Can Trump Make Coal Great Again?
Most of the U.S. coal industry doubts Donald Trump can fulfill his promise to make the ailing industry great again in a country awash in dirt-cheap natural gas, a competing fuel. But a small sub-section of the coal sector that mines metallurgical coal - a variety used by steel makers instead of power plants - is gearing up for a Trump-inspired boom. That's because the Republican president-elect has promised a spending surge for roads, bridges and tunnels after he takes office on Jan. 20, a push to upgrade America's infrastructure with the support of leading Democrats that could jolt demand for metallurgical coal from American steel mills. Prices for met coal, as it is called, have already risen in recent months on lower supply from China.
Newcastle Coal Port Reopening as Storm passes
Australia's Newcastle port, the world's biggest marine coal export terminal, will reopen later on Thursday after shutting down earlier this week due to a heavy storm, according to the port. Australia's biggest coal companies, including BHP Billiton Ltd , Glencore Plc, Rio Tinto , Peabody Energy Corp and China's Yancoal Australia Ltd rely on the port. (Reporting by Sonali Paul
Storm Shutters Australia's Newcastle Coal Port
Coal port shut since Monday night; seven coal ships waiting to leave, ship queue undisclosed. MELBOURNE, April 22 (Reuters) - Australia's Newcastle port, the world's biggest coal export port, has stopped all ship movements due to a cyclonic storm lashing the country's east coast, a port spokeswoman said on Wednesday. "Due to the weather event, no shipping movements occurred yesterday and port operations also paused," the spokeswoman said. Seven coal ships are waiting to leave the port, four from terminals operated by Port Waratah Coal Services and three from a terminal run by Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG). The port operators declined to comment on how many coal ships were waiting offshore to pick up their cargoes from the port…
US Plans to Shut Royalty Loophole on Coal Exports
U.S. coal companies will no longer be able to settle royalties at low domestic prices when they make lucrative sales to Asia according to reforms proposed by the Interior Department on Friday. American taxpayers by law are due a 12.5 percent royalty on the sales of millions of tons of coal pulled each year from federal land that mining companies lease. In past years of strong global demand, U.S. miners have been able to avoid a royalty hit on lucrative exports by first selling to affiliated traders at low domestic prices. The reforms proposed on Friday will update rules on how energy companies settle their royalty payments on coal, oil and gas pulled from federal land but the changes to the coal program may have the biggest impact.
Rowan - Ralls CEO, Lentz COB
Rowan Companies, Inc. (NYSE: RDC) announced that, effective January 1, 2009, its Board of Directors has named W. Matt Ralls as the company's new President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors, succeeding D.F. McNease, who announced his retirement in late October 2008. Mr. Ralls, 59, most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of GlobalSantaFe Corporation, an international contract drilling company, from June 2005 until the completion of the merger of GlobalSantaFe with Transocean, Inc. in November 2007. Prior to that time Mr. Ralls served as Senior Vice President and CFO of GlobalSantaFe. He joined Global Marine, Inc.
