A coal deposit of 2.2 billion tons has been discovered in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said a source from its geological bureau on Wednesday.

The Baiyinhua deposit is 9.5 kilometers wide and runs 60 kilometers long northeast to southwest in the western Ujimqin Banner of Xilin Gol League.

It is one of the 10 largest coal deposits discovered in Inner Mongolia so far.

The quality of coal from the site is high and reserves are not far from the surface, making it easy to exploit.

The bureau spent more than four months to locate the deposit, mobilizing 116 drilling machines to do so.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2005)