Coal Reserves Worldwide and Export Production Forecasts

Abstract

There has been more confusion in estimating and reporting coal reserves than there has been with petroleum reserves. In the UK, for example, until 1993, resources established more than a century earlier were quoted as reserves to gain political advantage. Outside the UK, reserves declared by companies have been reasonably precise whilst outside the USA reserves on a country basis have been less reliable. As with world oil reserves, totals for regions and for the total worldwide are composed of estimates of very different quality.