This paper describes the modes of occurrence of significantly-enriched barium in a Jurassic coal in the Ordos Basin, northern China. A total of 14 bench samples were taken from a mining face in the Huangling 2 Mine, situated southeastern of the Ordos Basin, China. The coal investigated in this study is characterized by high volatile matter, low ash yield, and low sulfur content. The average content of barium (5728 mu g/g) is about 36 times higher than that of common Chinese coals. SEM-EDS data show that the carriers of barium are witherite and strontianite, both of which are of epigenetic origin. It is inferred that the barium was originated from the Ba-ore deposits in the black shales in the Qinling Mountains, located to the south of the Ordos Basin. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.