There has been a reduction of coal production in the United States due to environmental pressure and the increased use of natural gas. This reduction will require coal producers and consumers to make decisions on whether to sample more to verify contract quality or sample less in an effort to cut costs.CITATION:Campbell, S A, 2014. The shrinking coal market in the US - sample more or sample less?, in Proceedings Sampling 2014 , pp 3-6 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).