“Annually, the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA)
reports remaining tons of coal in the demonstrated reserve base (DRB),
which is a subset of total coal resources that have been mapped to measured
and indicated degrees of accuracy and found at depths and in coalbed
thicknesses considered technologcially minable at the time of determination.
As of January
1, 2008, the DRB was estimated to contain 489 billion short tons (a short
ton is a unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds). The U.S. uses just over
a billion short tons of coal each year.” As
of January 1, 2008, U.S.A. DRB was estimated to contain 489 billion tons
“EIA annually estimates recoverable coal reserves by adjusting the DRB to
reflect accessibility and recovery rates in mining. As of January 1, 2008,
EIA estimated that the remaining U.S. recoverable coal reserves totaled
just under 263 billion short tons, from a demonstrated reserve base of 489
billion short tons.”
“The distribution of coal reserves around the world varies notably
from that of oil and gas. Significant reserves are found in the United
States and Russia but not in the Middle East. The United States with
27 percent
and Russia with 17 percent account for nearly half of global coal reserves.
China (13 percent), Australia (9 percent), South Africa (5 percent),
and
Kazakhstan (3 percent) also have significant amounts of the world's recoverable
coal reserves.” — EIA 2008
Total USA Coal Resources:
According to the United States Geological Survey,
the USA has 1.7 trillion tons of identified
coal resources — coal
for which geological evidence and engineering studies provide
reliable information about location, rank, quality, and quantity.
(Geologists recognize that
more coal deposits are likely to be discovered in the future,
so they estimate total USA coal resources could amount to 4
trillion tons.)
Much of the coal we know about cannot be mined today, because it would be
too costly or existing technology doesn't allow it. It may be too deep,
for example, or the quality may not meet current needs. So to be realistic,
experts
estimate that 489 billion tons of that coal are potentially recoverable.
This is called the demonstrated reserve base.
Mining techniques leave a good deal of coal in place, so the amount of coal
that experts estimate actually can be mined is called the recoverable
reserve base. It amounts to an estimated 263 billion tons.
The environment and
coal mining can co-exist in harmony when mining companies
restore the land and protect the lakes, rivers and streams.
Southern California is an example. Although no coal mining takes place
in Southern California, mountain top removal and excavation does
occur, not by mining
companies, but by real estate developers. Many of the coastal mountains
of Southern California have been leveled and covered with houses. The
adjacent canyons and creeks have been filled up with earth taken from
the tops of nearby hills to create valuable flat or terraced suburban
neighborhoods. Millions of acres of farm land and sagebrush covered hills
have been bulldozed for housing.
Many California residents were saddened by the sight of the land being
torn apart. But twenty — thirty years later, the hills, now covered
with houses, are beautifully landscaped.
Perhaps the solution to the land use impact of coal mining
will come from landscape architects who will design the final look of
the
restored
land.
President Obama spoke in Virginia about the possibilities offered
by clean coal technologies and the important role it can play in
our energy future.
