Azerbaijan, Baku, Sep. 3 / Trend E. Kosolapova/
Coal mining companies mined over 52 million tons of coal in Kazakhstan in the first half of this year, Kazakh Industry and New Technologies Ministry told Kazakh Prime Minister web site.
Some 36.2 million tons of mined coal were supplied to the domestic market and 16 million tons were exported.
Energy enterprises accounts for over 28 million tons of coal supplied to the domestic market or 2,500 tons more compared to the same period in 2011.
According to the Ministry, the total geological coal reserve in Kazakhstan hit 150 billion tons. The balance reserve amounts to 33.6 billion tons including 21.3 billion tons of bituminous coal, 12.3 billion tons of brown coal.
The coal industry gives 74 percent of electric energy produced in Kazakhstan. The expected volume of investments to the coal industry will make 614 billion tenge in the upcoming decade.