Coal

Where is Coal Found?

Some coal beds lie within 200 feet of the earth’s surface. These beds are mined by stripping the top soil off the coal. Then the coal is dug out. This is called surface mining. Deeper coal beds can be found up to 1,000 feet/305 meters below the earth. Miners tunnel underground to get this coal. This is called underground mining or deep mining.

Coal reserves can be found in about 70 countries worldwide, and, according to the World Coal Institute, more than 847 billion tons of proven coal reserves are available internationally. The largest proved coal reserves are available in:

• United States
• Russian Federation
• China
• Australia
• India

The US is the international leader in coal reserves, with nearly 30% of the world’s supply, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy (June 2009).

How is Coal Extracted?

Coal is extracted from the ground by mining underground or at the surface. Coal mines are many miles wide.  First, dirt above the coal deposit is removed. Coal is found in thick, flat layers. Explosives are then used to break the exposed coal into smaller pieces. The coal is then loaded into a wagon and lifted to the surface.

Finding coal reserves is a long process of exploring, mapping and drilling. It often starts with the creation of a geological map of an area that may contain coal reserves. Then, geochemical and geophysical surveys are carried out, as well as exploratory drilling. The area will become a mine if it’s proven to contain usable coal that can be recovered economically.

Coal is extracted by surface (or “opencast”) mining and underground (or “deep”) mining. The method used is determined by the geology of the area.

Underground mining accounts for about 60% of the world’s coal production.

Surface mining recovers a higher percentage of the coal deposit than underground mining, but it is only feasible when the coal deposit is near the surface.