El Magro Coal Mine
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El Magro Coal Mine (Mina El Magro) is an operating coal mine in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| El Magro Coal Mine | Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia[1] | 7.90543811, -72.51150071 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[1] | – | 2020[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.06[2] | – | – | Underground[1] | – | – | 494.0* | 85.0[2] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.08[1] | 2021[1] | 1.2[1] | – | Bituminous | Met[1] | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Carbomas S.A.S[1] | Carbomas SAS [100.0%] | – |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker May 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
El Magro Coal Mine (Mina El Magro) is an operating underground coal mine in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia.
The mine was classified by the ANM as a reaprovechamiento greenfield project — a special category denoting the fresh development of a previously disturbed site, as distinct from a brownfield expansion of an existing operation. It produced sedimentary metallurgical (coking) coal — specifically an ultra-low phosphorus high-volatile coking coal characteristic of the Norte de Santander coalfield, a property that makes the coal sought after by global ferroalloy and steel industries.[3]
El Magro Mine was operated and owned by Carbomas S.A.S., a Colombian mining company that forms part of the Carbomax group of companies, headquartered in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander. The group operated underground mines producing ultra-low phosphorus coking coal across two productive units, processing and exporting coal to markets including Brazil, Turkey, Belgium, India, Mexico and China.[4][5]
Mine's capacity was estimated at 60,000 tonnes annually. Proven and probable mineral reserves totalled 1.08 Mt and total resources 1.2 Mt under the ECRR standard as of August 2021. The reported mine life was 12 years.[3]
Total investment was reported at US$2.6 million (as of 2021), of which US$1.1 million had been executed. Operations commenced in 2020.[3]
Licensing Status
As of August 2021, the mine held an approved environmental license from the Corporación Autónoma Regional de la Frontera Nororiental (CORPONOR), granted under Environmental License No. 0237 of May 4, 2010. The works and construction programme (PTO) had been approved by the ANM under Auto PARCU-0879 of August 21, 2015.[3] The mining title CH9-111 was held jointly by Mora Proyects SAS and Carbomas S.A.S., with the concession contract registered on September 8, 2003, and listed as active in the ANM national mining registry as of March 2026.[6]
As of March 2026, no updated ANM project profile beyond the August 2021 filing was identified in publicly available sources. The mine's operating status was inferred from the active mining title CH9-111 listed in the ANM national mining registry and continued mining operations by the Carbomax group in Norte de Santander as of 2025.[7]
Location and Decrease of Production in 2025
The mine is located in the Cúcuta coalfield of Norte de Santander, one of Colombia's most distinctive coal-producing regions. Norte de Santander's coking coal is characterised by ultra-low phosphorus content, high volatility and a high swelling index, properties found in very few coalfields globally and particularly valued by the ferroalloy industry for the production of reactive coke used in ferrosilicon, ferrochromium and ferromanganese production.
Annual coal production from Norte de Santander ranged between 1.5 and 2.0 million tonnes, exported to markets across the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa.[8]
As of 2025, the Norte de Santander coal sector faced significant headwinds. By the third quarter of 2025, regional production and exports of metallurgical coal and coke had fallen by approximately 33% compared to 2024, driven by falling international prices, competition from lower-cost Indonesian coke, a decline in the peso-dollar exchange rate, and increased domestic taxation. Fenalcarbón, the national coal producers' federation, reported that the sector's share of Colombia's GDP had fallen from 5.7% to 3.5% over the preceding years, with smaller producers particularly affected by the combination of low margins and rising operating costs.[9]
Articles and Resources
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.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 (PDF) https://mineriaencolombia.anm.gov.co/sites/default/files/docupromocion/Proyecto%20Mina%20El%20Magro%2008%202021.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 (PDF) https://mineriaencolombia.anm.gov.co/sites/default/files/docupromocion/El%20Magro%20Mine%20Project%2010%202021.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Proyecto Mina El Magro" (PDF). Agencia Nacional de Minería. August 31, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Carbomax". Carbomax. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "La pequeña carbonera de Cúcuta que logró la más grande exportación del mineral a China el año pasado". Las2orillas. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Búsqueda de Títulos y Solicitudes – AnnA Minería". Agencia Nacional de Minería. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Carbomax". Carbomax. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Carbón en Norte de Santander: ¿Qué lo hace tan atractivo para el mundo?". Semana. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Negro panorama en el carbón: mano de obra minera de Norte de Santander migra a otras actividades". La Opinión. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
