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Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy (2007)

Chapter: Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves

« Previous: Appendix C: Federal Support for Coal Research
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×

Appendix D
Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves

The most widely referenced data tables that report the coal reserves of the United States and the rest of the world are presented below. The data reported for the United States are the Demonstrated Reserve Base (DRB) and the Estimated Recoverable Reserves (ERR) (see Table D.1); these are reported annually by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and are described in Box 3.1.

The most recent World Energy Council (WEC) compilation of worldwide coal reserves from 75 countries—the twentieth edition of Survey of Energy Resources—was published in 2004 (see Table D.2). The WEC provides the following definitions to the nation member committees, which then provide the data that are the bases for Table D.2 (WEC, 2004):

  • Proved amount in place is the resource remaining in known deposits that has been carefully measured and assessed as exploitable1 under present and expected local economic conditions with existing available technology; and

  • Proved recoverable reserves are the tonnage within the proved amount in place category that can be recovered in the future under present and expected local economic conditions with existing available technology.

The WEC must rely on data submitted by each country, and “it is well recognized that each country tends to have its own notion of what constitutes resources and reserves” (WEC, 2004, p. xi.).

1

Equivalent to “minable”; wording is from WEC (2004).

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×

TABLE D.1 U.S. Coal Reserve Data by State for 2005, ERR and DRB by Mining Method for 2005 (million short tons)

 

Underground Minable Coal

Surface Minable Coal

Total

State

ERR

DRB

ERR

DRB

ERR

DRB

Alabama

508

1,007

2,278

3,198

2,785

4,205

Alaska

2,335

5,423

499

687

2,834

6,110

Arizona

––

NA

NA

Arkansas

127

272

101

144

228

417

Colorado

6,015

11,461

3,747

4,762

9,761

16,223

Georgia

1

2

1

2

2

4

Idaho

2

160

2

160

Illinois

27,927

87,919

10,073

16,550

38,000

104,469

Indiana

3,620

8,741

434

742

4,054

9,483

Iowa

807

1,732

320

457

1,127

2,189

Kansas

681

972

681

972

Kentucky total

7,411

17,055

7,483

12,965

14,894

30,020

Eastern

658

1,178

5,214

9,337

5,872

10,516

Western

6,753

15,877

2,269

3,628

9,022

19,504

Louisiana

312

422

312

422

Maryland

317

578

44

65

361

643

Michigan

55

123

3

5

59

128

Mississippi

NA

NA

Missouri

689

1,479

3,157

4,510

3,847

5,989

Montana

35,922

70,958

39,021

48,272

74,944

119,230

New Mexico

2,801

6,156

4,188

5,975

6,988

12,131

North Carolina

5

11

5

11

North Dakota

6,906

9,053

6,906

9,053

Ohio

7,719

17,546

3,767

5,754

11,486

23,300

Oklahoma

574

1,231

226

323

800

1,554

Oregon

6

15

2

3

9

17

Pennsylvania, total

10,710

23,221

1,044

4,251

11,754

27,472

Anthracite

340

3,844

420

3,355

760

7,198

Bituminous

10,370

19,377

625

896

10,994

20,274

South Dakota

277

366

277

366

Tennessee

280

510

179

264

459

774

Texas

9,534

12,385

9,534

12,385

Utah

2,514

5,128

212

268

2,726

5,396

Virginia

2,949

1,130

171

562

3,121

1,693

Washington

1,030

1,332

6

8

1,036

1,340

West Virginia

15,576

29,184

2,382

3,775

17,958

32,960

Wyoming

22,950

42,500

17,657

21,319

40,607

63,819

U.S. Total

152,850

334,876

114,705

158,059

267,554

492,935

NOTES:

NA = This estimated value is not available due to insufficient or inadequate data or model performance.

The DRB and ERR as of January 1, 2006, incorporate revisions made to eliminate a discrepancy between data expressed by coal rank versus data allocated to British thermal unit (Btu) ranges. The minor differences resulted from the fact that coal rank classifications are based in part, but not entirely,

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×

on Btu content. EIA’s data—originally allocated to Btu ranges for coal supply and demand modeling—had been used to approximate the ERR by coal rank in the early 1990s. Over time, the small differences between resources and reserves by coal rank and by Btu ranges became significant due to cumulative depletion adjustments. The January 1, 2006, data include internal additions to coal tonnages by Btu ranges to identify the coal ranks where more than one rank occurs in borderline resource areas and to unify the tonnage totals. Recoverable coal reserves at producing mines represent the quantity of coal that can be recovered (i.e., mined) from existing coal reserves at reporting mines.

EIA’s ERR include the coal in the DRB considered recoverable after excluding coal estimated to be unavailable due to land use restrictions or currently economically unattractive for mining after applying assumed mining recovery rates.

The effective date for the DRB, as customarily worded, is “Remaining as of January 1, 2006.” These data are contemporaneous with the RRPM, customarily presented as of the end of the past year’s mining—in this case, December 31, 2005. Current or recent mining in a state does not imply those data for a DRB and ERR.

The DRB includes publicly available data on coal mapped to measured and indicated degrees of accuracy and found at depths and in coalbed thicknesses considered technologically minable at the time of determinations.

All reserve expressions exclude silt, culm, refuse bank, slurry dam, and dredge operations. RRPM excludes mines producing less than 10,000 short tons, which are not required to provide reserves data.

SOURCES: EIA Form EIA-7A, Coal Production Report; MSHA, Form 7000-2, Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report; and EIA estimates.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×

TABLE D.2 Proved International Recoverable Coal Reserves at End of 2002 (million tonnes)

Country

Bituminous (including anthracite)

Subbituminous

Lignite

Total

Algeria

40

 

 

40

Botswana

40

 

 

40

Central African Republic

 

 

3

3

Congo (Democratic Republic)

88

 

 

88

Egypt (Arab Republic)

21

 

 

21

Malawi

 

2

 

2

Morocco

Na

 

 

N

Mozambique

212

 

 

212

Niger

70

 

 

70

Nigeria

21

169

 

190

South Africa

48,750

 

 

48,750

Swaziland

208

 

 

208

Tanzania

200

 

 

200

Zambia

10

 

 

10

Zimbabwe

502

 

 

502

Total Africa

50,162

171

3

50,336

Canada

3,471

871

2,236

6,578

Greenland

 

183

 

183

Mexico

860

300

51

1,211

United States of America

111,338

101,978

33,327

246,643

Total North America

115,669

103,332

35,614

254,615

Argentina

 

424

 

424

Bolivia

1

 

 

1

Brazil

 

10,113

 

10,113

Chile

31

1,150

 

1,181

Colombia

6,230

381

 

6,611

Ecuador

 

 

 

24

Peru

960

 

24

1,060

Venezuela

479

 

100

479

Total South America

7,701

12,068

124

19,893

Afghanistan

66

 

 

66

China

62,200

33,700

18,600

114,500

India

90,085

 

2,360

92,445

Indonesia

740

1,322

2,906

4,968

Japan

259

 

 

359

Kazakhstan

28,151

 

3,128

31,279

Korea (DPR)

300

300

 

600

Korea (Republic)

 

80

 

80

Kyrgyzstan

 

 

812

812

Malaysia

4

 

 

4

Mongoliab

 

 

 

 

Myanmar

2

 

 

2

Nepal

 

1

 

1

Pakistan

 

60

2,990

3,050

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×

Country

Bituminous (including anthracite)

Subbituminous

Lignite

Total

Philippines

22

144

70

236

Taiwan, China

1

 

 

1

Thailand

 

 

1,354

1,354

Turkey

278

761

3,147

4,186

Uzbekistan

1,000

 

3,000

4,000

Vietnam

150

 

 

150

Total Asia

183,358

36,368

38,367

258,093

Albania

 

 

794

794

Austria

 

 

20

20

Bulgaria

4

91

2,092

2,187

Croatia

6

 

33

39

Czech Republic

2,094

3,242

216

5,552

France

15

 

 

15

Germany

183

 

6,556

6,739

Greece

 

 

3,900

3,900

Hungary

198

199

2,960

3,357

Ireland

14

 

 

14

Italy

 

27

7

34

Netherlands

497

 

 

497

Norway

 

5

 

5

Poland

14,000

 

 

14,000

Portugal

3

 

33

36

Romania

22

3

469

494

Russian Federation

49,088

94,472

10,450

157,010

Serbia and Montenegro

9

656

15,926

16,591

Slovakia

N

 

172

172

Slovenia

 

40

235

275

Spain

200

300

30

530

Sweden

 

1

 

1

Ukraine

16,274

15,946

1,933

34,153

United Kingdom

220

 

 

220

Total Europe

82,827

117,982

45,826

246,653

Iran (Islamic Republic)

419

 

 

419

Total Middle East

419

 

 

419

Australia

38,600

2,200

37,700

78,500

New Caledonia

2

 

 

2

New Zealand

33

205

333

571

Total Oceania

38,635

2,405

38,033

79,073

Total World

478,771

272,326

157,967

909,064

aN represents negligible amounts.

bA quantification of proved recoverable reserves for Mongolia is not available.

SOURCE: WEC (2004).

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×
Page 155
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×
Page 156
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×
Page 157
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×
Page 158
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves." National Research Council. 2007. Coal: Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11977.
×
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Coal will continue to provide a major portion of energy requirements in the United States for at least the next several decades. It is imperative that accurate information describing the amount, location, and quality of the coal resources and reserves be available to fulfill energy needs. It is also important that the United States extract its coal resources efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner. A renewed focus on federal support for coal-related research, coordinated across agencies and with the active participation of the states and industrial sector, is a critical element for each of these requirements.

Coal focuses on the research and development needs and priorities in the areas of coal resource and reserve assessments, coal mining and processing, transportation of coal and coal products, and coal utilization.

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