Coal production dropped 0.3 percent in first four months, imports go up 21.5 percent

Romania's net coal production totaled in the first four months of the year 1.458 tons of oil equivalent (toe), by 0.3 percent (4,900 toe) lower than the similar interval of the previous year, according to data centralised by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). 

In the mentioned period, Romania imported 141,900 toe of net coal, up 25,100 toe (21.5 percent) from January 2017 - April 2017. 

According to the Energy Strategy project posted on the ministry's website, Romania has total reserves of 12.6 billion tons of lignite, geographically concentrated in the Oltenia Mining Basin. Reserves in exploitation amount to 986 million tons. 

The black coal reserves, concentrated in the carboniferous basin of Jiu Valley, reach 2.2 billion tons, of which 592 million tons are in blocks that are being exploited.