Energy

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:1749:]]By Brian Sylvester of The Energy Report

BMO Capital Markets Mining Analyst Ed Sterck projects a very moderate $60/lb. uranium price in 2011, but that shouldn't stop you from investing in the uranium space. "This is a sector that is very prone to sentiment and, at the moment, the sentiment is building toward the possibility of a price spike," he says. He also expects to see more M&A activity in the sector, particularly among uranium juniors with reasonably priced projects. Read on to find out which companies Ed likes in this exclusive interview with The Energy Report.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:1620:]]By Bill Powers
Excerpt from Powers Energy Investor February 1, 2011 Issue

One of the biggest anomalies in the North American natural gas market over the past year has been how disconnected natural gas prices have become from those of its close substitutes – oil and coal.  The historical relationship between the price of natural gas and oil, which has averaged 10:1 over the past two decades, has now moved to approximately 20:1.

By Michael Fitzsimmons

The world continues to suffer from America's addiction to foreign oil and its inability to craft a strategic long-term comprehensive energy policy to reduce consumption of foreign oil. In the recent past the world has witnessed $148/barrel oil and an oil war in Iraq. The unrest in Egypt is the latest result of American oil dependency. Is this an absurd statement? Before you vent your disagreements in the comment section following the article, please let me explain.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:1514:]]By Marin Katusa

The most important metallurgical coal basin in the world is underwater. Open pits have become lakes, stockpiles are soaked, and rail lines are submerged and in places destroyed. Damage is estimated at $5 to $6 billion.

Australia accounts for almost two-thirds of global coking coal production. Much of it comes from Queensland, where an area the size of France and Germany combined is underwater. That includes the Bowen Basin coal region, which produces almost a third of the world's coking coal. The Bowen Basin was hit with 350 mm of rain in December, against an average of 102 mm.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:1425:]]By Joseph Dancy

Platts last week that China's crude oil demand reached record levels in December, rising 18% year over year to a record 9.6 million barrels per day (b/d) average.  Oil demand in December was up 7% from November's the previous record high – so it appears demand continues to ramp upward in a significant manner. The continued increase in demand has been labeled as ‘astounding’ by industry analysts.