QUES: I don't understand the "spon com" problem. Could you please explain it?

ANS: Because of the high moisture and oxygen content of PRB Coals, they are always susceptible to spontaneous combustion. As they adsorb moisture from the air on transport and while sitting in a pile at the utility, they tend to heat up and can combust spontaneously. To deal with this issue, utilities have to have specialized handling equipment and utilize fire retardant measures.

Cowboy Coal technology has significantly reduced the probability of spon com because it is manufactured in the presence of oxygen (the spon com provocator) which partially burns the coal and removes the active oxygens (most likely to cause spon com).

QUES: What does DOE think of the process?

ANS: DOE tests show that Cowboy Coal is significantly less reactive than alternative dewatering technologies. In 2000 DOE found that "…the FMI process has the potential to generate upgraded material that has a lowered tendency to self-heat and spontaneously combust." Subsequent experiments have confirmed this finding. The exact extent of the difference cannot be known until large scale demonstrations are conducted.

In theory, the advantage could be substantial. Three types of oxygens are bound up in coal. Because the Cowboy Coal process operates in the presence of oxygen (unlike other dewatering technologies), it partially oxidizes (burns) the coal and thus may remove the most active oxygens that are the major causes of spon com. Chemical engineers find this theory persuasive and we believe that it has been established.

QUES: Could Cowboy Coal be slurried and sent via pipeline?

ANS: Funny you should ask. FMI was a pioneer in the development of a high solids coal water boiler fuel (a substitute for Residual Fuel Oil) in the early 80's. The technology was developed through the large scale demo (100,000 tons was produced) to a successful commercial scale test at the Nakoso Power Station in Japan in 1986. The collapse in oil prices in 1986 left FMI with a technological success but an economic failure. As half of the cost of High Solids Coal Water Fuel is the bituminous coal feedstock the quest for a less expensive feedstock led Dr. Dunlop to discover Cowboy Coal technology.