More detailed info, Mike, on the Japanese technology for reducing unwanted by-products during the conversion of low-quality coal into liquid feed for fuel and chemical manufacture.
As with the Great Plains lignite they intend transmuting into liquid/gaseous fuel out the Montana/Dakota way, the far-Eastern lignite (most probably from/in Malaysia) the Japanese are working with probably compares favorably with our WV mine waste.
Employing even our run-of-mine Hillbilly bituminous to make liquid chemicals/fuel using the same process should be far more efficient and productive.
Why aren't we doing it?