What is interesting about the Colombian coal industry?

In an effort at crowdsourcing, I am asking the question: What do you want to know about the Colombian coal industry? What do you want to know about coal in general? What do you want to know about mining in Colombia in general?

There is a case in the works; possibly a paper. I will be in-country in May. Before I start, I would very much like to know what people consider to be the big interesting questions.

Comments

[Federico S]

What determines social conflicts around mining?

Social conflicts in mining areas present pretty high variation within a country, and it doesn't seem to be explained by the political leaning of local leaders or even local wealth. The latter does a somewhat better job of explaining the presence or not of social conflict but still not that much.

[Steven Bodzin]

Any of this in the small mines, especially in César? http://justiceinmexico.org/2013/01/26/pgr-freezes-accounts-of-at-least-a-dozen-mining-companies-suspected-of-ties-to-organized-crime/

How is Eike doing?

Do any of the Guajira mines use cheap Venezuelan diesel in their vehicles, perhaps fueling up while exporting through Maracaibo?

Or to put it another way, why do several of the big mines rely on trucks to ports in a country with high diesel prices?

[Business Research]

Seriously interesting questions...Colombia's coal industry is dominated by huge producers, with their own port & railways, such as Glencore, Drummond and Cerrejon, which is possessed similarly by BHP Billiton, Anglo United states and Xstrata.

[Alex]

The usual stuff; child labour, environmental despoilation, all that jazz. (I distinctly remember the sense of horror when the second round of pit closures hit and it turned out Powergen was going to import coal from Colombia.)