Linc Energy, an oil and gas production company listed in Singapore and the United States, said on Tuesday it has been awarded a coal exploration license in Poland's Upper Silesian Coal Basin, one of Europe's largest coal basins.

The area covers 134 sq km and contains anticipated economic resources in the order of 2.8 billion tonnes of coal, based on data published by the Polish Geological Institute, Linc Energy said in a filing to the Singapore Exchange.

The Kobior Coal Exploration License brings Linc Energy's coal portfolio in Poland to about 4 billion tonnes, the company added.

It also allows Linc Energy to build on its progress in underground coal gasification, or the conversion of coal into gas.

"The conversion of this volume of incremental coal resource could, on its own, be sufficient to supply 20 per cent to 35 per cent of Poland's gas requirements for decades to come," said Mr Peter Bond, Linc Energy's chief executive officer and managing director.

"It is actually possible that Poland could become energy independent on the back of underground coal gasification."