ISLAMABAD, June 18: The Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) is producing around 300,000 tons of coal annually, which is about 10 per cent of the total production of 3 million tons of coal in the country.

This was stated by PMDC Managing Director, Brig (Retd) Ishtiaq Ali Khan in an interview with APP here on Tuesday.

He said large deposits of coal, ranging from lignite to semi bituminous in quality, have been discovered in all the four provinces of the country.

According to an estimate, the total reserves of coal in Pakistan are 184,656 billion tons.

Out of these, the reserves of Thar coal field alone are 175 billion tons. Thar coal is low in sulphur with high calorific values, suitable to power generation and industry, he added.

The PMDC, he said, is currently operating two collieries namely Sor Range and Sharing in Balochistan and a coalmine at Lakhara in Sindh.

PMDC is also holding mining lease in Degari area of Balochistan but mining of coals from this area is suspended at present and soon to be reactivated through a joint venture.

Ishtiaq said, PMDC’s contribution in the overall production of coal is not much but, fortunately, it is holding mining rights over Sor Range-Degari belt, the coal of which, being low in sulphur and ash contents, is the most sought after by the cement industry.—APP