[Hamiltonian]

Dow tried it, process ended up with Conoco, who sold it to CB&I. $billions worth of the technology is now in startup overseas.

But that’s for chemicals.

Its still kind of hard to get a blast furnace to smelt iron oxide without coke.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Dow tried it, process ended up with Conoco, who sold it to CB&I. $billions worth of the technology is now in startup overseas. But that’s for chemicals."

Note the "overseas"...other countries are either not so blessed with shale oil and gas resources or are not as far along in developing it.

"Its still kind of hard to get a blast furnace to smelt iron oxide without coke."

I'm all for using coal where it makes sense, and certainly in producing it for export, but I doubt the US is likely to get back into the business of producing primary steel any time soon. I think nowadays, secondary steel uses electric furnaces.