Lignite coal is brownish black in color with leaf impressions, stems and the woody structure of tree trunks often recognizable. These features are the fossils of once living organisms. The coal is solid when first mined but breaks apart soon after extraction. Higher classes of coal become progressively harder, less affected by weathering and rarely contain identifiable plant impressions. The colors of these coals are shiny to dull black.
Some anthratic coals are grey-black in color.
Location of Coal Saskatchewan coal is produced from areas across the southern part of the province near the U.S. border. The Ravenscrag Formation is a geological name for the main coal-bearing sediments of Tertiary age in southern Saskatchewan. Surface mining is generally less costly and more flexible than underground mining and recovers a higher percentage of coal in a deposit. The coversoil removed is stockpiled for late reclamation. Up to 69 cubic meters of earth may be removed at one time.