December 15, 2008: The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) has forecasted an optimistic outlook for the global thermal coal market.

December 15, 2008: One of the subsidiaries of PT Adaro Energy Tbk, PT Adaro Indonesia has suspended deliveries temporarily to three of its customers.

December 15, 2008: JSW Bengal Steel will source coal for its 10-million ton (mt) steel plant at Salboni from three reserves in West Bengal.

December 15, 2008: The process of coal exploration is expected to be smoother after the alliance between Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDIL) and Mineral Exploration Corp (MECL).

December 12, 2008: The Railway Ministry and GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) Ltd have signed a long-term coal transportation agreement for the 540-MW power plant in Punjab. The move is in response to the international slowdown.

December 10, 2008: There will be no competitive bidding for coal blocks to power, steel and cement industries.

December 10, 2008: Haryana Power Generation Corporation (HPGCL) and Indraprastha Power Generation Corporation (IPGCL) will develop a coal block in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh under a joint venture - Yamuna Coal Company.

December 10, 2008: On December 8, 2008 at the South African thermal coal market (physical RB) of globlCOAL, four spot deals were realised at $72.00 FOB, out of which one deal of 50,000 tons was for delivery in January 2009 and three of 75,000 tons each were for delivery in February 2009.

December 10, 2008: Nine spot deals were realised on December 8, 2008 at the Australian thermal coal market by loading at Newcastle (Phys NEWC) of globalCOAL.

December 9, 2008: A spot deal of 30,000 tons for delivery in February 2009 was settled on December 5, 2008 at the Australian thermal coal market by loading at Newcastle (Phys NEWC) of globalCOAL, at $72.50 fob.

by Rakesh Dubey

December 9, 2008: Steel Authority of India (SAIL), India's largest steel producer and also the largest importer of coking coal, is trying to renegotiate 2008-09 coking coal price contracts with its overseas suppliers in view of the fall in steel prices and global economic slowdown, a senior official told Coal Insights.

December 8, 2008: Coking coal imports through 19 major and minor ports in November stood at 1.75 million tons (mt), according to a data compiled by Steel Insights.

by Arnab Mallick

At a time when global slowdown is beating down all commodity prices including steel, it is unwise to expect that coking coal will be insulated from it. And like most other commodities, coking coal is also facing a severe downward pressure, primarily on the back of severe slack in demand in the steel sector.

December 8, 2008: The Planning Commission has criticised the Power Ministry's failure to achieve the coal-based capacity generation target.

December 8, 2008: Large metallurgical coal producers in China are now focusing on thermal coal production as demand for coal products used in steelmaking has fallen due to the slowdown in recent months, according to a media report.

Source: Coal Insights Bureau

December 6, 2008: The quantity of coal exported through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal has not been affected by the global economic downturn, although coal prices have reduced drastically.

December 6, 2008: The Orissa government has asked the Ministry of Coal to allocate long-term coal linkage to Mahanadi Aban Power Company Ltd (MAPC) for its 1,030-MW coal-based thermal power plant.

December 6, 2008: Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Corporation wants coal block allocation from the government to meet its growing energy requirements.

December 6, 2008: Domestic companies are seeking to renegotiate contracts after prices have nearly halved from the highs touched three months ago.

December 6, 2008: Power stations with generation capacity of over 70,000 MW are facing a severe coal shortage. Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has found nearly 51 stations with coal stocks of less than seven days as on November 27 while 33 stations had stock of less than four days.