▁other ▁country , ▁however , ▁its ▁project ed ▁res erves ▁places ▁it ▁between ▁ 6 th ▁and ▁ 1 0 th ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁extensive ▁coal ▁fields ▁throughout ▁China . ▁In ▁the ▁S out heast ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁the ▁coal ▁is ▁Perm ian ▁in ▁age . ▁In ▁the ▁North ▁of ▁China ▁coal ▁is ▁from ▁the ▁Jur ass ic ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁but ▁reaches ▁the ▁C ret ace ous ▁in ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁N ortheast . ▁Tib et ▁and ▁Q ing hai ▁have ▁a ▁relative ▁dear th ▁of ▁coal ▁measures . ▁China ' s ▁pet role um ▁res erves ▁are ▁located ▁off ▁or ▁near ▁the ▁eastern ▁se ab o ard ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁Tak lam ak an ▁Des ert . ▁Un pro ven ▁oil ▁res erves ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁China ▁Sea ▁are ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁motiv ation ▁for ▁the ▁continued ▁border ▁disput es ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁O il ▁sh ale ▁res erves ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁Chinese ▁ge ology ▁ ▁An cient ▁▁ ▁Ge ological ▁topics ▁are ▁discussed ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁China ' s ▁earliest ▁writ ings . ▁Between ▁ 5 0 0 ▁BC ▁and ▁ 8 0 0 ▁AD ▁Chinese ▁sch ol ars ▁described ▁mountains , ▁min er als , ▁foss ils ▁and ▁documented ▁the ▁locations ▁of ▁ore ▁bodies . ▁They ▁also ▁noted ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁marine ▁foss ils ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁to ps ▁of ▁mountains . ▁ ▁F oss ils ▁and ▁some ▁min er als ▁were