Coal resources, their prospecting and exploitation in China

This paper sums up research in geological prospecting and coalfield geology. It describes coal resources formation and distribution in China and coal resources in seven major coal accumulation periods. It reviews the history of coal prospecting and exploitation. The tectonics of Chinese coalfields are described based on the viewpoints of plate tectonic theory. The paper introduces the latest conclusions drawn from research on coal measures, rules of coal accumulation and coal metamorphism and new conclusions drawn by geologists on the special types of coal in China such as Stonel coal, sapropelitic coal, bark coal and their distribution.