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Coal reserves

Methodology

Proved reserves of coal are generally taken to be those quantities that geological and engineering information indicates with reasonable certainly can be recovered in the future from known deposits under existing economic and operating conditions.
Proved coal reserves are shown for anthracite and bituminous (including brown coal) and sub-bituminous and lignite. Data are measured in million tonnes.

R/P ratios represent the length of time that those remaining reserves would last if production were to continue at the previous year's rate. It is calculated by dividing remaining reserves at the end of the year by the production in that year.

Reserves-to-production (R/P) ratios are available by country and feature in the table of coal reserves. R/P ratios for the region and the world are depicted in the chart above and the Energy charting tool.

Coal reserve data is in million tonnes
Reserves-to-production (R/P) ratios
Years
2011 by region
Coal reserves to production years region
Coal reserves to production years region
Reserves-to-production (R/P) ratios
Years
image for printing
Coal reserves to production years
World proved reserves of coal in 2011 were sufficient to meet 112 years of global production, by far the largest R/P ratio for any fossil fuel. Europe & Eurasia holds the largest regional reserves and has the highest R/P ratio. The Asia Pacific region holds the second-largest reserves, while North America has the second-highest R/P ratio

Sources

Source of coal reserves data Survey of Energy Resources, World Energy Council.
Historical data chart

Historical data

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