India approved the auction of 39 coal blocks to state-run and private power companies to meet the demand for power.
The blocks would be awarded to government-controlled National Thermal Power Corp., Tata Power, Essar and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd.
“The (coal) ministry has cleared the allocation of 39 coal blocks for various government-owned and private [...]

Australia’s main opposition Labor Party has dropped its 25-year-old ban on new uranium mines, paving the way for industry expansion.
Delegates at the party’s annual conference voted today to support Labor leader Kevin Rudd’s motion to overturn the ban and allow the uranium industry to develop “under the most stringent conditions.” State governments have the power [...]

Chhattisgarh has located four new iron ore deposits with an estimated 71 million metric tonnes of finest quality reserves.
The state’s mineral department conducted a widespread survey for a year and located iron ore reserves of over 40 million metric tonnes in Iklama and Sindhari areas in Kawardha district, an official release said Monday.
‘Besides Kawardha, 15 [...]

Australia’s New South Wales state government has approved plans for a new coal export terminal at the port of Newcastle, which has suffered from severe congestion that has hurt the country’s coal exports.
The A$922 million ($768 million) terminal, planned to start operations in 2009, will add nearly two-thirds to the port’s capacity.
It will be built [...]

Concerns have been raised about mine safety in Queensland after allegations some companies are submitting false safety figures to the State Government.
Mines Minister Geoff Wilson has issued a warning to mining companies after spot safety audits last month raised serious concerns at several sites.
He has also ordered an independent review into his department’s Queensland Mines [...]

The Queensland Resources Council has welcomed spot safety audits and an independent review of a State Government report into safety incidents at mine sites.
The crackdown comes after Queensland recorded its fourth mine fatality in the past 10 months.
Council chief executive Michael Roche says he is surprised that interim findings have raised safety concerns.
He says companies [...]

The United States government and the state of Illinois today reached a Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement with oil producers Rex Energy Operating Corp. and PennTex Resources Illinois, Inc. which will result in reduced emissions from the companies’ facilities in Illinois. The settlement is the result of an exposure investigation which was initiated in response [...]

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh Tuesday criticised state-run National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) for excavating Bailadila iron ore reserves for export purposes.
Addressing the assembly during a question hour, Singh said: ‘NMDC is annually excavating iron ore worth Rs.40 billion from Bailadila. Export of this rare natural resource must be stopped as it comes under the [...]

Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda has sought a fortnight from Arcelor Mittal Steel to settle the issue of iron ore supply. Jharkhand is unable to meet the steel giant’s demand of 600 million tonnes of iron ore for 30 years to set up a 12 million tonne steel plant.
Representatives from the company met Koda in [...]

A minerals explorer in the Pilbara, in north-west Western Australia, says it is happy with the State Government’s preferred site for a new iron ore port.
Aurox Resources has a potential iron ore and vanadium project near Ronsard Island, the site announced last week as the best place for a new multi-user port.
Charles Schaus is the [...]