Coal

The enormous coal resources found in Alberta total 79 billion tonnes, of which 32 billion are potentially recoverable. With nearly 60 percent of Canada's coal reserves, Alberta is the largest producer and second largest exporter of coal in Canada.

The province's coal ranges from a sub-bituminous variety mined in the plains to a high-volatile bituminous thermal coal in the foothills and low- and medium-volatile bituminous coking coal in the mountains. Small quantities of lignite also are found in the plains. Alberta's coal is clean-burning and has a low sulphur content (ranging from 0.2 to 0.7 percent).

Alberta Energy Information Centre. Alberta in the Global Energy Spectrum. Edmonton: n.p., 1989. With permission from the Alberta Research Council.