World coal reserves have been estimated as 5008.6 billion metric tons. North America has about 38.2 per cent of the total coal reserves of the world. Asia has about 46 percent, Europe 14.1 per cent, Africa 4.4 per cent, Australia 1.1 percent and south and Central America has 0.2 per cent, of the world's coal reserves.
The U.S.A. The amount of coal deposited in the USA has been estimated at 1723.4 billion metric tons or 34.4 per cent of world coal reserves. Anthracite, bituminous and sub-bituminous coal accounts for 1303.1 billion metric tons or about 76 per cent of the country's coal reserves.
The United States produces 95 percent of the coal production of North America. Coal supplies about 40 per cent of the total energy utilized in the U.S.A.
The important coalfields are the following
(a) Northern Appalachian,
(b) Middle Appalachian,
(c) Southern Appalachian,
(d) Eastern Interior,
(e) Western Interior,
(f) Rocky Mountain,
(g) The Pacific Coast.
Though coal is widely distributed in the United States and two-thirds of its states mine coal but more than 80 per cent of its production comes from five states. One coalfield produces all the anthracite and four coalfields raise more than 90 per cent of bituminous coal production.
Production of coal in 1987-88 was 795 million metric tons of which 65 million tons were anthracite and the rest bituminous.
The northern Appalachian coalfield is situated near the regions of dense population and large manufacturing centres of the United States and Canada. The rivers, Great Lakes, Atlantic Ocean and the great railway network in this area provide excellent transportation. Modern mechanized methods on an extensive scale are employed in coal mining.
The middle Appalachian coalfield contains good quality coal like the northern Appalachian field. As a producer the middle Appalachian field stands second. Tug River districts are of special importance in the middle Appalachian field. The eastern interior field situated on the level and rolling land produces more than 18 per cent of bituminous coal of the USA The coal of the western interior field is characterized by high heat value and range in quality from anthracite to bituminous.
The southwest interior field is in central Texas. The coal is bituminous, not of very high grade and has little economic value at present because of difficult mining conditions and competition with petroleum and natural gas.
The northern Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains Provinces contains enormous reserves of unmined coal, varying from lignite to high quality bituminous, with a few places where anthracite coal has been found. Pennsylvania anthracite accounts for 10 per cent of the average production in U.S. In the output of bituminous coal, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio stand out in order of importance.
Canada. Canada has a large reserve of coal, mainly of lignite type located in the Prairie Provinces. Bituminous lie in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Alberta's. The last two produce most of Canadian output. Total reserves are 89.6 billion metric tons or about 2 per cent of world total.
Europe. Europe excluding Russia has about 13.1 per, cent of coal reserves of the world. Today Western Europe produces about 44% of the world's output.
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