1.2.3. Coal
As far as the reserves are concerned, coal is not only the most widely spread but also the most important source of fossil energy. However, it must be kept in mind that the estimates of coal deposits are based on geological studies and do not take the mining problems into account. The proven and probable world hard coal reserves are estimated to be 61 920 x lo1* kwhr. The proven reserves amount to 4610 x 10” kwhr. Of this amount, ca. 35 % is found in the USA, 6 % in the CIS, 13 % in the Peoples‘ Republic of China, 13 YO in Western Europe, and 11 % in Africa. In 1995, 3.4 x lo6 tonnes of hard coal were produced worldwide, with 56 Ya coming out of the USA and China.