Phonesack Coal Mine

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Phonesack Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Xekon, Laos.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Mine Name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Phonesack Coal Mine	Xekon, Laos	15.7515600866802, 106.689565004849 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:

Loading map...

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Project Details

Table 2: Project status

Status	Status Detail	Opening Year	Closing Year
Operating	–	–	–

Table 3: Operation details

Note: The asterisk (*) signifies that the value is a GEM estimated figure.

Capacity (Mtpa)	Production (Mtpa)	Year of Production	Mine Type	Mining Method	Mine Size (km2)	Mine Depth (m)	Workforce Size
–	0.22	2021	Surface	Open Pit	–	60*	384*

Table 4: Coal resources and destination

Total Reserves (Mt)	Year of Total Reserves Recorded	Total Resources (Mt)	Coalfield	Coal Type	Coal Grade	Primary Consumer/ Destination
–	–	–	–	Anthracite	Thermal	Phonesack Xekong power station

Table 5: Ownership and parent company

Owner	Parent Company	Headquarters
Phonesack Group Ltd	Phonesack Group Ltd [100%]	–

Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September supplement.

Background

The total mining volume in 2023 was estimated at 7.7 million tonnes, with more than 2.5 million tonnes for export. The plan for 2024 is to mine a total estimated output of about 22.6 million tons. A government source from 2024 suggested that the mine's capacity is 20 million tonnes.

2021 production was estimated at only 0.2 million tonnes. Planet imagery shows considerable expansion of the mining activity between 2021 and 2024. The exact opening year of the mine is not known.

Coal is being exported to Vietnam through the La Lay International Border Gate in Quang Tri Province. In July 2024, it was reported that the authorities in Quang Tri province (Vietnam) have approved the construction of an over-six-kilometre-long conveyor belt to transport coal from Laos to Vietnam. The conveyor belt will cover 23.8 hectares of land and is estimated to cost about US$58.3 million or VND1.5 trillion. The belt was deemed necessary because roads that are currently used to transport coal have become degraded. The conveyor belt will carry 30 million metric tons of coal a year. The conveyor belt will start at the Laos-Vietnam border and end at a warehouse in A Ngo commune, Dakrong district, Quang Tri province (Vietnam).

Over the past two years, coal imports from Laos into Vietnam have grown and in in 2023, Quang Tri province imported 2.2 million metric tons of coal from Laos. In addition to the 6km conveyor belt, the investor in the project proposes to build two more belts, with one connecting the former with My Thuy Seaport and the other linking the Vietnam-Laos border and a coal mine in Xekong province (presumably, the Kaleum coal mine).

It is anticipated that about 400Mt of available coal will be supplied to the proposed Phonesack Xekong power station, and the rest 400Mt million tons will be sold to buyers in Laos and other countries. During his visit to the mine, the Prime Minister has advised to address the environmental and social impacts arising from mining operations.

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Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.