World Coal Deposits



Coal was the first fossil fuel used to generate electricity. 75 per cent of the coal mined is used to generate electricity. Coal is burned to make steam that rotates the turbine and generates electricity.

Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock. It was formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened and chemically altered over geologic time.

Depending upon the carbon content, coal is classified as:

    • Anthracite: more than 85 % carbon
    • Bituminous: 45-85 % carbon
    • Sub-bituminous: 35-45 % carbon
    • Lignite: less than 35 % carbon

Distribution

The coal deposits although exist in nearly every region, but commercially exploitable deposits occur in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. In 1999, China was the top producer as well as the top consumer of coal. The top three coal producing countries are China, USA and India. The order of consumption also follows the same pattern.

 

Top Coal Reserves/Deposits Countries in the World

Ranking Country Total Recoverable Coal Reserves in 2008 (million tons) % of World
1 United States 237295 22.6
2 Russia 157010 14.4
3 China 114500 12.6
4 Australia 76400 8.9
5 India 60600 7
6 Germany 40699 4.7
7 Ukraine 33873 3.9
8 Kazakhstan 33600 3.9
9 South Africa 30156 3.5
10 Serbia 13770 1.6
11 Colombia 6746 0.8
12 Canada 6528 0.8
13 Poland 5709 0.7
14 Indonesia 5529 0.6
15 Brazil 4559 0.5
16 Greece 3020 0.4
17 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2853 0.3
18 Mongolia 2520 0.3
19 Bulgaria 2366 0.3
20 Pakistan 2070 0.3
21 Turkey 2343 0.3
22 Uzbekistan 1900 0.2
23 Hungary 1660 0.2
24 Thailand 1239 0.1
25 Mexico 1211 0.1
26 Iran 1203 0.1
27 Czech Republic 1100 0.1
28 Kyrgyzstan 812 0.1
29 Albania 794 0.1
30 North Korea 600 0.1
31 New Zealand 571 0.1
32 Spain 530 0.1
33 Laos 503 0.1
34 Zimbabwe 502 0.1
35 Argentina 500 0.1
36 All others 5613 0.7

Related posts

USA Coal Deposits

South Africa Coal Deposits

Russia Coal Deposits

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