Anglo American soars on positive production report

The WA Government has urged apprentices to stick with their training after new figures indicating four out of ten drop out. At some major training providers up to half of all apprentices quit in their first year, with many moving on to highly paid but unskilled mining jobs.

Aleksandra Tomczak, writing for the World Coal Association, says the European Commission is supporting World Bank funding for a new coal-powered plant in Kosovo.

The Independent reports the first coal to be mined in Newcastle upon Tyne for more than 50 years could be dug on the site of a 21st century science park ahead of construction. Up to 60,000 tonnes of coal lie below what was a brewery until recently. The area was mined extensively in the 18th century and the various workings underneath make present-day building work perilous.

The price of coking coal is likely to remain buoyant despite a recent price cut by Wesfarmers and softening Chinese demand for steelmaking inputs. Wesfarmers, an Australian conglomerate based in Perth, over the weekend cut the price it receives for its Curragh coal to US$280 a tonne over the next three months. The move prompted analysts to consider whether coal, like several commodities like copper, nickel, and zinc, is the next domino to fall as slowing global growth pinches commmodities.

Tom Scholl, CEO of Keystone Industries, told CNBC that he could put more people to work but the U.S. federal government is standing in the way. Scholl said the states are working "pretty close" with the mining companies. It is the federal government that is holding up mining and not working fast enough on permitting. Scholl singled out the US Army Corp of Engineers as creating the slowdown. "We are the Saudi Arabia of coal in the United Stats. It is a great export commodity. And any time you export it it is going to create a lot of jobs."

The Renewable Energy Accountability Project has developed some hit and miss advocacy ads. The latest attempt at producing a viral video takes aim at coal. Renewable Energy Accountability Project is lobbying for greater use of renewable energy sources.

Arch Coal (NYSE:ACI), one of the world's top five coal producers, declined 5.14% on Friday after lowering guidance. Arch Coal expects earnings to be $900 million to $1.0 billion range and adjusted earnings per diluted share to be in the range of $1.00 per share to $1.40 per share. "The reduction in earnings guidance resulted largely from lost metallurgical coal production at the Mountain Laurel complex," said the company in a statement.

The Thiess Sedgman Joint Venture (TSJV) has been awarded a A$85 million contract to design, procure, construct and commission a Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) at the Codrilla coal mine on behalf of Macarthur Coal (C&M Management), the manager of the Coppabella Moorvale Joint Venture (CMJV).

A draft law approved by the Indian cabinet today directs miners to share their profits with people displaced by mining. The Wall Street Journal reports that the law, which has been pending for over two years, would have mining companies pay a royalty to create a fund to help for those displaced by mining and related industries. Coal producers would pay a 26% tax on profits. A regulator has also been set up to monitor illegal mining and prosecute violators, in a direct response to recent scandals in the states of Karnataka and Goa respecting the illegal export of iron ore.