Industrial coal mining in Mexico first dates to the year 1884 at the Sabinas basin, in the northern border state of Coahuila. The vast majority of the nation's known reserves remain in this relatively small Región Carbonífera.
The nation's coal resources were first systematically developed in the 1890s by American industrialist Collis Potter Huntington and others. The mining operations were notable for their poor working conditions, high accident rates and large numbers of worker fatalities. After a wave of foreign investment and exploitation in the early 20th century, annual coal production peaked in 1925.
Production continues today. As of 2013 Mexico ranked 25th among nations in terms of proved recoverable coal reserves.[1]
- ^ World Energy Council – World Energy Resources: 2013 Survey Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. (PDF) . Retrieved on 26 December 2015.