Usibelli Coal expands reserves
Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. says it has about 700 million tons of coal in reserves after conducting a reassessment of geologic data on its leases in the Nenana Coal Field near Healy. The effort identified a surface mineable reserve base of about 700 million tons, of which 450 million can be classified as proven and 250 million as probable. Future exploration work and analysis is expected to increase the total figure to nearly 1 billion tons. All of the reserves at Usibelli's Healy operations are sub-bituminous C rank coal. Typical as-mined analysis is 7,650 Btu per pound, 28 percent moisture, 9 percent ash and 0.2 percent sulfur. In addition to low sulfur content, Healy coal is also low in mercury and other trace elements of concern, making it one of the cleanest burning coals in the world. The coal reserves on Usibelli leases are well positioned to address opportunities for new clean coal technology initiatives, such as coal to liquids production, and projected expansion in coal demand from the Pacific basin. Usibelli's operations are located adjacent to the Alaska Railroad, which provides year-round rail shipping capability to the ice-free port in Seward, where a Usibelli affiliate, Aurora Energy Services LLC, operates the coal terminal for the Alaska Railroad Corp.
Permanent fund board hires debt manager
The Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. board of trustees hired Oaktree Capital Management to manage a portion of the fund's distressed debt allocation. The board committed $250 million to Oaktree's Opportunities Fund VIII, a fund that focuses on distressed debt opportunities. This commitment does not increase the fund's 1 percent allocation to distressed debt. The board also approved the transfer of $200 million of existing debt-based absolute return strategies from Crestline's distressed opportunity mandate to Crestline's absolute return mandate. This transfer will better align the investments of Crestline's two portfolios with the fund's new asset allocation.
Haida curriculum series distributed
Sealaska Heritage Institute has produced a unique collection of Haida curriculum for distribution to schools with Haida language programs, in hopes of weaving more Native lessons into the public school system. The curriculum, a series of elementary-level, thematic units, features Haida language, culture and history. The units were developed in Ketchikan and Hydaburg over three years and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The curriculum is unique because it is the first Haida language and culture curriculum done on a broad scale that meets state academic and cultural standards. The project is part of the institute's goal to perpetuate and preserve the languages and cultures of Southeast Alaska Natives. Language revitalization is a top priority of the institute, which distributed a similar curriculum in 2007 for the Tlingit language.
Arctic IT boosts local services
Arctic Information Technology has been selected for membership in Ingram Micro's VentureTech Network, a national network of technology providers who serve the needs of small to midsized businesses. VentureTech Network includes technology solutions providers who have achieved a level of expertise in deploying technology solutions and services in local markets.
KUAC nets national award
KUAC TV has received an award from the National Educational Telecommunications Association for its outreach efforts in the production of its International Polar Year segments. The NETA awards are an annual recognition of member-produced excellence in public broadcasting. KUAC TV partnered with the University of Alaska to help people across the state better understand the contributions of the International Polar Year. KUAC executive producer Claudia Clark, producer Deb Lawton, editor Aaron Elterman and writer Lynne Snifka, from the UAF journalism department, were recognized for their efforts on the project.
UAF Facilities Services recognized
University of Alaska Fairbanks Facilities Services was recognized for having the highest customer service rating of public schools west of the Rockies, according to data gathered by Sightlines, a company that manages one of the largest facilities databases in the country. The company has more than 230 public and private universities in its databases.
SBA loan program changes allow refinancing
Small businesses seeking to expand will be able to refinance existing loans used to purchase real estate and other fixed assets as a result of permanent changes to the U.S. Small Business Administration's 504 certified development company loan program. The changes were authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The changes will allow small businesses to restructure eligible debt. For information, go to www.recovery.gov or www.sba.gov/recovery.
Imaging by UAF scientists leads to new discoveries
University of Alaska Fairbanks geophysics professor Hans Nielsen is the lead author of an article, "High time-resolution sprite imaging: Observations and implications," which examines the experimental protocols developed for high-speed observations of sprites and what was learned as a result of improving observation systems. Sprites are large, bright, short-lived, optical emissions sometimes seen at high altitudes above lightning activity. They were discovered in 1989. Since 2005, Nielsen and M.G. McHarg, from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a UAF graduate, used an intensified Phantom-7 high-speed camera to capture sprites at 10,000 frames per second. This has provided a different view of sprite development and changed previous notions of sprite dynamics. By comparison, a video camera shoots 30 frames per second.
