Due to Australia’s plentiful and quality deposits, it is a global power in production and exporting mined coal, with projection set to reach 635.9 million tons by 2020. A higher demand in the Asian market will likely lead to an increase in trade with those countries.

Boston, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/03/2014 --Australia is well-established in the mining industry, contributing to 10 percent of the country’s economy as of the end of the fiscal year 2013, and employing 276,300 people. As a leading thermal coal exporter, this is set to grow over the forecast period up to 2020, as there is a rising demand from industrious nations such as China, India and Japan. Of course, it should be noted that other countries such as Indonesia are competing fiercely for this business.

In order to compete for this demand in Asia, there are nine major coal export terminals across Queensland and New South Wales, with new infrastructure by means of ports, terminals and rail networks scheduled by 2015. These projects, such as the NCIG export terminal (stage 3) and the Kooragang Island T4 (Stage 2), mean that the total export handling capacity of the Australian coal mining industry is set to increase to meet this demand.

Australia’s proximity and reliable quality to the growing Asian market put it forward as a favorable trade partner with Japan, China, South Korea, India and Taiwan, which accounted for 88 percent of total Australian exports in 2012.

Despite these proposed plans, the commencement of major coal projects such as this in the Galilee basin are likely to slow the pace of growth in the industry as uncertainty rises due to declining prices for thermal coal and the increased operating costs.

Furthermore, an expected decrease in the share of coal in Australia’s energy mix has been seen with the substitution of coal for energy sources such as gas, wind, hydro and solar. All of this, and more valuable research, can be found in the report, “Coal Mining in Australia to 2020.”

The information you can find in this report includes:

- In-depth analysis of the industry environment, key trends and drivers, emerging technologies, business drivers and economic drivers such as upcoming projects and proximity to the Asian market as well as restraints and difficulties faced in the market such as competition from other markets and energy sources.

- Analysis on mining in Australia by production, consumption, reserves and trade, including examples of Australia’s mining companies such as Glencore Xstrata plc and Anglo Coal Australia.

- A look at the fiscal regime surrounding the industry, including relevant governing bodies and laws, mining rights and obligations, as well as the tax structure.

You can find more information about this report, including key insights, market drivers, a full abstract, companies included, and a detailed table of contents at www.FastMR.com.

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