mining maven review of conti, page-30

others don't think it's so far-fetched Psi81:

Exxaro Resources and Linc Energy explore UCG opportunities in Africa

Date released: 25 November 2011

Linc Energy (ASX:LNC) (OTCQX:LNCGY) (Linc Energy), an Australian diversified energy company and Exxaro Resources Limited (JSE:EXX) (Exxaro), South Africa’s second largest coal producer, are pleased to announce the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly evaluate opportunities for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) on Exxaro’s coal tenements in South Africa and Botswana.


Africa has a wealth of unmineable (too deep, low grade) coal resources, which can be exploited by UCG to increase coal resource availability. UCG is known to reduce the safety issues, surface damage and mine collapse issues associated with conventional coal mining. As a result, Exxaro has decided to explore this opportunity, which will enhance the African economy by monetizing previously unmineable coal resources.


Linc Energy has been actively seeking UCG opportunities in Southern Africa and signalled its intent to enter the region during the first half of this year. Linc Energy and Exxaro will jointly evaluate certain of Exxaro’s coal tenements for UCG suitability.


“This opportunity aligns with Exxaro’s strategy to enter the cleaner energy market,” said Exxaro Executive General Manager for business growth, Ernst Venter.


“The execution of this MOU supports Linc Energy’s global energy production strategy. By jointly evaluating Exxaro’s coal tenements we can identify coal suitable for UCG to supply much needed energy in this region”, said Linc Energy Chief Executive Officer Peter Bond.


“Southern Africa is struggling to meet the power and gas demands of its population. This opportunity gives us the potential to identify potentially suitable coal within the region to produce synthesis gas for cleaner power generation or methanated gas (from UCG) for use in the Southern African gas market”, said Bond.


“Simply put, this opportunity aligns with Linc Energy’s plans of developing commercial UCG around the globe to energy-hungry regions. It dovetails on the back of our recent UCG MOU with UK Coal to pursue similar commercial options in the United Kingdom and Europe. What you’re witnessing is the first clear steps of Linc Energy rolling out its 5th generation UCG technology on a commercial path which I’m personally very excited about” Bond said.

About Linc Energy

Linc Energy is a globally focused, diversified energy company with a strong portfolio of coal, oil and gas deposits. It is Linc Energy’s purpose to unlock the value of its resources to produce energy to fuel the future.


A publicly listed company, Linc Energy is the global leader in Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), which delivers a synthesis gas feedstock to supply commercially viable energy solutions – such as electricity, transport fuels and oil production – through gas turbine combined cycle power generation, Gas to Liquids (GTL) Fischer-Tropsch processing and Enhanced Oil Recovery.


Linc Energy has constructed and commissioned the world’s only UCG to GTL demonstration facility located in Queensland, Australia. This facility produces the world’s only UCG to GTL synthetic diesel fuel. Linc Energy also owns the world’s only commercial UCG operation, Yerostigaz, located in Uzbekistan. Yerostigaz has produced commercial UCG synthesis for power generation for 50 years.


Linc Energy is on a rapid global expansion path to commercialise its portfolio of resources, with established offices across three continents in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

About Exxaro Resources Limited (CCC Chairman Mike Kilbride's old company)

Exxaro is one of the largest South African-based diversified resources companies, with coal, mineral sands, base metals and ferroalloy assets. The company’s market capitalisation is about US$10 billion, with a turnover of US$2.5 billion.


It is a top 40 company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in terms of market capitalisation, with approximately 10 000 employees and a geographic spread spanning South Africa, Namibia, Australia and China, and potential growth projects in other countries.


Exxaro is the second largest coal producer in South Africa. In 2010, Exxaro made coal sales totalling 47 million tonnes, 4 million of which was exported. The group supplies more than 30 per cent of the nation’s power station coal demand

http://www.exxaro.com/content/media/newsReleasesNews.asp?Current_ID=315