The Barapukuria coalfield was discovered in 1985 by the Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB). A detailed feasibility study was carried out by M/S Wardell Armstrong (UK based firm) in Barapukuria Coal field. The main tasks included in the study are drilling of 33 boreholes, determination of basin boundaries and structure, determination of coal seam characteristics, grades, basic concept of mining method, total reserves, seam thickness and geothermal conditions etc. Later, an agreement was signed with the Chinese company CMC on 7 February 1994 to develop the mine on a turn-key basis. Under the agreement, the first management and production (M&P) contract for 71 months was signed between BCMCL and the Chinese Consortium (XMC-CMC) on 4 June 2005 after the completion of the shaft, pitbottom roadway development for the extraction of 4.75 million metric tonnes of coal. The contract started in September 2005 and ended in August 2011. 3.651 million metric tons of coal can be extracted from the central part under the said period. A second Management, Production, Maintenance and Provisioning Services (MPM&P) contract was signed between BCMCL and the Chinese Consortium (XMC-CMC) for mining of 5.50 million metric tonnes of coal for a period of 72 months. The contract started on 11 August 2011 and ended on 10 August 2017. During that period 5.504 million metric tons of coal can be extracted from the central part. Subsequently, a third Management, Production, Maintenance and Provisioning Services (MPM&P) contract was signed between BCMCL and a Chinese consortium (XMC-CMC) for mining 3.205 million metric tonnes of coal for a period of 48 months. The contract started on 11 August 2017 and will end on 10 August 2021. Under the agreement, 2.377 million metric tonnes of coal was lifted from Central Part till June 2020. The remaining 0.828 million metric tonnes of coal will be mined from the coal reserves of the central part. A detailed feasibility study was completed by consulting firm John T. Boyd in 2017-2018 to extract coal from the northern and southern parts of the Barapukuria Coal Basin. According to the study, coal mining is being done from the northern part of coal basin. Geological conditions: Barapukuria coal basin has an area of 6.68 sq km. The total reserves of coal in this basin are 390 million metric tons. The surface of the entire coalfield is covered by barind clay layer (Madhupur clay). Below this layer there is Dupi dune layer. Dupi dune layer is divided into two parts. One is the alluvial Upper Dupi Tila and the other is the clayey Lower Dupitila layer. Below that layer lies the coal-bearing Gondwana layer. There are a total of 6 coal seams in this basin, out of which SIM-6 has an average thickness of 36 m. The quality of coal obtained from Barapukuria coal mine ranges from high volatile bituminous to sub bituminous. Its main components are fixed carbon-48.40%, ash-12.40%, volatile matter-29.20%, total moisture-10%, harmful element sulfur content-0.53% and thermal combustion capacity-11,040 Btu per pound.