update #3: tpl (..in a nutshell), page-10

FullMetalAlchemy: Thanks a lot for your post.
Even though there is most certainly a lot of tape (red tape/green tape etc. etc.) to deal with in Australia, it nevertheless must be more tempting to "look for" coal when - as you mentioned - "the black stuff outcrops on the surface"!! And - IMPORTANTLY - in Mongolia the kind of "red tape" would more be in the "red envelope" field - but massively so. Therefore, it would be best (IMHO) for TPL to stick to Australia rather than to venture into the real wild of Mongolia...
wasa