COLOMBIA

Proved recoverable reserves (total coal, million tonnes) 6 648
Production (total coal, million tonnes, 1999) 32.8

Colombia’s vast coal resources are located in the north and west of the country. Published data on measured reserves (sourced from the state coal entity Ecocarbón, March 1998) indicated a total of 6 648 million tonnes, of which Cerrejón North and Central Zones account for 55% and the fields in the department of Cesar for 29%. Virtually all Colombia’s coal resources fall into the bituminous category: the reserves in the San Jorge field in Córdoba, with an average calorific value in the sub-bituminous/lignite bracket, are shown under sub-bituminous in Table 1.1.

Development of Colombian coal for export has centred on the Cerrejón deposits which are located in the Guajira Peninsula in the far north, about 100 km inland from the Caribbean coast. The coal is found in the northern portion of a basin formed by the Cesar and Rancheria rivers; the deposit has been divided by the Government into the North, Central and South Zones. In October 1975 the Government opened international bidding for the development of El Cerrejón-North Zone reserves and in December 1976 Carbocol (then 100% owned by the Colombian State) and Intercor (an Exxon affiliate) entered into an Association Contract for the development and mining of the North Zone. The contract has three phases and covers a 33-year period with the production phase scheduled to end early in 2009.

Carbocol was privatised in October 2000, the purchasers being a consortium of Anglo-American, Billiton and Glencore.

Coal exports from Colombia totalled 29.9 million tonnes in 1999, equivalent to 91% of its coal production. Cerrejón North remains one of the world’s largest export mines.

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