Coal Industry & Market Fundamentals Masterclass

The Australian coal industry is once again demonstrating the cyclical nature of the industry in spite of ever increasing production levels. The slump in coal prices for both coking and thermal coal brought on reviews of both mining costs and productivity. The continuing increased buying by China of Australian thermal and coking coal provides an opportunity and a threat.

As coal prices have continue to fall, mines have been mothballed and significant numbers of staff and employees made redundant. This is not a new phenomenon.

Recently both coking and thermal coal have increased in value, is this the start of the next cycle or a correction on longer term systematic decline?

The presenter for the course has been through these cycles before and has learnt how to create coal enterprises that were able to be survivors.

This course provides the insight into how to use an intimate knowledge of the industry to bring about the changes needed to come through this current cycle with an enhanced knowledge that leads to greater productivity.

This course provides you with the opportunity to understand all of the elements in the coal chain in an interactive format. The course is fast paced, covering diverse information in a short period of time.

For more information please contact us on 02 9080 4028 or email us at [email protected]

What is Coal?

• Coal types from – peat to anthracite
• Coal quality – chemical and physical properties
• What is the difference between hard coking coal and soft coking coal?

How is coal formed?

• Coal basins and geological time
• Depth of burial
• Tectonic forces and its influence on coal quality

Coal basins around the world

• Worldwide distribution of coal
• Sea borne trade in coal

History of coal in Australia

• Discovery at Newcastle in 1791
• Reviewing coal developments in each state

How is coal used?

• The basic areas – power generation, steel industry, metallurgical and cement industries
• Steam generation – heat from burning to create steam to drive turbines and create electricity
• Coke manufacture – chemical and physical properties of coal to go into coke ovens.

Coke then used in blast furnaces

• Injected in powder form into blast furnaces – Pulverised Coal Injection (PCI coal)
• Metallurgical processes – roasting/sintering/pelletising of ores
• Cement and lime mills – conversion of limestone through heat and chemical processes
• Water filtration – sized anthracite

Coal consumers and sales contracts

• Thermal coal – domestic contracts
• Thermal coal – export contracts – Japan
• Thermal coal – export contracts – other countries
• PCI Coal – export contracts
• Semihard coking coal – export contracts
• Hard coking coal – export contracts

Coal, government and the community

• Introduction
• Coal ownership and royalties
• State governments and legislation
• Community involvement in coal mining
• Shift systems and the impact on the community
• Land ownership

Skills, productivity, and workforce issues

• Productivity changes
• Leadership gaps
• Demographic trends and competition for skills

Coal exploration

• Scout exploration
• Defining the target
• Open cut exploration
• Underground exploration

Mine development from exploration to commissioning

• Exploration program
• Development sequence and timetable
• Project definition statement
• Prefeasibility study
• Bankable feasibility study
• Financing of construction
• Construction
• Commissioning
• Financial completion tests

Mining methods and practice

• Open cut
  • Including blasting and overburden management
  • Dragline operation and limitation
• Underground
  • Longwall operation
  • Top coal caving
  • Continuous mining operation

Coal handling and preparation processes

• Washing, crushing and sizing
• Water only coal preparation
• Dense media coal separation
• Froth filtration for fines recovery

Quality control from exploration to end user

• Quality parameters to be collected (coking/thermal)
• Setting the timetable for testing (time is the enemy)
• Selecting a laboratory
• Quality data transition from exploration to contract
• Sampling along the coal chain
• Quality in use

What is the coal chain?

• Why call it a chain?
• Sampling along the chain
• Shipment confirmation
• Mine site storage
• Transport modes
• Port/rail confirmation
• Train loading
• Train operations
• Shipping terminal storage
• Shipping terminal reclaim
• Ship loading
• Sea voyage – the hazards
• Unloading at customer
• Storage at plant site
• Coal in use – time and value

Infrastructure – take or pay – water, rail and port

• Basic infrastructure – roads and power
• Water for coal preparation
• Rail facilities – above and below track
• Port facilities – storage and throughput capacity

Coal and the environment – Clean Coal/CCS

• Mine site environmental issues
• Methane collection – flaring/power generation
• Clean coal systems eg. IGCC
• Carbon Capture and Sequestration
• E missions Trading System

Australian coal industry structure

• Major players – BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Xstrata, Peabody and AngloCoal
• Medium size companies – eg. Macarthur Coal, Centennial Coal, Felix Resources, Whitehaven, Wesfarmers, Vale
• One or two mine companies – eg. Gloucester Coal

Management and operating structures

• Owner operated
• Owner/contractor
• Full service contractor

Continuing change in the coal industry

The only constant thing is change

• New coal use technologies
• Mergers and acquisitions
• New and emerging players
  • Bloomfield Group, Aquila, Q Coal (Sonoma), NRE, Austar, Invincible, Cockatoo Coal (Baralaba Coal), Idemitsu (Muswellbrook Coal)
  • Aspirant companies eg. Shenhua
  • Junior explorers eg. Comet Coal and Coke
  • Trading houses etc

Lessons from mining disasters

• Mining is inherently risky
• The lessons to be learned for managers and stakeholders

Questions on coal you always wanted to ask

This is the chance to ask questions that you were too afraid to in case of a negative reaction. The presenters are here to help and you are amongst equals who are also seeking knowledge.

Scott is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in the coal mining and energy sectors.

He has held leadership roles in industry and has worked as a consultant to the Coal Seam Gas (CSG) and coal mining industry for the past 30 years. Scott has worked for major coal mining operators including BHPB and Rio Tinto and has been involved in bringing coal mining projects to fruition. He has also been a managing director of a leading directional drilling service and technology supply company, and a research leader in coal seam gas associated with a major Australian CRC.

Scott is currently Managing Director of CoalBed Energy Consultants (www.coalbed.com.au), which provides project management, technical services, business development, due diligence and consulting services in CSG, Coal Mine Methane (CMM), fugitive emissions and related areas.

CoalBed counts in its client list all of the major mining companies in Australia and many CSG players. Scott and his son Duncan have developed a popular training course in CSG fundamentals and coal industry fundamentals, which has been delivered to a range of clients in Australia and overseas.

In recent years, CoalBed have developed unique skills in the evaluation of fugitive emissions from open cut mining operations and act as estimators for companies reporting to the national greenhouse office for carbon tax compliance. The company also manages surface to inseam directional drilling programs for geological exploration and degasification at mine sites, and have developed expertise in the use of directional drilling data for improved geological modelling.

Scott has worked in most of the major coal seam gas basins throughout the world, and assisted with technology transfer of advanced directional drilling technology into emerging markets such as China, India, South Africa, and Eastern Europe. Recent CSG related experience includes developing fields in Indonesia, Mongolia, South America and Southern Africa.

Sydney // 27-28 July 2017
Super Early Bird rate: $2,395 (Save $300 + GST). Use code P17GR05SY. Expires by 16 June 2017.
Early Bird rate: $2,595. Expires by 7 July 2017.
Standard rate: $2,695.

Brisbane // 17-18 October 2017
Super Early Bird rate: $2,395 (Save $300 + GST). Use code P17GR05BR. Expires by 8 Sept 2017.
Early Bird rate: $2,595. Expires by 29 Sept 2017.
Standard rate: $2,695.