n Australia into a mine producing an average 4.5 million metric tons of the key ingredient in steel production over some 48 years. The company said the project, which it equally owns with Vale SA (VALE), has a resource of 959 million tons and a reserve of 254 million tons. It is located in the coal-rich Bowen Basin in central Queensland, nearers went through earlier studies and reports on both energy drinks and sports drinks, which don't contain any stimulants. They note that energy drinks contain a jumble of ingredients -- including vitamins and herbal extracts -- with possible side effects that aren't always well understood. While there aren't many documented cases of harm directly linked to the beverages, stimulants can disturb the heart's rhythm and may lead to seizures in very rare cases, Benjamin said. Recently, she saw a 15-year-old boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who came into the hospital with a seizure after having drunk two 24-ounce bottles of Mountain Dew, a soft drink that contains caffeine. The boy was already taking stimulant ADHD medication, and the extra caffeine in principle might have pushed him over the edge, according to Benjamin. "You just never know," she said. "It's definitely a concern." Earlier this year, Pediatrics published another review of the literature on energy drinks. In it, Florida pediatricians described cases of seizures, delusions, heart problems and kidney or liver damage in people who had drunk one or more non-alcoholic energy drinks -- including brands like Red Bull, Spike Shooter and Redline. While they acknowledged that such cases are very rare, and can't be conclusively linked to the drinks, they urged caution, especially in kids with medical conditions (see Reuters story of February 14, 2011). U.S. sales of non-alcoholic energy drinks are expected to hit $9 billion this year, with children and young adults accounting for half the market. Manufacturers claim their products will enhance both