This document describes methods for pretreating coal to create either a dried coal or a char product that is stable in the outdoor environment and is more efficient as a feedstock for gasification or other processes than the original coal. Embodiments of the methods include pulverizing and pelletizing the coal, and pretreating the coal pellets to obtain a stable pellet of either dried coal or a stable pellet of chared coal (coal char). The pellets created by the described methods have undergone deoxygenation and carbonization improving their handling and storage properties and, in some cases, energy density. Pore structures within the pellets are stabilized physically and chemically so that the uptake of moisture into dry coal, that leads to internal heat generation, is greatly reduced. Chars are also, therefore, stable against transitions from a dry state to a wet state and less prone to self-ignition.