5 Coal Othe r Info rm ation G E N E R A L I N FORM A T I O N C oal i s a n or g ani ca l l y der i v ed m at er i al I t i s f o r m ed f r o m t he r em ai ns of dec ay ed pl an t m at er i al com pac t ed i nt o a s o l i d t h r o ug h m i l l i ons o f y ea r s of ch em i ca l ch ang es unde r p r es s ur e a nd he at A s t he or g ani c m at ur i t y pr o ce s s c o nt i n ues t he bur i e d p l an t m at er i a l i s t r an sf o r m ed i nt o d i f f e r en t t y pes of c oal I n g ene r al t he l ong er t he coa l i s s u b j e ct ed t o hea t an d pr e ss ur e t h e h i g her i t s g r ad e a nd con t ai ned h ea t w i l l be pe r uni t o f w ei g ht B i t u m i nous c oal and ant h r ac i t e ar e h i g h r ank ed c oal s a l so k now n as har d coa l B i t um i nous coa l i s cons um ed f o r bo t h m et al l ur g i c al an d t he r m al pur po se s Pre m i u m g r ade bi t um i nous coa l of t en r ef er r ed t o a s m et a l l u r g i ca l co al o r cok i ng c oal i s u se d t o p r oduc e c ok e w hi ch i s a k ey i ng r edi ent i n i r o n and st e el m a k i ng A nt hr ac i t e t he hi g hes t r ank ed c oal i s of t en ca l l e d s m ok el es s and ca n be cons um ed by house hol ds as a f ue l f or h ea t i ng a nd cook i ng and by v ar i ous i ndus t r i e s Li g ni t e a n d subbi t um i nous c oal ar e l ow r ank ed c oal s a l so k now n a s br ow n coa l s c onsum ed o nl y f or t he g ene r at i on of e l ec t r i c i t y C oal i s t he wor l d s m ost ab undant and w i de l y di st r i but ed f o ss i l f uel A cc o r di ng t o C oal I n f orma t i on t he annua l pub l i ca t i on of t he I nt er n at i ona l En er g y A g enc y t he wo r l d s t ot al p r ov en r e cov er abl e c o al r es er v es ar e 1 000 b i l l i o n t o nnes t spr e ad ov er m or e t h an 70 c ount r i e s At i t s c u r r e nt p r od uct i on r at e c o al o f f er s appr ox i m at el y 150 y ea r s of suppl y w hi ch i s s i g ni f i ca n t l y l ong er t han k now n r es e r v es of oi l an d g as C oal i s a l so an e conom i ca l ene r g y sour ce w he n com par ed t o oi l and g as C oal ha s be en c on sum ed a s an e ne r g y sour ce f or h undr eds o f y ea r s I t pr ov i de d t h e ene r g y t hat boos t ed t he i ndus t r i a l r ev ol ut i on o f t he 19 t h c en t ur y and l aun ch ed t h e e l ec t r i c e r a i n t he f ol l ow i ng ce n t ur y I t w as t he wo r l d s m ost i m por t ant s our c e of pr i m ar y ene r g y u nt i l t he l at e 1960 s when i t w as ov er t ak en by oi l T od ay cl os e t o 90 of t he w or l d s t ot al c oal pr o duc t i o n i s c onsum ed a s t he r m al c oal T h e m aj o r i t y of t her m al c oal i s use d t o g ene r at e e l ec t r i c i t y and a sm al l por t i on i s u se d as a f ue l f or hea t or s t e am suc h as f or r es i den t i al bui l d i ng hea t i ng f o r t h e c em ent p ul p an d pape r and ot h er i ndu st r i e s an d f o r t he ag r i cul t u r e a nd t r an spor t a t i on se c t o r s Coa l f i r ed pow e r g ene r a t i on cu r r e nt l y pr ov i des m or e t h an 40 o f t he wo r l d s t ot al el e ct r i ci t y A bout 10 o f g l oba l coa l pr oduc t i on i s t r an sf o r m ed i nt o cok e a n d use d i n i r on and s t e el m ak i ng A l m ost a l l pr i m ar y st ee l pr odu ct i on w or l dw i de i s bas e d on p i g i r on f r om bl as t f ur n ac e s f e d w i t h i r on o r e a nd cok e m ade f r om cok i ng coa l C ana da h ol d s 87 b i l l i on t o f pr ov en c oal r e se r v es i nc l udi ng 66 bi l l i on t o f pr ov en r ec ov er abl e c o al r es e r v es t h at w i l l pr ov i de m or e t han 1 00 y ea r s of p r odu ct i on a t cu r r e nt p r odu ct i on r at es I n addi t i on abou t 193 bi l l i on t o f coa l r es ou r c es hav e be en i d ent i f i ed LINK S T O O T H E R WEB S I T E S C oal A ss oci at i on o f C an ad a w w w coa l ca T e ck R es our c es L t d w w w t ec k com Sher r i t t I nt er n at i ona l C or p w w w she r r i t t com Wa l t e r Ene r g y I nc w w w w al t er ene r g y co m G r ande C a che C o al C o r p w w w g cc oal com