Have you registered yet for the 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique? The conference kicks off in less than two weeks. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the largest conference on explosives engineering.

Awards banquet tickets are still available and are going fast. This year's banquet entertainment features Bella Electric Strings. Lead by rock violinist and arranger Nina Di Gregorio, Bella Electric Strings has rocked audiences worldwide with their blistering solos and unique arrangements. The girls have performed with some of the biggest names in the business from Beyonce to Shakira and Andrea Bocelli. But you may remember them from their performance on America's Got Talent.

Visit the ISEE website to register for the conference and purchase banquet tickets today.

Get a sneak peek of some of the more than 40 items up for bid at the silent auction taking place during the 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique. Bids open onsite Saturday, Jan. 30 in the ISEE Bookstore. Final bid announcements will be Monday afternoon following the Blasters Forum Poster Session in the exhibit hall. Bid high and bid often. The money raised from the auction will go to the SEE Education Foundation, which awards scholarships to qualified college students who are interested in pursuing a career in the explosives industry.

Get ready for the 42nd Annual Conference on Explosives & Blasting Technique by downloading the official mobile app to help you maximize your time at the event. View the complete schedule and add your favorite exhibitors and sessions to the personalized planner for convenient on-the-go access before and during the conference.

The app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Search your app market for ISEE 2016, and download the app today.

Blasting seismographs are used to establish compliance with federal, state and local regulations and evaluate explosive performance. Laws and regulations have been established to prevent damage to property and injury to people. The disposition of the rules is strongly dependent on the accuracy of ground vibration and air overpressure data. In terms of explosive performance the same holds true.

Developed by the ISEE Standards Committee, this technical guideline for blasting seismographs is intended to improve accuracy and consistency in ground and air vibration measurements. The new field practice guidelines is an update of the 2009 edition, and is available to ISEE members and non-members as a free download at the ISEE Bookstore. Get your copy today.

The ISEE is committed to keeping standards current with the best available technology and procedures. Therefore, existing standards are periodically reviewed and modified.

The ISEE Standards Committee reviews and revises standards every five years. Written comments that are received by the deadline will be addressed by the Standards Committee in writing prior to modification of the standard.

The current standard under review is the "Performance Standards for Blasting Seismographs — 2011 Edition," which can be downloaded below for editing. Proposed modifications to the standard will be accepted until Feb. 29, 2016. Share your comments and thoughts with the ISEE today.

ISEE’s Blasting and Fragmentation Journal is an international journal that presents the latest in rock blasting and fragmentation research and also addresses many aspects of explosives engineering. The journal is the result of efforts by scientists and engineers working in rock blasting, explosives engineering and rock mechanics, with an emphasis on fragmentation by blasting. The contents of the journal reflect both the current state of research and state-of-the-art engineering practices. Papers cover all fields of engineering and physics associated with the design, manufacture, testing and application of explosives in rock fragmentation, including the breakage and movement of rock by blasting, and the prediction, control, assessment and evaluation of blasting.

If you have recently participated in exciting research and development in the explosives industry please consider documenting your work in a paper for this journal. Papers can be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief W. L. Fourney at four@eng.umd.edu.

If you want the latest technical information on rock blasting and explosives engineering, you should subscribe to this journal. A yearly subscription to the Blasting and Fragmentation Journal is available at the ISEE Bookstore. Subscription prices are: $135 for Non-ISEE members; $110 for ISEE members and $75 for FRAGBLAST Section members.

Citing concerns over pricing and pollution, the Obama administration recently unveiled a moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands. The change won't affect existing leases, which generated nearly $1.3 billion for the government last year.

The Department of the Interior says it wants to make sure the money it's charging for coal leases takes into account both market prices and what's often called the "social costs" of coal — its impact on climate change and public health.

The agency says federal lands account for roughly 40 percent of all U.S. coal production.

Suncor Energy (TSX, NYSE:SU), Canada’s largest oil and gas company, has increased the stock portion of its takeover offer for rival Canadian Oil Sands (TSX:COS) by 12%, resulting in a $6.6 billion friendly deal that closes a lengthy public confrontation between the two companies.

The firm is now proposing to exchange 0.28 of a share for each share of COS, up from the original 0.25 offer. The announcement comes exactly a week after COS claimed victory over Suncor’s original $4.3 billion hostile takeover attempt.

Jan. 20-21, 2016
Beckley, W. Va.

Jan. 23, 2016
Lincoln, Cali.

Jan. 25-27, 2016
Roanoke, Va.
For more information, email jdahlgren@treadcorp.com or call 540-982-6881, ext. 211.

Jan. 28-30, 2016
Las Vegas, Nev.

Jan. 31 - Feb. 3, 2016
Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, Nev.