It is found in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams.
Anthracite accounts for about 1% of global coal reserves, and is mined in only a few countries around the world. China accounts for the majority of global production; other producers are Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, South Africa, Vietnam, the UK, Australia and the US. Total production in 2010 was 670 million tons. Anthracite is the most metamorphosed type of coal (but still represents low-grade metamorphism), in which the carbon content is between 92.1% and 98%. Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a high luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest calorific content of all types of coal, which also include bituminous coal and lignite. Anthracite is the most metamorphosed type of coal (but still represents low-grade metamorphism), in which the carbon content is between 92.1% and 98%. A third of the coal is mined in the Appalachian Coal Region where the larger mines are underground and the smaller ones are surface mining. West Virginia produces the most coal for this region and is the second largest coal producing state in the country. Deeper coal beds can be found up to one thousand feet below the earth. Miners tunnel underground to get this coal. This is the most dangerous kind of coal mining. If a mine shaft collapses, miners can become trapped and miners are at risk to develop black lung disease after a career of breathing the coal dust. In the 1800s, one of the primary uses of coal was to fuel steam engines used to power locomotives. In the 1700s, the English found that coal could produce a fuel that burned cleaner and hotter than wood charcoal. The burning of coal to generate electricity is a relative newcomer in the long history of this fossil fuel. It was in the 1880s when coal was first used to generate electricity for homes and factories. The four types (or ranks) of coal mined today are: anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite. Lignite: The largest portion of the world's coal reserves is made up of lignite, a soft, brownish-black coal that forms the lowest level of the coal family. You can even see the texture of the original wood in some pieces of lignite that is found primarily west of the Mississippi River in the United States.  The first coal mined in Virginia came from the Richmond basin. From Chesterfield County south of Richmond, coal was carried on rails in mule-pulled carts to Manchester and Richmond. Later, mules were replaced by locomotives fueled by wood.  Coal (from the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century) is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. Coal is extracted from the ground by coal mining, either underground by shaft mining, or at ground level by open pit mining extraction. Since 1983 the world top coal producer has been China. In 2011 China produced 3,520 million tonnes of coal – 49.5% of 7,695 million tonnes world coal production. Most of the coal mined in Utah is bituminous. Coal is used during the coking process in steel production, and is burned in power plants to produce heat and electricity. Over one-half of the electricity used in Utah is generated by coal burning facilities. Coal is found in 17 of Utah's 29 counties, but coal mining is primarily concentrated in Emery and Carbon Counties. Coal production in Utah during 1994 is estimated at 24 million tons. Coal is found in 17 of Utah's 29 counties but mainly concentrated in Emery and Carbon Counties. To the right, a D&RGW coal train winds its way through Carbon County.  Identification. Coal is a mineral that has no fixed chemical formula. It contains various amount of these five elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and sodium. The hardest form of coal, antracite, is 98% carbon, but only 2% of the coal that is mined in the United States is anthracite. Deeper coal beds can be found up to one thousand feet below the earth. Miners tunnel underground to get this coal. This is the most dangerous kind of coal mining. If a mine shaft collapses, miners can become trapped and miners are at risk to develop black lung disease after a career of breathing the coal dust. The oldest and most abundant coal type found in the United States, bituminous coal makes up 45% of U.S. coal production by weight and 54% by energy intensity. West Virginia leads production, followed by Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Lignite: Lignite has the lowest energy content of the four types. It is used in electricity generation and comprises 7% of U.S. coal production by weight and 5% by energy intensity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracite http://www.ehow.com/about_4570227_coal-found.html http://www.fossil.energy.gov/education/energylessons/coal/coal_history.html http://www.fossil.energy.gov/education/energylessons/coal/gen_coal.html http://www.virginiaplaces.org/geology/coal.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal http://pioneer.utah.gov/research/utah_symbols/rock.html http://www.ehow.com/about_4570227_coal-found.html http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=2670
where coal is found