Abstract: Hydropyrolysis of coal can be done as a two stage process, offering good yields of benzene. The first stage is carbonization of coal in the presence of hydrogen or reactive gas at elevated pressure. The volatile products, without cooling or condensing, are then subjected to cracking at a temperature above the carbonization temperature, in the absence of catalyst, in the presence of hydrogen or reactive gas. The char remaining is reactive and can be gasified. The process is e asier to control and offers many advantages compared to prior proposed single stage hydropyrolysis.