China National Coal Group, the country's second-biggest supplier of the fuel by sales, said profit surged 93 percent to a record last year as it increased output to meet the nation's demand.

China National had profit of 7.71 billion yuan (US$1.1 billion) in 2007, the Beijing-based company said in a statement on its Website, without saying whether it was before or after tax or giving the year-earlier figures. Sales rose 9.5 percent to 57.3 billion yuan.

(Shanghai Daily January 25, 2008)