UNITED KINGDOM
Proved recoverable reserves (total coal, million
tonnes) 1 500
Production (total coal, million tonnes, 1999) 37.1
Coal deposits are widely distributed and for many
years the UK was one of the world’s largest coal producers,
and by far its largest exporter. Production rose to
a peak of nearly 300 million tonnes/year during World
War I and thereafter did not fall below 200 million
tonnes/year until 1960. Output began a long-term decline
in the mid-1960’s, falling to less than 100 million
tonnes/year by 1990. Reflecting continued competition
from natural gas and imported coal, UK coal production
sank to 37 million tonnes in 1999.
The UK coal industry was privatised at the end of
1994, with the principal purchaser being RJB Mining,
which acquired 16 deep mines from British Coal. At
the end of June 2000 there were 19 major deep mines,
14 smaller deep mines and 48 open-cast sites in production.
Deep-mined coal output in 1999 was 20.9 million tonnes
and open-cast sites produced 15.3 million tonnes;
production from slurry etc. amounted to 0.9 million
tonnes. Most deep-mined coal has a significantly higher
content of sulphur and chlorine than that of internationally-traded
coal. There is now virtually no UK production of coking
coal.
The decline of the British coal industry makes it
exceptionally difficult to quantify resources and
reserves in compliance with the definitions specified
for this Survey. In British Coal’s annual report for
1991/1992, coal in place (in seams over 0.6 metres
thick and less than 1 200 metres deep) was estimated
as 190 billion tonnes, of which some 45 billion tonnes
could be extracted with current technology. The report
qualified these estimates by stating that "the working
of these resources will depend on economic circumstances,
together with any other strategic considerations".
For the purpose of the present Survey, the problem
lies in quantifying the proportion of the coal in
place which should be regarded as "exploitable under
present and expected local economic conditions" (see
Definitions), and the proportion of the technologically
recoverable reserves which would satisfy the same
economic criterion.
By far the greater part of the 190 billion tonnes
of coal in place quoted above is not within the take
of currently operating mines. The UK Department of
Trade and Industry’s 1997 Energy Report states that
"there were estimated to be approximately 1 billion
tonnes of economically viable coal reserves at existing
mines at the end of 1994". Parker (1997)* estimated
proven UK coal reserves accessible to existing deep
mines and identified open-cast sites as "of the order
of 800 million tonnes". In this Survey, UK proved
recoverable reserves of bituminous coal are quoted
at the 1997 Energy Report level of 1 billion tonnes,
although a recent assessment (Parker (2000)**), which
allows for the effects of subsequent production and
for the closure of certain mines, points to an even
lower figure.
Estimates of lignite reserves and resources relate
only to the Crumlin deposit in County Antrim, Northern
Ireland.
Australia
|| Botwana
|| Brazil
|| Canada
|| China
|| Colombia
|| Czech
Republic || Germany
|| Greece
|| India
|| Indonesia
|| Pakistan
|| Poland
|| Russian
Federation || South
Africa || Thailand
|| United
Kingdom || United
States Of America
