The following is an abbreviated introduction to coal geology and mining. Readers interested in further details of coal geology and mining, and its environmental impact, are referred to Rahmani and Flores (1984), Scott (1987), Thomas (1992), Gayer and Harris (1996), Pickering and Owen (1994), Whateley and Spears (1995), Evans (1997), Miller (2005), Warwick (2005), Greb and diMichele (2006), Masters and Ela (2008), Catelin (2009), Spitz and Trudinger (2009), Tabak (2009) and Botkin and Keller (2010).

Studies of coal geology and mining are liable to become increasingly important in the future, as supplies of coal are set to outlast those of other fossil fuels, there being sufficient supplies of coal to last for approximately 130 years at current rates of production and consumption, but only sufficient gas and oil to last for approximately 60 years and 40 years, respectively (Catelin, 2009). The potential to sequester the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in coal could also come to realisation, with both economic and environmental benefits (Catelin, 2009; Miranda et al., 2009). Note that burning coal causes potentially damaging emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides, particulates and trace metals, although it is possible to build or retro-fit coal-fired power stations with emission controls, albeit at some expense, and at the further expense of some efficiency loss.