The Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region in China will continue to accelerate the elimination of backward coal production capacity in the current year. By 2015, the region plans to eliminate backward annual production capacities including underground coal mine capacities of 300,000 mt and lower and open-pit coal mine capacities of one million mt and lower. The number of coal mines in Xinjiang had decreased from 456 in 2005 to 352 in 2011.
In 2012, the Xinjiang authorities plan to promote 58 key coal mines of one million mt capacity and 18 key coal mines of 10 million mt capacity, as they focus on optimizing and upgrading the structure of the local coal industry. Moreover, the 20 million mt capacity of the open-pit coal mine project of Shenhua Xinjiang Energy Co. and 6 million mt capacity underground coal mine project of Shandong Energy Xinwen Mining Group Co. are expected to be put into production in the current year.