In most cases, geology determines how coal is mined. 98% of Canada's production is mined from the surface from either open-pit or strip mines.

In the mountains and foothills of Alberta and British Columbia, coal seams are twisted and faulted and usually mined from large excavations, known as open-pit mines. As mining progresses, the pits are widened and deepened. An open-pit mine typically consists of a number of different pits which are developed sequentially.

Strip mining is used on the prairies and in New Brunswick where coal seams are fairly horizontal and close to the surface. Large machinery exposes and extracts the coal in a series of rows called strips.

Click on either of the small pictures to see larger pictures and descriptions of open pit and strip mines.

Underground mines in Canada currently produce less than 2% of Canada's coal. Underground mines are used to access deep coal deposits. These deposits are mined from networks of rooms and tunnels using automated machinery to cut the coal from a seam and conveyor belts to transport it to the surface.

However, an exciting prospect exists for the development of a large underground mine in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.