Romania's coal production declines 5.7 pct, in Q1 of 2018; imports up 22.4 pct

Romania's net coal production in the first quarter of 2018 totals 1.14 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), down 5.7 percent (69,500 toe) from the similar period of last year, according to data centralised by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). 

In the mentioned period, Romania imported 105,500 toe of net coal, up 19,300 toe (22.4 percent) from January-March 2017. 

According to the Energy Strategy project posted on the ministry's website, Romania has total reserves of 12.6 billion tonnes of lignite geographically concentrated in the mining basin of Oltenia. Reserves in operation totals 986 million tonnes. 

The pit coal reserves, concentrated in the carboniferous basin of Jiu Valley, amount to 2.2 billion tonnes, of which 592 million tonnes are in blocks that are being exploited.