Abstract <p>The quality of a Russian gas coal was analyzed, including its caking index, coke optical texture, and the coke quality parameters for the single coal. Its influence on the properties of coal blends and the resulting coke quality was also evaluated. A comparison was made between this Russian gas coal and a gas coal from Shanxi. Although their volatile matter contents, caking indices, and vitrinite reflectance values were similar, significant differences were observed in the optical texture of the coke and the coke quality parameters. The correlations between quality indices for imported coal differed from those for domestic coal. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between coal qualities and coal types in order to optimize blending costs and maintain coke quality.</p>