PURPOSE: To delime coal with good workability at lower cost, by a method in which an oil is added to an aqueous slurry of pulverized coal to which is added a surfactant and the slurry is stirred.

CONSTITUTION: To an aqueous slurry of pulverized coal of approx. 50% or less concentrations is added 10W2,000ppm (based on coal amount) surfactant (e.g., a nonionic surfactant and/or an anionic surfactant), together with, if necessary, 5% or less (based on the aqueous slurry) inorganic electrolyte (e.g., Na2HPO4), and then the equeous slurry is further mixed with 2W30% (based on coal amount) oil (e.g., an organic liquid immiscible with water, such as hydrocarbon oils) and stirred at a revolving speed of approx. 300W1,500rpm for deliming and granulation. Then, the granular coal obtained of a grain size of 0.2W5mm is screened and the slurry containing ungranulated coal and lime is separated for removal to obtain delimed coal granules.