Huaibei Coal

Huaibei Coal

　　    The Huaibei mining area is situated in the heart of East China and is rich in coal resources. Covering a total area of 9,600 square kilometers, with 6,912 square kilometers containing coal, it includes four major mining districts: Suixiao, Suzhou, Linhuan, and Woyang. At every mine, the wheels of industry spin, and along the tracks, streams of black gold flow. Stepping into this hundred-mile mining zone, one can feel the pulsating energy and vitality everywhere. After 50 years of development, the Huaibei Mining Group has grown into a large-scale coal enterprise with assets worth 25.3 billion yuan and an annual raw coal production of 27.89 million tons. It ranks among China’s Top 500 Enterprises and holds the 16th position in the National Top 100 Coal Industry list.

    As early as during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, farmers in the Lieshan area began extracting anthracite coal using traditional methods during agricultural off-seasons. In the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign (1906 AD), local merchants jointly invested to establish the Xiaohuanshan (now Xiaohuashan) Coal Mine. By the eve of the Xinhai Revolution, the Lieshan mining area had eight operational shafts, producing 300 tons of coal per day. In the 6th year of the Republic of China (1917), Ni Sichong, Commander-in-Chief of the Anhui Clique’s Anwu Army, invested 200,000 yuan, and local merchant Zhou Yushan contributed 100,000 yuan to establish the “Puyi Company” as a joint government-merchant venture in Lieshan, with Ni Daolang serving as general manager. Over 20,000 workers were recruited from Shandong, Shanxi, and other regions to dig 21 main shafts and more than 30 smaller pits. The operation acquired 52 horizontal boilers and other machinery. Additionally, over ten coal mining technicians were hired from the Kailuan Mines to guide and improve extraction techniques, achieving a daily output of around 700 tons. In the 17th year (1928), the Nationalist Government took over the Lieshan Mine, converting it from a government-merchant operation to a fully state-run enterprise. By the eve of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the mine was producing 400 tons of raw coal per day. In May of the 27th year (1938), Suixi fell to Japanese forces, and the Lieshan Mine was seized and continued mining under Japanese control until it was shut down in the 29th year (1940).

    On May 5, 1958, a milestone institution in the history of the mining area — the Huaibei Coal Mine Preparatory Office — was officially established, marking the birth of the Huaibei mining zone. Tens of thousands of construction workers soon gathered on the Huaibei Plain, sounding the horn for a new “Huaihai Campaign” to develop the Huaibei coalfield, then known as the “Siberia of Anhui.” From that moment on, a new chapter in the history of the Huaibei region began.

    Huaibei’s coal comes in a complete range of types, including coking coal, 1/3 coking coal, gas coal, fat coal, lean coal, meager coal, anthracite, and natural coke — a rare variety in China. Among these, coking coal, fat coal, and meager coal are classified as rare and scarce coal types under national protection and development, accounting for 85.7% of the total reserves in the mining area. The entire mining zone holds approximately 8 billion tons of coal reserves. In addition to coal resources, the area also boasts abundant associated mineral resources. Proven coalbed methane reserves above the -2000 meter level exceed 300 billion cubic meters, along with 480 million tons of high-quality kaolin and 150 million tons of natural coke.

    Huaibei coal is of high quality, characterized by low sulfur, low ash, extremely low phosphorus, high calorific value, strong caking properties, and excellent coking performance — making it a “green, environmentally friendly” type of coal.