The coal-rich Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is planning to enhance its coal production capacity by launching 139 large and medium-sized coal mines by 2010, the local coal industry authority said Sunday.

The regional government of Xinjiang had approved 139 projects in building new coal mines and restructuring small collieries in its 11th Five Year Plan period (2006-2010), which is expected to bring a joint annual output of 226 million tonnes as all the projects gradually reach full operation, according to the Coal Industry Administration of Xinjiang.

About 65 sites are in Ili, Turpan-Hami Basin, eastern part of the Junggar Basin and the counties of Kuqa and Baicheng, Xinjiang's biggest four coal mine bases, it said.

Xinjiang is estimated to have about 2,190 billion tonnes of coal reserves, 40 percent of China's total. The landlocked region had reported 199.2 billion tonnes of explored coal as of last year.

The coal output in Xinjiang hit nearly 67.7 million tonnes in 2008 and the amount is expected to reach 80 million tonnes this year and 100 million tonnes in 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2009)