Introduction to the major coal fields in Shanxi

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Qinshui Coal Field: The coal-bearing area covers 30,500.1 KM2, with reserves amounting to 331.65 billion tons. The output in this region is 105.3 million tons. The mines that fall under centralized management are those operated by Yangquan, Lu’an, and Jincheng Mining Bureaus; their respective outputs are 16.3431 million tons, 12.836 million tons, and 9.67 million tons. Bituminous coal and sub-bituminous coal are the main types, followed by lean coal and coking coal. Well-known brands include Jincheng anthracite and Yangquan anthracite, which are the third-largest export products in Shanxi Province, after Datong coal and Pingshuo coal. However, in recent years, it has faced competition from Vietnam’s Hongji coal abroad and Ningxia anthracite at home. In terms of quality and cost, the coal from Jincheng and Yangquan is at a disadvantage. Coupled with the shrinkage of the world’s anthracite market, these two grades will also decline year by year. 　　　　The lean coal found in Changzhi City, in the southeastern part of this coal field, was once exported for use as coal for blast furnace injection. This coal type has low sulfur and ash content, a high ash melting point, and good grindability. The decline in recent years is, apart from some reasons related to a preference for high-volatility blast coal, likely due more to systemic and operational management issues. 　　　　The coal with the greatest export potential in this coalfield is the low-volatility, highly caking coking coal found in the Qinyuan and Guxian areas in the southwest of the coalfield. The area covered by this coking coal resource is approximately 200 KM2, with coal seam thicknesses ranging from 0.8 to 3 meters. There are around 50 mines in this area (all of them are small local mines). The annual production is around 4.5 million tons. As a coking coal with low ash, low sulfur, low volatile matter, and strong cohesiveness, this type of coal is bound to become a famous product for Shanxi to enter the international market. 　　　　The main mining areas are as follows: Hudong Mining Area, Yangquan Mining Area, Jincheng Mining Area, Shouyang Mining Area, Heshun Mining Area, Xiangyuan Mining Area, Lu’an Mining Area, Gaoping Mining Area, and Changzhi Mining Area. 　　　　Datong Coal Field 　　　　The coal-bearing area covers 1,781.3 KM2, with reserves amounting to 34.18 billion tons. The output from this area is around 90 million tons, mainly in the form of thermal coal; it is the coal field in Shanxi that produces and exports the most coal. The main coal variety is Datong thermal coal. However, with the development of similar coal fields in China such as the Shenfu Coal Field in Shaanxi and the Dongsheng Coal Field in Inner Mongolia, as well as the construction of the Shenhua Railway, and the rapid growth in exports of thermal coal from Indonesia and South Africa abroad, the Datong Coal Field has actually lost its competitiveness and is set to decline year by year. 　　　　The Datong coalfield currently produces mainly Jurassic coal. There are 15 coal mines under the Datong Mining Bureau, with an annual production of around 35 million tons; there are 7 coal mines operated by local authorities, yielding over 4.5 million tons per year; and coal mines at the township level produce nearly 37 million tons. The remaining reserves of Jurassic coal amount to 5.88 billion tons. Based on the current production levels, these reserves can be exploited for only about 20 more years. Therefore, it is urgent to develop the lower Carboniferous-Permian coalfields.

The lower Carboniferous-Permian coalfields have reserves of 28.21 billion tons, with an annual production of around 12 million tons; most of these resources have not yet been utilized.

The main mining areas include: the Datong mining area and the Ningwu coalfield. The area covered by these coalfields is 3,087 km2, with total resource reserves of 97.434 billion tons. The annual production in this region is over 37 million tons, of which 11.604 million tons come from the Pingshuo open-pit mine, 2.3 million tons from the Xuan Gang Mining Bureau, and the rest from local coal mines. The coal produced here is mainly used for energy purposes. The volume of coal exported from this region is second only to that from the Datong coalfield, with Pingshuo’s washed thermal coal being the main export product.

From the beginning of its operation, the Pingshuo open-pit mine has focused on the international market. Its coal is characterized by a high ash fusion point, as well as stable quality and reliable supply capabilities. Its drawback is its high ash and sulfur content, and it remains inferior to Datong coal even after washing. At present, almost all of the main products from this mine are exported. Although it does not have a significant competitive advantage, its coal has certain distinctive properties, so it is expected that its export volume will manage to remain at the current level. 　　　　The most promising coal type in the Danning coalfield is the Jurassic coal from the southern part of this coalfield, whose exploration only began in the 1990s and which has been developed in recent years. This coal field covers an area of over 100 square kilometers, with coal seams that are 1–3 meters thick. Its current annual production capacity exceeds 1 million tons (all from small local mines). It is characterized by low ash, low sulfur, and low phosphorus content, with a free expansion order of around 3; in particular, the ash content can be reduced to 5.5% after washing. This type of coal has not received attention from relevant authorities; it competes only with thermal coal and Datong coal, and has begun to enter the international market in small quantities. In fact, this type of coal will be more competitive as soft coking coal. All its indicators are higher than those of Yanzhou Coal, while production costs will be significantly reduced. 　　　　The main mining areas are as follows: Pingshuo Mining Area, Xuangang Mining Area, Huabeitun Mining Area; Xishan Coal Field. Its area is 1,898.4 square kilometers, with resource reserves of 23.367 billion tons and an output of 31.58 million tons, mainly consisting of coking coal. The main coal mine in the area is the Xishan Coal Mining Bureau, whose production accounts for over half of the total output from the entire Xishan coalfield. 　　The Gujiao coal in this region is a rare type of highly caking coking coal; its No. 2 coal has an auto-expansion index of generally 7–9, and its content of active components exceeds 60%, making it a coal variety that is in short supply worldwide today. However, since this coal is difficult to process, the ash content standard set by the Xishan Mining Bureau is