The multi-trillion dollar oil market swindle

Weak manufacturing data from China and a US economy deemed to have "significant downside risk," saw benchmark North American crude futures drop more than $5 to just above $80 a barrel, bringing the discount to international oil prices to more than $25. The biggest oil sands player, Suncor Energy (TSE.SU), tumbled 6.8% to C$26.21 on the Toronto Stock Exchange, bringing its year to date losses to more than 30%. Canadian heavy oil – all of which goes to the US – sells for $15 less than US crude, meaning oil sands developers have to deal with an effective oil price of $60-$70 a barrel that puts at risk many of the $100 billion of projects on the go in Alberta.

GVK group, of which GVK Power & Infra is a part, is in talks with Indonesia's PT Kideco Jaya Agung for divesting part of its stake in the coal mines that it bought last week from Australia's Hancock Group for $1.26 billion, business daily Mint said citing two sources. On September 17, GVK agreed to pay $1.26 billion for a majority stake in three Australian coal mines and a port and rail project owned by Hancock Group to secure long-term coal supplies for the Indian group's power projects.

Rio Tinto has shortlisted nine parties in bidding for a South African coal mine that it acquired through its near-$US4billion takeover of Riversdale Mining, and hopes to conclude a sale by the year-end, said Steve Mallyon, a special advisor to the Anglo-Australian miner. Any deal for the Riversdale Anthracite Colliery in KwaZulu Natal province, which is producing about 750,000 tonnes of coal a year, could value the asset at around $US150 million ($149m), he said.

Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he can't imagine the Obama administration rejecting the proposed Keystone XL oilsands pipeline, arguing the final decision should be a "complete no-brainer." Harper made the comments in an interview with Bloomberg News during his trip to New York for meetings with US business leaders and at the UN. The proposed $7 billion, 3,190km Keystone XL pipeline connecting Alberta’s oil sands to refineries on the US Gulf Coast should help Canada move closer to the international benchmark for crude instead of US pricing which trades at a discount of more than $25. Canada currently pumps 2 million barrels per day to the US, with more than half coming from the oil sands.

Coal miner Alpha Natural Resources Inc (ANR.N) cut its 2011 shipment forecast, citing reduced demand from the key Asian steel market among other things, sending its shares down 10 percent and dragging down the whole sector. The news came as another major coal producer, Walter Energy (WLT.N) (WLT.TO), lowered its sales forecast for the second half of this year, because of weather and problems at some of its mines. Walter's stock dropped 10.1 percent to $67.42 and Alpha shares were down 12.1 percent at $23.65 on Wednesday afternoon on the New York Stock Exchange. Arch Coal (ACI.N) shares were down 8.8 percent at $16.44 and Peabody Energy (BTU.N) stock was down 4.6 percent at $40.91.

EthicalOil.org ran commercials about the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia on the Oprah Winfrey Network late August and has now been dragged in front of Canada's advertising authorities by the Kingdom, handing the controversial website a PR victory just as it was beginning to look as if its message was being drowned out by Hollywood celebs protesting oil sands pipelines.

Mercator Lines has acquired 50 per cent stake in a coal mine in Indonesia's Kalimanthan province for about USD 30 million (Rs 145 crore), a top company official said today.

Without international agreements to limit greenhouse gas emissions, a new energy report sees world coal consumption taking off, rising from 139 quadrillion Btu in 2008 to 209 quadrillion Btu in 2035. The U.S. Energy Information Administration released its International Energy Outlook 2011 on Monday. While OECD countries, like the U.S., Canada, Australia and Japan, show a flat to declining consumption in coal, the non-OECD countries, namely China and India, show the demand for coal-powered energy exploding.

A strike appears imminent at Rio Tinto's Rssing Uranium Mine in the Namibian-Naukluft Park (pictured) after workers unhappy over production bonuses on Wednesday voted unanimously in favour of industrial action that could cripple operations at the mine responsible for some 5% of world production. Management said the demands were unreasonable and defeat logic. The industrial action takes place at a difficult time for the uranium industry with the spot price recently falling below $50 – levels last seen immediately after the nuclear accident at Fukushima. The sector has lost some 40% of its value since the Japan disaster and the first deal of what is expected to be widespread consolidation in the industry is already shaping up to be a classic David and Goliath fight.