The British National Coal Board has developed a technique for the extraction of UK bituminous coals with supercritical fluids, whereby an extract is obtained which can be hydrocracked to a distillate oil rich in benzene derivatives, together with a reactive char suitable for gasification or combustion. No hydrogen is needed for the extraction, the need for wet filtration to separate the coal solution and the extraction residue is avoided, and virtually complete recovery of the solvent is achieved. The technique has been applied in the laboratory to a high-volatile low-sulfur subbituminous coal from the Western United States. A 20% yield of extract similar in composition (but lower in yield) to UK coal extracts was obtained using supercritical toluene as solvent. The extract had a hydrogen content of 8% and a calorific value of 37500 KJ/kg, compared to 5% and 29500 KJ/kg, respectively, for the coal. The char product was obtained as reactive free-flowing particles. Extraction of the Wyodak coal with a supercritical p. cresol/water mixture yielded approximately 40% extract, but decomposition of the p. cresol occurred giving rise to a further quantity of extract-like material.