Animation: How China trumps the US in trade

Institutional shareholders in Riversdale Mining are moving toward backing global miner Rio Tinto's sweetened A$3.9 billion takeover offer for the Mozambique-focused coal miner, Riversdale's chief executive said on Thursday. Rio Tinto raised its offer to A$16.50 a share on Thursday in a final bid to woo key shareholders who have held up the deal, and extended the offer for a third time, to April 1.

Riversdale Mining head Steve Mallyon has backed Rio Tinto's increased offer for the coal company, warning investors there was no hint of a competing bid, The Wall Street Journal reported. The global giant today said it would increase its offer to $16.50 a share from $16 a share, if it gained more than a 50 per cent interest in the Mozambique-focussed company by March 23. Rio said it would not increase its offer beyond that point unless there was a competing proposal.

The last coal-fired power plant in the Pacific Northwest will shut down completely by 2025 under an agreement announced Saturday by Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, says a report by the Los Angeles Times. The first boiler of TransAlta's 1,460-megawatt plant in Centralia, Wash., is set to go offline in 2020 and the second in 2025. “This agreement is sending a message that states are getting serious about combating global-warming pollution and are taking steps to open up markets for home-grown clean energy,” said Bruce Nilles, deputy conservation director with the Sierra Club, whose Beyond Coal Campaign has been involved in the negotiations. Nilles hinted at the breakthrough during a keynote speech at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference in Eugene, Ore., but commented only after the announcement.

Teck Resources Limited ("Teck", TCK.A and TCK.B, NYSE: TCK) announced today that it has reached agreement with Westshore Terminals Limited Partnership ("Westshore") on terms for the shipment of steelmaking coal from Teck's mines in British Columbia and Alberta for a four year term from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2016. The new agreement envisions Teck shipping 16 million tonnes of coal in the initial contract year, and larger amounts in subsequent years when Teck's production is scheduled to increase, all at fixed rates through Westshore.

Cardero Resource Corp. announced on Friday that it will acquire all of Coalhunter Mining Corporation's outstanding securities. Cardero will pay about Can$2.1 million in the transaction. Cardero Resources was up over 5% on the TSX to Can$2 a share.

The Associated Press reports that Kate Middleton’s ancestors worked in England’s coal pits: Her great-grandfather left coal country nearly a century ago […]

The Australian Government's statistics bureau (ABARE) is looking for further growth in iron ore, coal and gold exports in the current year as the commodities boom continues. PERTH (The West Australian) - Iron ore exports will climb another 12 per cent

South Africa’s state-owned African Exploration, Mining and Finance Corp. said it will start producing 800,000 metric tons of coal annually for domestic electricity provider Eskom Holdings Ltd. by June, Bloomberg News is reporting: The company, jointly controlled by the government’s energy and mining ministries, will spend 130 million rand ($18.5 million) building a coal mine in Vlakfontein, about 80 kilometers east of Johannesburg, Chief Executive Officer Sizwe Madondo said at the site today. Production will be increased to 1.68 million tons, with the option of boosting it further to 3 million tons annually, he told hundreds of local residents.

The two mines, Blair Athol and Kestrel have been under force majeure since late December, after severe flooding in Queensland.