new linc energy, page-8

Also read the below on MOE with India and the bit on Howard accelerating the implementation of Australian underground coal gasification technology in India.

Carbon Energy Pty Ltd, a company jointly owned by listed resource company Metex Resources Ltd and CSIRO, has added further momentum to the international development of its innovative process for the gasification of underground coal deposits for power generation through a significant new development venture in India in collaboration with India's second largest coal producer.

Carbon Energy has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Singareni Collieries Company Ltd to cooperate in the investigation for joint development of underground coal gasification in Singareni coal areas within the Godavari Valley coalfields. Singareni Collieries Co has mines in Andhra Pradesh State, and is jointly owned by the State and the Indian Governments

The MOU was signed by Carbon Energy's executive general manager, Cliff Mallett, and S. Narsing Rao, the chairman and managing director of Singareni Collieries, following the Asia Pacific partnership for Clean Development and Climate (AP6) Coal Mining Taskforce workshop on underground coal gasification in Kolkata 12-15th November.

In opening the Underground Coal Gasification workshop, the Indian Minister (Coal) Shri Shibu Soren said: "I understand that coal deposits which cannot be mined by conventional methods, can be utilised to produce energy in the form of synthetic fuels at a price competitive with existing energy resources, by underground coal gasification technology which has come into focus in recent times. This technology, when successfully implemented, will not only provide clean energy but will also help in reducing the gas and oil import bill of the country".

The Australian Government was a sponsor of the workshop as part of the AP6 projects announced by the Prime Minister John Howard on November 1st, which included $250,000 in principle support to Carbon Energy for accelerating the implementation of Australian underground coal gasification technology in India.