Coal: Shanxi province has been referred to as “a land of coal”. By the end of 1990, it had 257.4 billion tons of coal reserves, or about a third of the nation’s total.

It has a range of coal types with high quality and stable beds. The geological conditions for roof and floor engineering are simple and the gas content is low. The coal stratum is quite shallow and convenient for exploiting, and such favorable conditions are quite rare around the world.

In 1990, Shanxi produced 286 million tons of raw coal, or 26.6 percent of the nation’s total output. It sold 203 million tons to other provinces (27 provinces and municipalities), or about three-fourths of China’s internal coal shipments, contributing significantly to the country’s energy supplies. It also sold coal to Britain, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.