The above chart "World coal production forecast" comes from the report "Coal future of China and the World" (here) by a student team at Uppsala University. While the chart forecasts declining coal production in most countries, note the rise, a significant increase, of coal production in Russia.
From the Rueters article "Putin pledges billions for Russian coal sector boost" (1/24/12, here):
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, standing for election in a March presidential poll, pledged $8 billion in development aid for the coal industry during a visit to a major mining region, a hotbed of political protest in the past.
He said Russia will spend 252 billion roubles ($8.17 billion) on coal industry development by 2030 as part of an overall 3.7 trillion rouble investment programme that will be driven by the private sector.
"The overall development of the economy, honourable colleagues, and the increased effectiveness of the coal sector...allows us to draw up such large scale plans," the prime minister said.
The Kuznetsk Basin (Kuzbass) is Russia's largest coal producing region, mining 192 million tonnes in 2011, or 57 percent of Russia's total output of 336 million tonnes.
And:
Putin also said that Russia should boost coal exports to Asia, where demand is surging.
"We need not only to maintain our market position, but also expand it, particularly in the promising markets of the Asia-Pacific region.
Russia, the world's third largest coal exporter, has opened or expanded a number of Far Eastern ports recently including SUEK's Vanino and Mechel's Posyet.
Russia also has a number of new projects in the works to supply this market, such as Mechel's Elga mine in the Sakha Republic as well as a series of undeveloped properties in the southern Siberian Republic of Tuva.
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