Oklahoma Coalfields

The coalfield in eastern Oklahoma is divided into the northeast Oklahoma shelf and the Arkoma Basin.

The commercial coal belt contains coal beds greater or equal to ten (10) inches thick.  They are mineable by surface methods, at depths less than one hundred (100) feet, and coal beds greater than or equal to fourteen (14) inches thick, are mineable by underground methods.  The age of commercial coal-bearing strata in the Oklahoma coalfield is Desmoinesian (Middle Pennsylvania).

Oklahoma's remaining identified bituminous coal resources, in beds equal to ten (10) inches thick, total 8.09 billion short tons (1 short ton equals 2,000 pounds) located in nineteen (19) counties in eastern Oklahoma, in an area of approximately  8,000 square miles. About 1.6 billion short tons of bituminous coal reserves (the economically recoverable part of coal resources) remain in Oklahoma.  Oklahoma contains the most significant deposits of bituminous coal west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains.  Oklahoma ranks 19th out of 32 coal-bearing states in the U.S. based on coal reserves. From 1873 through 2002, two hundred eighty two (282) million short tons of bituminous coal were produced from underground and surface mines in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Energy Mix

Coal is a major source of energy in Oklahoma and in the nation. There are many uses for coal, primarily in combustion (generation of electricity), carbonization (coke used to make steel), conversion (gasification and liquification), and industrial (process heat).  Coal is used in Oklahoma in electric power plants, and lime and cement kilns.  In 2006, coal was the energy source for 64% of the electricity generated in Oklahoma, while natural gas provided 31.6%. Nationwide, 52% of electricity was produced by coal and 16% was produced by natural gas. 

Oklahoma Coal Production

Commercial coal mining began in Oklahoma in 1873 with the removal of bituminous coal from underground mines in eastern Oklahoma. Surface mining began in 1915.  Like the oil and gas industries, the coal industry has experienced production cycles.  Since 1969, the Oklahoma coal industry has had as few as eight active mines and as many as sixty. Oklahoma coal production has declined from its peak of 5.73 million tons in 1981, to a low of 1.4 million tons in 2002.   The Oklahoma Department of Mines recorded approximately 1.4 million tons of bituminous coal produced from 11 mines in seven counties for the year 2006.  Until recent years, the major consumption of Oklahoma coal had been by out-of-state utilities.  Major in-state use of Oklahoma coal has been by the cement and lime industry, and utilities.

There is potential for Oklahoma's coal resources to provide a basis for economic growth; only the apex of coal resources has been exploited. Large bituminous and metallurgical deposits remain to be produced, but will require large capital investments by sophisticated mining companies. Production and market issues affect whether or not some coal reserves are economical to mine. Regulations concerning mining and reclamation requirements also play a role in limiting coal production. Future production will hinge on development of additional markets for high sulfur coal and the increased use and development of clean coal technology at coal fired utilities, both within the state and in the surrounding area.