In a May 2006 meeting with officials from Australian company Babcock & Brown, while discussing their plans for purchase of Northwestern Energy, it was reported Governor Schweitzer stated: "Montanans like to kick the tires before they buy something".Of course, the deal was nixed and thankfully so, some publicly questioned who international investment giant Babcock & Brown were, prior to their entry into the Montana business world, and watched their subsequent financial collapse.
I agree with the Governor, I believe that "Montanans like to kick the tires before they buy something", this is even more true today than it was five years ago IMO.
Which leads me to a meeting that took place this last week.
Who could miss the reported news that Governor Schweitzer met with representatives of Beijing-based Manyuan coal, including their President, Shirley Shi. (See here, here, here, here, here, here, here, etc.)
In this newest case, buying the fact that an unknown Chinese coal company wants to purchase Montana coal and possibly setup a mine here in the State, there appears to be no tires in sight to kick.
Hundreds of pages now litter the internet mentioning Manyuan coal, all but one that I can find are related to this special meeting that has been so widely reported.
No one seems to be asking: Who is Manyuan Coal?
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Look for some hard hitting real reporting by the major players in Montana media getting in-depth interviews with other Manyuan Coal officials and customers, letting us eager readers and viewers know the company's history and environmental background with, errrrr, just kidding.
No doubt this latest news gives the Governor that opening to travel again back to China (after India) to assist "further investment in Montana", all the while boning up his CV with Foreign Policy labels fit for a new President, VP, or Senator.For those interested in the one web page I did find mention of Manyuan Coal sans Schweitzer, see the "Delegate-List" for the September 24-27, 2011, Canadian Conference on Coal in Vancouver, B.C.
Along with some other documents from the 2011 coal conference, that may be of interest to those in coal, the Delegate_List is currently available here; and here's a short video about the 2011 Canadian Conference on Coal.
*** Update 11/25/11 8PM ***
I missed this late Friday breaking article by an AP Matt about another of the Governor's coal accomplishments ...
Australian company buys stake in coal mines Nov 25, 2011
Broomfield's Level 3 sells its coal mining business 11/23/11
Level 3 sold the common stock of the coal mining operations' holding company to an affiliate of Ambre Energy Limited for an undisclosed sum, officials said Wednesday. The transaction closed Nov. 14 and post-closing conditions were completed Wednesday.
As a result of the sale, the liabilities associated with the coal mining operations will be removed from Level 3's balance sheet, officials said.
Level 3's coal mining interests included 50 percent joint-ventures in two surface mines, one in Montana and the other in Wyoming, according to regulatory filings. Level 3, which has a history that traces back to the incorporation of Omaha, Neb.-based Peter Kiewit Sons Inc., entered the coal mining business in 1943.
In 2010, the revenue of Level 3's coal mining operations fell 10 percent to $60 million and its costs totaled $56 million, according to the Broomfield company's annual filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission in February of this year.'
*** End Update 11/25/11 8PM ***
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