Asia-Pacific to reign supreme as the leading coal-producing region

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to reign supreme as the leading coal-producing region in the future, helped along by China's impressive coal reserves, according to a new report by natural resources intelligence expert GBI Research.

The region's coal industry comprises China, India, Australia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Vietnam and New Zealand. China contributed 68% towards the region's total coal production in 2011. In contrast to China's colossal production, 2011 saw India offer a 13% share of regional production, while Australia accounted for an 8.5% share and Indonesia made a 7.2% contribution.

The Asia-Pacific region is rich in coal deposits and has the largest amounts of coal reserves in the world. According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011, the Asia-Pacific region had around 292.5 billion metric tons of coal reserves, or 35% of the global coffers, at the end of 2010. During 2011, production reached an estimated 4,866 million metric tons, accounting for 65% of total global coal production in that year. Asia's total dominance in the industry is emphasized by the fact that Europe, the second largest coal producer in 2011, accounted for a share of just 15%.