Chinese geological workers have found new coal reserves estimated at 1.4 billion tons in Wenshui County in north China's Shanxi Province.

Sources from China Coal and Geology Corporation, one of the organizers of the discovery, said workers sunk six pits and explored a land covering 74 sq km to the southeastern edge of the Xishan Coalfield inside Wenshui County before finding the reserves.

The exploration has proven that the coal is hidden deep, and coke dominates the reserve, said the sources.

An executive with China Coal and Geology Corporation believed the prospects for further development is bright.

North China's Shanxi Province abounds in coal resources and is commonly known as the "sea of coal".

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2004)