Coal Reserves and Resources.


Amongst the major energy sources, coal is once again the most rapidly growing fuel on a global basis. While questions regarding the size and location of reserves of oil and gas abound, coal remains abundant - and broadly distributed around the world. Economically recoverable reserves of coal are available in more than 70 countries worldwide, and in each major world region. With authorities reporting some 850 billion tonnes of coal as currently recoverable (the geological resource is far larger), it is clear that coal will be with us for many decades, if not centuries, to come.

The fact that global coal reserves at end-2005 were, at 847.5 billion tonnes, some 61.5 billion tonnes or 6.8% lower than the corresponding total at end-2002 represents more of a refinement than a revision. After centuries of mineral exploration, the location, size and characteristics of most countries' coal resources are quite well known. What tends to vary much more than the assessed level of the resource (in other words, the potentially accessible coal in the ground) is the level classified as proved recoverable reserves (that is, the tonnage of coal that has been proved by drilling etc. and is economically and technically extractable). For more please read: Survey of Energy Resources 2007.

The following sources have been used:

  1. From the World Energy Council the folloing information:
    1. Table 1.1 Coal: proved recoverable reserves at end-2005
    2. Table 1.2i Bituminous coal (including anthracite): resources at end-2005
    3. Table 1.2ii Sub-bituminous coal: resources at end-2005
    4. Table 1.2iii Lignite: resources at end-2005
  2. From the World Resources Institute from the United Nations the following:
    1. Proved Coal Reservs units: tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe)
  3. And for the energy contents of the different kinds of coal we used :
    1. Rockman's Coalpage
    2. Energy Density of Coal from WikipediA.

The result is:

Global
Coal Reserves		 Reserves
millions of Tons		 Energy Contents
of reserves
in Mtoe		 Energy Contents
of reserves
in ZJ (zetta Joules)
Minimum
Estimate		 Maximum
Estimate		 Minimum
Estimate		 Maximum
Estimate
Bituminous incl Anthracite 430,896 251,550 359,357 10.5 15.0
Sub-bituminous 266,837 118,686 192,864 5.0 8.1
Lignite or Browncoal 149,755 33,305 66,609 1.4 2.8
Total Coal 847,488 403,540 618,831 16.9 25.9
Developed World
Coal Reserves		 Reserves
millions of Tons		 Energy Contents
of reserves
in Mtoe		 Energy Contents
of reserves
in ZJ (zetta Joules)
Minimum
Estimate		 Maximum
Estimate		 Minimum
Estimate		 Maximum
Estimate
Bituminous incl Anthracite 380,605 222,191 317,416 9.3 13.3
Sub-bituminous 266,366 118,476 192,524 5.0 8.1
Lignite or Browncoal 149,701 33,305 66,609 1.4 2.8
Total Coal 796,672 373,960 576,525 15.7 24.1
Developing World
Coal reserves		 Reserves
millions of Tons		 Energy Contents
of reserves
in Mtoe		 Energy Contents
of reserves
in ZJ (zetta Joules)
Minimum
Estimate		 Maximum
Estimate		 Minimum
Estimate		 Maximum
Estimate
Bituminous incl Anthracite 50,291 29,359 41,942 1.2 1.8
Sub-bituminous 471 209 340 0.009 0.014
Lignite or Browncoal 54 12 24 0.001 0.001
Total Coal 50,816 29,581 42,306 1.2 1.8

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