There is always a sector among the raw materials on the verge of a period of "euphoria". On the chart below, each resource is represented by a company, because the indexes do not exist for all of the individual resources. Notice that, for 10 years, there is always a sector that is in a phase of "boom",... Read more »

The past year has been a rough ordeal for nearly every sector of the market, but the metals and mining industry seemed to be battered on all fronts, despite previous run-ups in commodity prices across the board.  As if a stalled economic recovery on a global scale and a debt crisis in Europe were not enough, the industry... Read more »

Japan had plans to construct nine new nuclear power plants by 2020 and at least another 14 by 2030. After Fukushima, Japan’s then Prime Minister Kan advocated replacing nuclear energy with renewables. Kan resigned because of criticism of his handling of the crisis and questions over his energy strategy. Japan's... Read more »

Australia's senate has approved a 30% tax on iron ore and coal mining profits despite strong protests from global mining giants BHP Billiton Ltd. (Stock Profile - ASX:BHP & NYSE:BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd. (Stock... Read more »

Coal in Asia is unlikely to recover in 2012 from its first decline in three years as electricity-price controls in 2011 prompted Chinese and Indian utilities, Asia's biggest energy users, to limit purchases of the fuel. According to the median... Read more »

Thermal coal, which is the cheapest and most common type of coal, is burned to generate steam that powers turbines and produces electricity for either public grids or for large-scale industrial use. Metallurgical coal, on the other hand, is used as a fuel and as a reducing agent (coke) for smelting iron ore in a blast... Read more »

China's seemingly insatiable demand for raw materials has fuelled a bull market in commodities since 2001. And coal, has literally fuelled the fires of industrial development in China. The coal industry in China is, by far, the largest in the world. But did you know it is also the most deadly? The Chinese coal industry... Read more »

3. SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX:SGQ) SouthGobi Resources is focused on exploration and development of metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in Mongolia's South Gobi Region. The company's flagship coal mine, Ovoot Tolgoi, is producing and selling coal to customers in China. Ovoot Tolgoi is located... Read more »

On March 19th, 1997 Michael de Guzman, the exploration manager for would-be miner Bre-X, jumped from an Alouette helicopter flying eight-hundred feet above the Indonesian jungle. The official version of the events state that de Guzman was suffering from hepatitis B and a tormented conscience. He left behind a few hastily... Read more »

Thermal coal is gaining steam. When thermal, which is the cheapest and most common type of coal, is burned its steam powers turbines that generate electricity for either public electricity grids or for large-scale industrial use. In a recent analyst poll by Reuters, forecasts for average 2011 thermal coal prices... Read more »

After the market closed yesterday, Teck Resources (TSX:TCK.B) released its Q1 2011 financial results. The rosy report included earnings of $461-million, or 78 cents per share.  Adjusted quarterly profit was $450-million, which was more than double the $198-million reported in the first quarter of... Read more »