Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Coal Country Notes

Reported recoverable reserves of some 31 billion tonnes indicate that Kazakhstan has the third largest coal endowment in Asia. Most of these reserves are said to consist of anthracitic and bituminous grades. In the absence of any further data, lignite has, for the purpose of this Survey, been assumed to represent 10% of the republic's total proved reserves.

The major coal-producing areas are the Karaganda Basin towards the centre of the country and the Ekibastuz Basin in the northern province of Pavlodar. Bogatyr Access Komir, Kazakhstan's largest coal producer, is developing the Bogatyr and Severny fields in the latter basin.

Total national output of coal exhibited a declining trend after independence in 1991, but has recovered some lost ground since the turn of the century. Production in 2005 was 86.6 million tonnes, marginally less than in 2004, with hard coal grades accounting for some 95%. Kazakhstan is a major coal exporter (26 million tonnes in 2004), with Russia and Ukraine as its main customers. The prime internal markets for Kazakh coal are power/CHP plants and the iron and steel sector.