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Mineral and petroleum permitting review begins

27 August 2010 - Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee today invited feedback on proposals to update, streamline and future-proof the Crown Minerals Act, which provides the framework for management and allocation of rights to Crown-owned minerals.

Lignite briquettes a success for Solid Energy

3 August 2010 - A trial in North Dakota has successfully upgraded Southland lignite into high-energy briquettes, taking resources company Solid Energy a step closer to building a pilot briquetting plant in Eastern Southland.

FMG Pacific plan to explore for coal over two exploration permits in the Greymouth coalfield region

30 July 2010 - FMG Pacific Ltd, a subsidiary of the Perth-based iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group, has been awarded two coal exploration permits in the Greymouth coalfield.

Government consulting on energy policy

22 July 2010 - Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee today released a Draft New Zealand Energy Strategy (NZES) and Draft New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NZEECS) for public consultation.

No land to be removed from Schedule 4

20 July 2010 - Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee and Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson announced today that the government has decided not to remove any land from Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act for the purposes of further mineral exploration or extraction.

New Zealand Energy Data File 2010 released

2 July 2010 - New Zealand’s leading record of annual energy data shows a year-on-year increase in renewable electricity generation of eight per cent, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.

Galilee (formerly Eastern Corp) may float NZ coal business

2 July 2010 - Galilee Energy Ltd, formerly known as Eastern Corporation Ltd, is considering a partial float of its New Zealand coal assets to finance further exploration and development.

Solid Energy plans $22m Underground Coal Gasification pilot in Waikato

11 June 2010 - Solid Energy has announced plans to build a $22 million test pilot project to generate gas by gasification of coal deep underground in the Waikato.

Solid Energy places big order for upgrade of Stockton mining fleet

30 May 2010 - Solid Energy has placed a second large order for mobile plant and equipment for its Stockton opencast coking coal mine near Westport.

Bathurst aims for late 2011 production from Buller coalfield

14 May 2010 - Perth-based coal developer Bathurst Resources Ltd says it plans to begin a new export coking and thermal coal export mine from Buller by late 2011.

Solid Energy export coal prices up 50% to US$200/t; Spring Creek output likely to rise to 600,000/t this year

10 May 2010 - Solid Energy has negotiated a 50 per cent rise in export coking coal prices to around US$200 a tonne (about NZ$274 a tonne) in line with recent international coal price trends.

Schedule 4 submission period extended

30 April 2010 - Minister of Energy and Resources Gerry Brownlee and Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson have announced an extension to the public submission period on the government’s proposals outlined on March 22 in the discussion paper Maximising our Mineral Potential: Stocktake of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act and beyond.

Australian coal junior Bathurst begins feasibility study on Buller coal

23 April 2010 - Perth-based junior has signed an agreement with L&M Coal to joint venture and ultimately acquire two Buller coking coal prospects around the Stockton Plateau.

Notice of Land Closure for All Permitting for Metallic Minerals and Coal

22 March 2010

Submissions open for review of Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991.

22 March 2010 - In August 2009, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Department of Conservation were directed by Ministers to complete a stocktake of public conservation areas listed in Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991. Schedule 4 restricts mineral-related activity in specified public conservation areas.

Prime Minister, Hon John Key's, Statement to Parliament

9 February - Today the Prime Minister, Hon John Key, presented his Statement to Parliament where he outlines the Government's main priorities for the year ahead.

Pike River expects 40% coal price rise as first exports to begin

6 February 2010 - Pike River Coal which expects to ship its first export of coal this month is anticipating that world coking coal prices could rise by as much as 40% from April this year.

Eastern negotiates 10 year Southland coal contract with Fonterra

5 February 2010 - Brisbane-based coal miner Eastern Corporation Ltd has finalised negotiations for extending its current thermal coal sales contract with Fonterra’s South Canterbury dairy processing plant to 10 years.

Regular maintenance window to change

05 January 2010 - From Sunday, 17th January 2010 Crown Minerals will be carrying out the routine maintenance of its site on a Sunday night. This will replace our traditional Monday night maintenance window.

Crown Minerals office hours over the Holiday Period

3 December 2009 - The Crown Minerals office and Business Services Centre will be closed from 5:00pm Thursday 24 December 2009 until 8:30am Tuesday 5 January 2010.