Resource Development
In July 2006, BHP Billiton Energy Coal signed an exploration and auxiliary agreements with ASRC to conduct a five-year coal exploration program and concept-level project evaluation on corporation lands in northwestern Alaska. Please visit Western Arctic Coal Project website for more information.

The worlds coal storehouse
An estimated four trillion tons of high quality bituminous coal -- one-ninth of the world's known coal reserves and one-third of the U.S. reserves -- lie in the Northern Alaska Coal Province, a broad belt extending 300 miles eastwards from the Chukchi Sea. Alaska's North Slope could be the world's coal storehouse for the next century.

Premium Quality
Western Arctic Coal is of premium quality with an average of 0.23% sulfur, 3% moisture, 7% ash and has a heating value in excess of 12,000 BTU/lb. With the new environmental air quality regulations our coal will provide an environmentally friendly alternative to coals presently utilized for power generation. Our coal's sulfur dioxide emissions at 0.30 pounds SO2 / million BTU (0.54gm/mega-calorie) are less that 25% of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standards. Utilization of Western Arctic Coal for blending during combustion can effectively reduce SO2 emissions thereby reducing potential future penalties as Pacific Rim countries move into stricter environmental regulatory enforcement. Today, ASRC is engaged in an aggressive program to determine economic feasibility of Western Arctic Coal. Early results are extremely encouraging, as Western Arctic Coal represents a feasible alternative for supplying large volumes of clean burning coal to world markets.