BRAZIL

Proved amount in place (total coal, million tonnes) 17 051
Proved recoverable reserves (total coal, million tonnes) 11 929
Production (total coal, million tonnes, 1999) 5.6

Brazil has considerable reserves of sub-bituminous coal, mostly located in the southern states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná.

For the present Survey, the Brazilian WEC Member Committee has reported a proved amount in place (defined as covering measured, indicated and inferred reserves) of just over 17 billion tonnes, of which 70% is categorised as proved recoverable reserves. There is estimated to be some 15.3 billion tonnes of additional coal in place, of which 50% is considered to recoverable.

With respect to the stated level of proved recoverable reserves, it is estimated that 21% could be exploited through surface mining, and that 7% is considered to be of coking quality. In 1999, 50% of Brazilian coal production was obtained by surface mining.

Almost all of Brazil’s current coal output is classified as steam coal, of which about 90% is used as power-station fuel and the remainder in industrial plants. Virtually all of Brazil’s metallurgical coal is imported: about three-quarters is used as input for coke production.

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