China coal imports to increase in December – report

Coal has washed up very close to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Australian authorities said, following an investigation into complaints of black dust on nearby beaches.

While iron ore prices have climbed 90% in the last year to over $80 a tonne, the sale of Kumba would prove prudent for Anglo's long-term outlook, given its high debt load, BMI analysts say.

Shareholders will be the main beneficiaries of the company's cautious approach to capital expenditure in the last three years as it will pay bigger-than-expected divvy of $1.70 per share.

A coal company in west-central Alberta that in 2011 sold for $1-billion is bankrupt, killing hopes that its mine might re-open in the first quarter.

BHP Billiton says more help is needed from both governments and industry to promote the adoption of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

Indian consortium plans to restart Benga mine in Mozambique bought from Rio Tinto for a fraction of Melbourne company's original purchase price.

The miner, Africa's largest iron ore producer, will pay R2.5 billion, considerably less than the original R6.5 billion it had been asked to cough up.

Higher commodity exports delivered a record trade surplus of $3.5 billion in December, the second monthly trade surplus Australia has recorded in nearly three years.

Coal consumption had been cut by 73% since 2006, Dong Energy said, and its power stations would replace the fossil fuel with sustainable biomass.