside a record safety rate that was 88 percent better than the industry average.  The U.S. Department of the Interior and the state has recognized NARM for good neighbor practices and land restoration.  Peabody has restored nearly 6,200 acres, planted more than 250,000 trees and recycled more than 19,000 tons of materials this past year while creating $14 billion in direct and implied economic benefits in communities around the world.

Production is underway at River View coal mine in Waverly, KY.  Alliance Resources Partners reports that production began in August and full capacity is expected by mid-2010.  All of the mine's eight room-and-pillar mining units will be in place next year.  Running at full capacity, the mine will produce 6.4 million tons of coal per year.  The mine has estimated coal reserves of 105.4 million tons.

ARCADIS, an international design, consulting, engineering and management services company, has been awarded two major GRIP contracts for environmental remediation, with a total worth of almost $170 million, from Atlantic Richfield Company, a BP affiliate, and the U.S. Army.

Future Fuels, Houston, TX, has entered an agreement to exchange and share technical information with China's Thermal Power Research, Inc. (TPRI), which includes a consortium of electric utilities and Huaneng Power Group.  Future Fuels will offer access to all relevant information from its Good Spring, PA, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle ((IGCC) facility, while TPRI will share information from its GreenGen IGCC facility in Tianjin, China.  GreenGen is a 250-megawatt electrical plant designed to be China's most efficient and environmentally friendly coal consuming project with carbon sequestration, and is expected to commence operations in 2011.  The Good Spring IGCC project expects to deliver 270-megawatts of electricity while capturing over 50 percent of the CO2 output initially and nearly 100 percent by 2020.

Radar Acquisitions Corp., Calgary, Alberta, (RAC) has entered into an agreement to create a U.S. coal mining company called RAC Mining in partnership with a group of private investors in Alabama. Radar will own 40 percent of RAC mining. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and was expected to close this past October.  RAC will hold one active mining permit covering 130 acres and two other permits covering 240 acres.  Both permits are adjacent to an active mining permit and all lands are in Jefferson County, Alabama, in the Warrior Coal Basin.

Red Cliff, CO, approved a first reading of an application that would annex property owned by Paul Moltz into the town and allow the operation of a stone quarry for up to 15 years, and then the construction of as many as 10 residential homes after the quarry stops operating.  The property features an exposed outcropping of Sawatch quartzite – a construction stone that is good for landscaping.  The stone is used for home exteriors, fireplaces, retaining walls and drainage way stabilization.

CST Industries Inc. (CST) has acquired Temcor of Gardena, CA. Temcor designs, manufactures and erects clear-span aluminum domes and specialty covers and is the largest aluminum dome provider in the world with over 7,500 structures installed in 72 countries.  CST designs, manufactures and installs storage tanks and covers.

Peabody Energy has opened an office in Singapore that will serve as the new hub for Peabody Coaltrade International activities in Southeast Asia, expanding the company's access to high-growth seaborne coal markets.  The new office expands sourcing and shipping capabilities to China, India, Indonesia and other key Asian markets.    Peabody's Singapore office will be headed by Phillip Smith, who has been named managing director of Asian Trading overseeing international trading activities in Singapore and China.

Alpha Natural Resources' Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte mines in Gillette, Wyoming, have marked notable safety achievements.  Eagle Butte has two years without a lost-time accident, while producing 44 million tons of coal with more than 1 million hours logged.  Belle Ayr reached one year without a lost-time accident, working 770,000 hours and producing more than 28Mt in that time.

Energy Information Administration (EIA) data shows 2008 U.S. coal production at a record level of approximately 1.17 billion short tons, up 2.2 percent from 2007.  Fifty-eight percent of the production was from the West and 42 percent from the East. The number of mines increased from 1,374 in 2007 to 1,458 in 2008, a 6 percent increase.  The average sales price per ton was $31.26, up 21 percent from the previous year.  EIA's Annual Coal Report 2008 also shows that the U.S. has more than 261 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves, about 235 years at today's consumption rate of 1.1 billion tons annually.  America has more coal reserves than any other country, with 27 percent of the world's reserve base.

The Cap-and-Trade law could cost American taxpayers up to $200 billion a year.  At that upper end, Treasury officials report, the per household cost could rise to $1,761 annually – equivalent to a 15 percent tax increase.  Activist groups who argued the analysis did not weigh benefits from slower global warming.

Sepro Mineral Systems has been awarded a project to supply a 2.4m x 4.2m – 110kW Sepro Scrubber to Lehigh Materials, a division of Heidelberg Cement.  The unit will be installed in their largest sand and gravel site in Canada, where they produce over five million tons per year of construction aggregates. 

Massey Energy Co., Charleston, WV, has acquired 23 million tons of coal reserves and several mines from a bankrupt Kentucky company.  Massey said the acquisition includes a preparation plant and some equipment from Appalachian Fuels in Ashland, KY.  The deal covers reserves and mines in Fayette County and more than half the reserves can be sold for making steel.

The Sandy Creek Energy Associates L.P. has clearance to begin construction on a coal-fired power plant at Riesel, TX.  The facility will open in 2012 as scheduled, it is reported.  Sandy Creek is one of 11 coal-powered plants around the state that are either under construction or in the permitting process.  Texas is the nation's leading producer of greenhouse gases and consumes more coal than any other state.  The 900-megawatt plant, a joint venture owned primarily by LS Power Group, would employ about 100 people when constructed.

The Mississippi Public Service Commission announces phase one hearings for a proposed new clean coal power plant in Kemper County, MS.  Mississippi Power is seeking necessary approvals for a proposed $2.4 billion electricity-generating plant and associated transmission facilities, associated gas pipeline facilities, right-of-ways and related facilities in Kemper, Lauderdale, Clarke and Jasper counties. The phase one hearings will establish a need for the plant and if a need exists, when it will appear.

The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority (OAQDA) has authorized an Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) grant of up to $158,459 to assist in the study of the "syngas chemical looping process."  The funds will help move the project from the research stage to a small pilot-sized demonstration project.  The project demonstrates a method to produce hydrogen and a sequestration-ready stream of carbon dioxide from coal syngas. 

ARCH Coal has completed the $764 million purchase of Rio Tinto's Jacobs Ranch mining complex in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. The Jacobs Ranch open cut thermal coal operation produced 42.1 million tons last year.  The transaction gives Arch 381Mt of coal reserves that are contiguous to Black Thunder.    Coal reserves for the combined operation are estimated to be 1.6 billion tons with output capacity of more than 140Mt per year, if required.

Canada's Western Coal plans to expand output from all its operations to bring total production up to 10 million tons a year by 2013.  Projects include the expansion of the Brule mine to 2 million tons per annum, while an underground operation at Perry Creek will be developed to help expand Wolverine to almost 3Mtpa.   Western also plans to recommence pulverized coal injection and hard coking extraction from the Willow Creek complex, which will be expanded to 1.8 Mtpa.  Output at Energybuild Group will be expanded to 750,000 tpa.

Evergreen Resources has outlined plans to mine frac sand, a high-grade silica used in drilling, on 1,300 acres off Highway 56, six miles east of Calico Rock.  ER plans to create a limestone quarry by blasting with dynamite.  Processing the sand involves using 390,000 gallons of water a day that will come from wells 2,000 feet deep.  Ten permits are required before the work can begin.

Hexagon, parent company of Leica Geosystems, Norcross, GA, has entered into an agreement to acquire the Spatial Systems division of Loyola Enterprises Inc. in Richmond, VA.  Spatial is a distributor and service provider for Leica Geosystems measurement technology products in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC.  The division also operates its own GPS Reference Station Network RTK-Net^TM.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Capitol lawn in Lansing, MI, to protest the delayed construction of two new coal plants—a Consumers Energy coal plant in Bay City and a Wolverine Power supply Cooperative Inc. plant in Rogers City, MI.  The two plants – Cadillac-based Wolverine's two 300-megawatt units and Jackson-based Consumers' 830-megawatt plant – would employ about 3,600 during construction and involved about 100 permanent jobs at each plant.  Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the state's Department of Environmental Quality have stalled plans.

The Midwest Governor's Association announces its Midwestern Energy Infrastructure Accord, which includes a framework for creating a geologic storage utility for sequestering carbon dioxide, with approval from the Clean Air Task Force (CATF).  The resolution highlights the need to house, inject and transport carbon dioxide captured from power plants.  The CCS utility concept will provide an important CO2 outlet for power producers, giving them the means to sell CO2 for enhanced oil recovery efforts, or to inject it deep underground for permanent storage.

Peabody Energy, St. Louis, MO, has opened an office in Jakarta, Indonesia, to expand business development and coal sourcing opportunities to serve the Pacific markets.  Peabody's presence in Jakarta expands the company's ability to serve India, China and other Asian markets.  The Pacific markets are driving global demand for coal and are expected to achieve 5 to 10 percent compound annual growth over the next five or more years.  Reynard Hanoppo will lead the Jakarta office, which joins Peabody after more than a decade of managing sales for PT Kideco Jaya Agung, Indonesia's third largest coal producer.

JADCO, Inc., Zelienople, PA, fabricator and supplier of impact-, wear- and abrasion-resistant steel plate, is now selling its products through DAYJON, Inc., McCalla, AL, to Alabama companies that manufacture, maintain or operate equipment used in mining, steel production, automotive and pulp & paper manufacturing and other heavy industries.  DAYJON is a full-line distributor and maintenance service supplier.

IMPO Magazine has selected Garlock Sealing Technologies, Palmyra, NY, in its "Top 15 IMPOvation" product technology award for its Flange Free^TM anti-stick gasket coating.  Winners were chosen from a field of 100 nominees.  Flange Free reduces the time and effort required to remove treated gaskets. 

Phoenix Coal has sold its surface mining operations to Oxford Mining Company, LLC, primarily in Muhlenberg County, KY. The assets include four operating surface mines, surface mining equipment, a preparation plant facility, the Island Dock barge loading facility, and coal properties containing the coal reserves of the surface mining business.

The Asphalt Institute celebrates its 90^th anniversary in 2009 as the international trade association of petroleum asphalt producers, manufacturers and affiliated businesses.  The Asphalt Institute is the oldest asphalt association in the world.  Founded in 1919, the Institute has served as the center of excellence for asphalt supplier issues.  It is the focal point for applications of new technology and is a leading source of technical, educational and promotional programs for the industry.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created the Concrete Sustainability Hub, a research center established at MIT in collaboration with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research & Education Foundation.  The Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSH), established with the goal of accelerating emerging breakthroughs in concrete science and engineering and transferring that science into practice, will provide $10 million of sponsored research funding during the next five years.  CSH research will initially be organized around three focus areas: concrete materials science, building technology and the econometrics of sustainable development.

An appeal to block a $2 billion coal-fired Longleaf Energy Plant in southwest Georgia has been rejected by the Georgia Supreme Court.  The plant is expected to create at least 100 full-time jobs and generate millions of dollars in tax revenues for southwest Georgia's Early County.  It would power more than a half-million homes through utilities in Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Joy Mining Machinery has donated a continuous miner to the Rend Lake College Coal Mining Training Center.  The 40-ton continuous miner, which has been completely refurbished for use at the center, has an estimated value in excess of $250,000. "It's going to jump-start the program," says RLC President Charley Holstein,  "and, provide much-needed, hands-on training. It allows us to move grant funding to other areas of need for the program." 

TJS Mining is proposing a new operation in Manor Township, PA, and plans to mine about 688 underground acres of the Upper Freeport coal seam.  TJS plans include an underground mine, a coal preparation plant and/or a coal refuse area.  Above-ground operations will encompass about 25 acres.  The mine's life expectancy is about five years and anticipated annual production is about 500,000 tons of coal.

America West Resources expects to double monthly production by the year's end at Horizon mine.  By the end of the year, a second section at Horizon will be in full production, doubling monthly output to 60,000 tons.  The company plans to develop the Columbia asset, located close to the Horizon mine in Carbon County. The Columbia property holds about 50 million tons of raw, recoverable, metallurgical grade coal.  America West plans to begin developing Columbia as early as the fourth quarter of 2010 with production to start in early 2011.

The fourth episode of the "The Bring It On Show" – an SSAB marketing campaign for Hardox wear plate – is now being launched.  The four films show fierce attacks on a container made of Hardox 450 and, so far, the container has survived them all.  In the first film, Sweden's strongest men used a variety of tools in an attempt to demolish the container.  The second shows how a crazy crane driver drops boulders, metal scrap and even a whole car onto the container.  In the third episode, the container is attacked and thrown down a steep slope by a monster bulldozer.  In the fourth attempt, the "Demolition Man" makes every effort to destroy the container with his wrecking ball. The container made out of Hardox 450 has survived all of these attacks without damage. For more details of the marketing campaign and a photo competition or to view the three previous episodes at www.hardoxinmybody.com

River Consulting, Columbus, OH, has partnered with Loesche Energy Systems to serve the North American power generation industry.  River's engineering expertise for power industry solutions complement Loesche's excellence in classifiers and coal mill application and pursuit of energy saving processes.   Loesche has the capacity to design, plan and construct everything from individual machines to turnkey dry-grinding installations for coal, cement, lime and other minerals.

Trolex Ltd introduces a Sentinel system that is certified for use underground and the first to be able to differentiate between methane and other non-methane hydrocarbons and accurately measure methane content.  It does this from a sample gas on a continuous basis and uses infra-red detection coupled with other special processes.  Contact Brenda Christopher at Brenda@vantage.uk.com

PCB Piezotronics, Depew, NY, has acquired substantial portions of assets and property from RS Technologies Ltd., a supplier of load cells, torque transducers, wheel force transducers, and fastening/assembly test equipment, through PCB Load & Torque, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary.  PCB Load & Torque will operate out of the existing RS Technologies world headquarters in Farmington Hills, MI.  A new website has been launched.

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