Although coal in these places was mined in the past, its development speed was not very fast because the quality of their coal was not very good and it was difficult to compete with the cheap and high-quality Guangning anthracite.
Coal is also graded. The highest quality thermal coal is naturally anthracite, such as Guangning anthracite produced in Lianzhou Prefecture, Guangdong.
This kind of anthracite is of very high quality and is the royal coal used by the Imperial Navy. Whenever possible, the Tang Navy will give priority to using this high-quality anthracite.
At the same time, a large number of ships, under normal circumstances, will give priority to using these high-quality anthracite coals. As for other coals, the shipping industry is actually relatively exclusive, but they will also use them if no anthracite coal is available.
But now, although the output of Guangning anthracite is getting higher and higher, it is still unable to meet the growing demand for coal. This means that coal of lower quality from other places can also find sufficient markets.
For a time, coal mines in various places were expanding production on a large scale, especially coal in Shanxi and Northeast China, which was ushering in a period of large-scale mining.
At the same time, coal mining in overseas areas has also entered a period of rapid development. After all, Datang's ships traveled all over the world, and coal supplies were needed everywhere.
In this case, it is impossible to transport local coal to all parts of the world. The cost is too high. If possible, coal needs to be mined locally in overseas territories or under indigenous control.
At present, the Datang Empire has opened coal mines in various parts of Southeast Asia, India, West Asia, South Africa, America, and Europe. Some are in areas actually controlled by the Tang Dynasty, and some are in areas controlled by indigenous people.
Whether in Datang's overseas territories or in indigenous-controlled areas, the main investors and miners of these coal mines were Datang people, and most of the coal produced was supplied to Datang's ships.
However, coal mining in overseas areas is restricted by the Import and Export Committee and cannot import and use equipment from the country, so the production capacity is not very high.
After several major labor service companies were established and took over a large number of labor dispatches, the coal production capacity in overseas regions gradually increased to supply the needs of Datang's fleet in overseas regions.
However, even this cannot fully meet the needs of so many overseas ships of the Tang Dynasty, so a lot of coal still needs to be transported from the mainland.
The two major industries of coal and steel can be said to be the epitome of contemporary industrial development.
The explosive growth of these two industries can also be considered as the industrialization process of the Tang Empire. After decades of preparation, it has entered a new height.
Against this background, in the 36th year of the Xuanping Dynasty in the Tang Empire, wars and the like could hardly make the headlines of newspapers everywhere.
Even the empire is still fighting wars with the Tatars in the Ural River, the mountains, the Volga River and other basins, with each other fighting small battles every three days.
Even the Imperial Army's Second Indian Campaign in the Indian region is still going on. It has already wiped out several local indigenous nations and more than tripled its actual control area in India.
Even the empire is carrying out various immigration and construction in various overseas territories.
But these are nothing compared to the rapid development within the empire.
Today, the empire is most concerned about the development of local industry and commerce.
After all, people are most concerned about things happening around them, things that are closely related to their own interests. As for overseas affairs that are too far away, most people actually don't care much.
Against this background, Zuo Chengsheng in Baku also ushered in a new turning point in his life.
After previously acting as an agent for the Royal Oil Company's sales of kerosene in the Ottoman region, he also acted as an agent for the Imperial Oil Company's sales.
In terms of exports, these two officially controlled companies appear to be particularly consistent. The export prices are the same, and they even use the same agency. As for the internal distribution of interests between the two oil companies, naturally there are big bosses at the top.
Negotiations were conducted and the shares and distribution of benefits were finalized.
This is also a good thing for Zuo Chengsheng, which means that he has no second competitor in the Ottoman market!
Even though the two oil companies had invested in his Xihai Trading Company to avoid accidents, turning Xihai Trading Company into a joint venture again, Zuo Chengsheng still held 60% of the shares.
In the first quarter of the thirty-sixth year of Xuanping, his Xihai Trading Company successfully exported kerosene worth approximately 600,000 Tang Yuan through its many channels.
Is this still the most important achievement of his work? The most important thing is that through long-term market cultivation, he has established sales channels. From the Balkans to the Mesopotamia, the company's kerosene sales are already available.
channel.
Even through the Ottomans, kerosene had entered North Africa and Central Europe, including the Tatar Kingdom of Jin.
Although the Tatars are still fighting wars with the Tang Dynasty and the Ottomans, this does not mean that the trade between the two sides has been cut off. After all, wars have to be fought and money has to be earned.
Some arms dealers who are not afraid of death even dare to sell weapons directly to the Tatars...
Based on the current situation, it is estimated that within the next year, Xihai Trading Company will be able to export a total of at least two million, or even three million Tang Yuan worth of kerosene to the Ottoman region.
And this data is already quite huge!
They have replaced many other products exported by the Tang Dynasty to the Ottomans and become the largest volume of goods in the trade between the Tang Dynasty and the Ottomans.
Kerosene, a seemingly inconspicuous thing, has exploded with huge energy since its emergence. Not only is the internal demand huge, but the export is also quite easy.
With an export volume of 3 million yuan a year, the profit attributable to Xihai Trading Company is at least 500,000 yuan.
Earning half a million a year is a huge profit!
And when Zuo Chengsheng made huge profits from his Xihai Trading Company, he didn't know that Royal Petroleum Company was the real huge profit.
As the Nanyang Oilfield began to produce oil, the price of crude oil in Datang began to decline this year, but it still remained at Wutang Yuan per barrel. The crude oil production in the first quarter of the 36th year of Xuanping was 3 million barrels. If you only buy crude oil
If so, this alone would be able to generate revenue of 15 million Tang Yuan!
Not to mention, they not only mine oil, but also refine it. Except for supplying a small amount of crude oil to Imperial Oil Company, they refine and sell the rest themselves.
Therefore, their actual revenue and profits are higher, and they are so high that everyone is amazed!